The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1898-12-10
SECRETARY :1T|l lLGE:RI|I's
STORY Of the VAR
An Exhaustive Review Of the Opera
tons Of the Army&in the
Late Conflict.
ENTIRE ABSENCE Of CRITICISM
O,spassionatc Recital OF Military
Events. Supplemented by Re-
ports and Dispatches
of the Generals.

ssshlhs Ton, Lee. 5,-Ihe annual re-
port OF Secretary Alger is a practically
complete history OF the spanish-Amer-
lean a The secretary has given to
the public, not only all the official dis
patches that passed directly between
ms own office and commanding officers
IN the field and cnmp. hnt has supple
mented these with snort explanatory
notes, setting forth the rensnns for
varloas movements. and then, to com
pete the record OF events, he has in
ciuded IN the body of the report the
report Of General Miles, of all the gem
erals who participated IN the cam
paigns in Cuba. Puerto Rico or the
IMlppines. and finally the reports of
all OF the bureau officers of the war de-
partment. Nowhere is there shown u
disposition to criticise, the official dis
patches being allowed to tell their own
story, and generally the secretary finds
much to praise and cause for sincere
congratulation in the results obtained.
The report proper begins with what
may be described ms a chronological
history of the war, consisting Of a
number of short paragraphs, begin
ning with the declaration Of wa on
April II, and setting forth the date up
on which any event of Importance oc-
Cured, but making no comment what
ever upon the facts. The only 5excep-
ton to this rule is in a reference to the
casualties at Santiago. Some criticism
having been made that there was ii
lack of surgeons present, the report
states that there was 14O surgeons in
attendance. and that of 1,43l wounded
only thirteen died OF their wounds.
Touching the surrender OF Santiago
the report shows that Shafter demand
ed the surrender on the Sd, and re-
newed his demand on the 4th. On the
morning of the nth another demand
was made. On the evening of that day
General Miles arrived, and on the 13th
and 14th of July. he, with General.
Shafter met the Spanish commander
under a flag of truce to discuss the sur
render. On the afternoon of the 14th
General Miles left General Skaters
headquarters and soon thereafter went
aboard ship, preparatory to sailing for
Puerto Rico. July II Toral surren-
dered $4,000 men upon our terms and
the American flag wal hoisted by order
of General Shafter.
The secretary coming down in his
history to the middle of August, when
an order was issued and is now in exc
cution to muster out 100000 volun-
teers, says:
Thus an army of about 100000 vol
unteers and recruits for the regulars
was called into existence from civil
life; and, Including the regular army,
the total force was 274,717 men. 1t
was organized, armed and equipped
(no supplies being on hand other than.
those for the regulars, w Springfield
mnskets), and $4,000 men of this force
were transported by land and sen to
hattlefields in the tropics 10000 miles
apart, where they won their victories
without q single defent, and all with
in the period of ia days from the
declaration of war to the signing of
the protocol.
This great achievement can be cred
tied to no Individual; it belongs to the
nation. Tt was accomplished through
the intelligence and patriotism of all
who served, from the commander in
chief to the private in the ranks. 1t
also speaks volumes for the prompt,
patriotic and intelligent assistance of
the people who furnished, in so short
a period, the supplies necessary to pre-
pare this great army for the field. To
the heroic men who served in distant
lands the country will ever offer a true
need of praise; but the mighty army
in camp, ready and eager to take the
field, should also be given equal credit.
1t was their presence, ready at an
hours notice, for any emergency, that
overawed the enemy and proved to
him that further resistance would be
in vain.
The deaths in the army from May
/ to October j, including killed, died
of wounds and of discase, were 2,010.
the smallest death rate recorded of
any army in history, a remarkable fact
when it is considered that over $4,000
of our troops, born and reared in the
temperate zone, were campaigning in
tropical climates, subject to rain and
heat almost unprecedented"
The secretary says of the volunteers
that to furlongh them in winter would
be a hardship, SO he recommends that
i'll lieu of the furlough the officers and
men be given two months pay ut the
time of their discharge, thus admit
ting Of their prompt discharge in their
present camps in the south.
Increase in the Army.
Under the head of increase in the
permanent establishment, the secre-
tary says:
In view of the needs of a military
force in the islands occupied by the
United States. it is earnestly recon-
mended that the regular army be per-
manently increased to 100, 900 men and
the requisite officers; that a portion
of this army be recruited from the in
habitants of5those islands to be mus
tered into the service of the United
States, commanded by officers of our
army, discretion, however, to be given
to the president to make appointments
of officers from the force so recruited"
Another suggestion is that there
should be employed in the United
States service a constabulary force for
the cities of Cuba, Puerto Rico and
the Philippines, who have had the ex-
perience and a speak the language
OF the islands.
Secretary Alger thinks that the gov
eminent viii be greatly taxed to sup
ply food to the destitute, especially in
Cuba. The effort should be made, he
thinks, to give the people work in