The times., 1898-10-02

Among the enterprising correspondents
in Cuba during the Santiago campaign
was Mr. Stanhope Sans, of the New
York Times On reading the official re-
port of Gen. Shafter ne was disappointed
He says:
This brief campaign was remarkable
for many things. 1t illustrated splendidly
the valor and brilliant daring of the
American soldier; ii threw abundant
light upon number of questions relat-
ing to modern warfare, and it gave rise
to number of controversies which will
long outlive the war Gen. Skaters re-
port, which has been eagerly expected
by those who actively participated in the
operations, as well as by those who went
10 Cuba for the purpose Of witnessing
and describing the movements in the field
is disappointingly meaGer with respect to
all Of these things. Many parts of it
make strange reading for one who saw
the course OF events, from the organiza-
tion of the army of invasion in Tampa 10
the capitulation of Santiago.
In reading this report, one is painfully
aware that the writer of it took little
part in the striking events OF the cam
paign, although he occupied the chief
command in the field This much Gen.
Shafter frankly cOnfesses, but It detracts
materially from the interest of the re-
port. and, unfortunately, from its accu-
racy. The commander did not land until
two days before the battle Of Santiago
as the entire fighting may b calied-and
hve days after the first action of the
campaign the battle of Las Guasimas.
He made but ore reconnaissance Of the
field in which the decisive battle was TO
he fought, and win ssed the battle from
a hill four or five mics distant. Most of
his statements are made, therefore, at
second hand.
The first difficulty the army in Cuba
experienced was want OF proper food, and
81 soon found itself without sufficient ;ood
OF any kind. In reference TO this trouble,
tie report says:
Notwithstanding the utmost efforts.
il was difficult to iand supplies in excess
OF those required daily TO feed the men
and animals. IT Was not unti! nearly TWO
weeks after the army landed that ii was
possible TO place Oh shore three days
supplies ia excess OF those required for
tie 6ail. consumption.
As a matter of fact no well-planned
or intelligent EFFORT was made TO land
supplies either al Baiquiri or Siboney. II
is true that the fleet of transports lost
some Of its lighters, elc-- and that there
is considerable s2rf al both Of the places
selected for the debaIkation. But no ef-
fort was made 10 construct wharf or
pier until the gIagest distress Of the cam
paign had already been suffered by tha
soldiers in the field. / reca.l thlt il w4s
said by officers Al SI6oGey hat il was not
possible 10 construct a pier OF any sort
TO aid in the more rapid landing Of sup
plies but when the effort was made long
afterWard il was f0GR1 = very simple ana
easy thing 10 do At no time was it i'm
possible 10 have put ashore provisions for
the troops if the proper effort mad been
made. as il finally was maze.
Gen Shafte- lays toe Iluch stress upon
the poor roads OF Cuba. WEen ! passed
over The read from SibCney TO the Rio
SacO. on June . il was in good condition
laere would have been little if any diff
fcUIty in taking artillery or supply
wagons oves II. It remained in good con-
diiion for several days thereafter; but
during this time the artiilerv did not
come 10 the front. nor did the supplies
which the troops so much needed. The
road was socn cut into deep ruts when
the wagons and artillery bes n moving,
after the rain on The 27th and zSth.
..It was the remark OF officers on every
side that there seemed TO be little work
done by the eng neers. 50 far as repairing
the FDaLS WAS concerned : lc -bduS bC-
tween Siboney and the headquarters on
the Rio Seco soon became almost impass-
able. and the rivers We're not bridged for
the better passage of men and wagons.
The San Juan was never br.dged, and the
soldiers had TO wade il repeatedly up 10
their waists; and little stream with pre-
cipitous banks just beyond il was left
unbridged. after the weak structure
thrown across il had been broken down.
The descent to and ascent from the bed
of this stream must have been fully 80 de-
grees. and the mud was several feet deep.
OF course il was impossible TO haul loads
over such roads and across such streams.
A serviceable bridge could have been
thrown over il in d few hours.
The plan Of attack on FL Caney, as
given in the report. does not agree with
the plan as actually carried out on the
field, nor with the understanding of 1t
by officers who fought the battle. The
plan Of action was very carefully eX-
plained to me on the field on the morning
OF July by Col. Arthur L. Wagner, who
had voluntarily attached himself 10 Gen.
Lawton's staff, and by Col Miles, then
in command of q brigade. Gen. Shafter
saws that Chaffee was on the right, Miles
in the center. and Ludlow on the left
Both Col. Wagner and Col, Miles said
that Miles's brigade was to be on the eX-
treme left and was to stay there and do
no fighting unless the reinforcement OF
Ludlow became necessary. Chaffee and
Ludlow We're to do the fghting. Miles
had passed round by the Marianaje Road
and had marched on toward the Casa de
Crot, where, il was planned, Chaitee and
Ludlow were to rendezvous with him by
noon. and Lawton was then to lead the
division toward Santiago. 1t was ex-
pected that little resistance would be Of
fered by the Spaniards in El Caney.
when. on the afternoon Of the battle,
/ saw Col Miles in EI Caney. after a
company of one Of the regiments Ghe
Twenty-ffth) had taken part in the
charge on the brick fort he told me that
he had been ordered to support Ludlay,
and that he had swung round on Lud-
lows rear and come between him and
Chaffee. II was. therefore necessity
Of the stubborn fighting and not pre-
concerted plan which placed Miles in the
center.
1T seems remarkable TO one who wit
messed the splendid heroism of the sol
diers who won the battle Of FL Caney
that so little is said by Gen. Shafter OF
th. marvellous charge upon the fortified
hill and brick fort. This charge was con-
sidered the most brilliant thing OF the
campaign by all who saw it, and its dar-
ing and magnihcence were the admiration
of the military attaches. While the battle
Of El Caney was fought with oyerwhelm-
ing numbers on our side, and could not
have resulted otherwise than it did, this
splendid rush was made by mere hand
ful of men up steep hill under fire from
dozen points, against intrenchments cut
in living rock, and against fort that
our artillery had not silenced.
''Not more than 100 OF our soldiers tooh
part in it, and they faced a foe superior