Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-07-07
SKATER CHECKED.
MUST HAVE RElNFoRCEMENTS BE
FORE HE CAN TAKE SANTIAGO.
One thousand Americans Have Been
Lost--Invested the Clay on tho z,
and North, But His Lines wev, .sN
Thin to Make Final Assault

Washington, July s.-From the heat and
carnage of the battle field of Santiago,
where for the last three days the Ameri-
| can forces have pressed forward against
an cntrenched enemy, Gen. Shaftcr to-day
sent the following dispatches, summar-
izng the situation
The following despatch from Gen. SHAFT
ter was received to-day and made public
from the White House,
Playa Del Este July Q.
TO Secretary OF War, Washington:
Camp near Sevila, Cuba, July awe
/ have the town well invested on the north
and east but with very thin line. Upon
approaching IL We find 1t of such a charac-
ter and the defcnses so strong thu It will
u" Impossible to carry 1t ty st with
my present force Our losses up - date
will aggregate n thousand but list has
not yet been made. But little sickness
outside of exhaustion from the intense
| h"at and cxertion of the battle Of the
/ day before yesterday and the almost con-
slant fire which Is kept up on the trench
eS.
Tho wagon road to the rear is kept UP
with some difficulty on account of the
rains but | will be able to use 1t for the
| present. Gen. Wheeler is seriously III and
will probably have to go to the rear to-
day. Gen. Young is also very III, con-
fined to his bed. Gen. Hawkins was slight
ly wounded I'm one foot during a sortie
which the enemy made last night. which
was handsomely rcpulsed. The behavior
Of tho troops was magnificent. Con. Car
ella reported he holds the railroad from
Santiago to San Luis and has burned a
bridge and removed some rails; also that
Gen. Pando has arrived at Palma and
that the French consul with about 400
french citizens came into his hints yes
terday from Santiago. Have directed him
To treat them with every courtesy pos
rlblc. SIIAFTER.
Major General"
Secretary Alger sent the following reply:
To Gen. Shafter:-
The President directs me to say that you
have the gratitude and thanks of the nat
ton for the brilliant and effective work
of your noble army on Friday, July list
The steady valor and horosm of officers
ana men thrill the American people with
pride. The country mourns the brave men
who fell in battle They have added new
names 10 our roll of heroes.
II. \. Alger,
Secretary II War.
Secretary Alger when asked what course
was TO be pursued in view Of Gen. Shat
ter's report Of the condition at Santiago
said that the government did not intend
to make any Of its plans public and give
the enemy an opportunity OF knowing
what is intended. 1t Is understood that
Gen Shaftcr will at once receive instruc-
Tons. War Department officials have
been IN conference at the White House
and War Departments
All of Gen. Skaters dispatches were
not made public for reasons of c,pcd;en-
cE II is understood he will withdraw to
me mis- near the sea and await reinforce
inents which will he sent as soon as pos
SIDE Assistant Secretary Meikldohn is
now busy arranging for transports.
don. Miles says the result at Santiago
appears to he II drawn battle. He also
SAID that the withdrawal of Gen Shafter
TO the highlands of Slboney near the aca
would be temporary, enabling the troops
To rest and prepare for future work. Gen.
smarter would probably give IN III Cau.y
ana the plain not far from Santiago The
despatch speaks for its@lf ana as Adiutnnt
zen Corbin said tells what desperate
Hsht our gallant troops have been in.
II was received at noon to-day after
nearly 80 hours delay in the Official infor-
nation from tho field As soon as it be-
came Known that the commander had
reported that II would be impossible to
carry the dcfenccS by storm with
ms present force, there was momentarily
wave of deep apprehension. But this
was not shared by the military authorities
horo' All their energies, all their attcn-
ton was turned to meeting the situation
as presented by Gen Shafter. There was
neither time nor disposition to take ac-
count OF what had gone before when he
fact was plain that the American amy
nad fought its way inch by inch undor a
piazinS sun, through a dense tropral
vegetation steadily advancing and beating
pack the foe. taking position after pest
uon' until, as Gen. Shaftcr reported, the
town was well invested on the north and
east ny the long drawn out inc of nm
orican troops That was IL sufficient ri-
pute To the valor of our brave men, md
1t silonred all cavil over ;he conditions
now presented by Gen. Shaftcr
1t was time for action FOR reinforce
monts, and toward the execution of his
end every effort of the administration vas
at once turned But there was other nti-
nations of different tenor coming about
the same time, Tho American army vas
not alone feeling the effect of those three
DAYS shock of arms, Definite pos:lyoI
information was at hand that Santi,ro
FAD been literally torn to pieces and tat
IN the wreck and ruin of demolished build
ihSs the spanish casualties nunlScrcI AL
~ 100 This was a hthng Offset to any
quaIms raised by tho reports from nc
american lines. This informat!o1 cane
from one OF the foreign consus stationed
at santiago, who reported 10 the rene
sentative of his country in Wnshinyon
Ire fearful havoc within the ,ity wroufht
ny the American army and the ileet me
distress of the city even before The hit
tie was clearly shown by the action of
this consul in serving out rations OF me
half pound daily to fellow countrynpn.
a rev hundred In number, for the list
month Evidently there was no food to
buy, the Spanish military forces lad
taken every available pound. Oily
ny this official distribution of rations 10
the foreign colony could they be kpt
from starvation.
DAMAGE TO SANTIAGO.
Then came the brief but graphic rectal
or the terrible effect of the American A.
tack from land and sea. The bursting
shells from our fleet had done the greet
est damage inside of the city. Buiidhss
were riddled with rife shots and motn
down with the huge shells and solid DO
Jecties from the ships.
Most serious of al the Spanish con-
mander, Gen. Linares, occupying a plte
similar to tnat of Gen. Shafter in he
American army. was seriously woundd |
This last fact had been grudglngly admit |
ted from Madrid but the report reachhg
here left no room for doubt as to the sti-
ousne9s ofthis feature. Whit was In = FIR
Their fact that the Spanish casualties, cNn
behind entertainments, ran up to n tho
SAND, and was equal to that of the fearlts
men who fought In the open.
WITH all the the lights furnished on he
situation of land unofficial direct and l.
direct, 1t was apparent that each side hid
suffered terribly with now n nsriod cf Ihi