The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-29
Copyright by Associated Press)

Copyright by Associated Press)
Correspondence OF Associated Press)
Before Santiago de C&ba- July IA
Probably few European military critics
will appreciate the arduous nature OF
the campaign so successfully terminal
ed today by the surrender OF all the
Spanish forces east of Santiago and
the virtual abandonment OF his prov
ince by Spain. The one word tells the
~story-roads. The roads are simply
| paths through the dense tropical
growth, paths along which half a doz-
| en- ordinary OK teams hau lumber and
carts once a day in comparatively dry
weather. There are no bridges and, in
wet weather, when the streams are
raging torrents, these paths are almost
impossible to men on horseback, abso-
lutely SO To vehicles of all descriptions.
Thus it was that all these roads along
| which the troops were moved had real
ly to be built before a single wagon
train could get through. The bridges
thrown across the streams were re-
| peatedly swept away by high water.
Several times communication was al
most entirely interrupted and the ar
my had to fall back on pack trains.
Indeed, the base of supplies was seri-
ously threatened. 1t is a fact that
during the four days before the sur
render. it was possible to get only one
light battery of the six brought by
General Randolph to the front, while
not a single one of the siege guns
brought by General Shafter got be-
yond Siboney.
There is another vital difference in
the nature of the country itself. over
the fields of operation in the Austro-
PruSSian war of 1866 and Franco-PruS
sian war of 1870 it was possible, in al
most every engagement, to maneuver
an army corps by platoOns and battal-
ions. Here the men were obliged to
advance in single file into the ope
n at the famous assault on a Juan
hill, one column marched out of the
rOad into the open in the face of the
murderOuS artillery and rifle fire from
the Spanish trenches and deployed for
the charge on open ground. No finer
| exhibition of nerve could be required
of a soldier than that charge across
700 yards of open territory against an
enemy e~ntrenched upon the crest OF
a hill. But our men never flinched.
A VICTORY THAT WAS NOT ON
THE PROGRAMME.
AS a matter Of fact, it is one of the
unwritten secrets of the battle of July
LIST, that the plans made the night
previous did not contemplate an as
Sault upon the works of the enemy be-
fore Santiago. Two divisions, those OF
Generals Wheeler and Kent, were t.
remain in column on the main road to
Santiago, to reinforce General Lawto
whose division was to assault Ell Caney
On the extreme right, while Grimes
battery made a diversion on the left
but when the Spanish guns began tC
drop %shrapnel shells over the road or
which our column rested, and wher
word came that General Lawton was
successful at Ell Caney. it became ne.
cesSary for Wheeler's n Kent's divis.
ions either to advance, retreat or re-
main quiet under the storm Of shell
that was bursting over their heads
In these circumstances it was less dan.
gerous to advance Inc charge the en-.
emy's works than to stay where they
were and, with a general impulse tC
get where they could return the enc
my's fire. the advance regiments, tht
Sixth and the Sixteenth infantry, NOV
ed out. The others followed.
There is a question whether any spe
cific general command to charge wa.
ever given. Regimental and company
COIIllHdilueTS SIMPLY leu lHelE UleH he
roically forward up the hill. The hill
was taken, the American flag planted
on it's crest and the enemy driven pell
NELL into his inner line of entrench,
ments beyond. The men were toe
much exhausted to follow up their vic
tory, though it has since been asserted
that had the pursuit been continued
| that afternoon, the demoralized Span
ish would have surrendered that night
INTREPID JOE WHEELER.
So terrific had been the slaughter o
our men-90 per cent. of whom wen
then under fire for the first time-it /
thought comparatively few knew it
that on the night OF July LIST. the Off
GERS of high rank. brave soldiers too
went to General Wheeler, who was II
command at the front General Shafte
being still aboard his ship, and ap
pealed to him to withdraw. They pre-
dicted an awful disaster to our arm
) If we attempted to hold the position h
!. had earned so dearly. But the intrepi,
old cavalry leader OF the confederate.
said, No" He spoke r~eassuring word
to those who came with dire forebod
ings. are in an uncomfortable 20
%sition," he said, but the Spaniards ar
more uncomfortable than we. Pas
{ that word down the line"
) General Wheeler even sent back
!, dispatch to General Shafter, tellin
him Of the pressure that was bein
brought to bear Upon him. II presum
: the same influences are being brough
= to bear on you" he wrote in effect
but il will not do. American prestig
. would suffer irretrievabIy IL we CAV
Z in an inch. We must be firm"
WORTHLESS CUBANS.
. The Cubans have proved a sorry dis
appointment throughout this campaig
S even TO their warmest friends. The
have been everywhere except where tn