The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-29
CAPT. ENGLISH ARRIVES
HE TALKS OF TRYING EXPERIENCES
IN CUBA WITH THE ARMY.
Believes the Campaign of Santiago
Was Begun Too SOOn-His
Condition.

Captain William E. English and Mrs.
English arrived home yesterday. Captain
English still shows the effect of the great
hardships he endured in Cuba and the nu
merous friends who called to congratulate
him on his safe return could not but notice
the severe havoc which the climate of San
tiago wrought in his appearance. The cap
TAIN. however, says he is feeling very much
better than when he landed in New York.
AS stated heretofore the captain was Sc
riously injured during the first days fight
at Santiago by his horse falling on him
when the animal was frightened by the ex-
plosion of shell near by. He confirms
stories that have been told of the horrors
of the trip to New York in the Seneca. He
left Cuba the day before General Toral sur
rendered. although it was known that he
was about TO capitulate. He believes now
that the campaign ought not to have begun
until. fall, and that President McKinley's
desire to postpone It ought to have been
needed.
II was one of those loud-mouthed ranters
myself, said he, before 1 entered the
army, who denounced the authorities at
Washington for being slow, and loudly
cried on to Cuba have discovered that
along with good many people, was talk
ing about something Of which I had no
knowledge. The President and General Miles
were right and the invasion of Cuba should
not have been entered upon until fall.
I'm the first place armies cannot be Gre
ated in day and the army of invasion had
not time for proper preparation; and Sec
ondly, to send Americans into Cuba at this
time of year is to send them into the jaws
of death General Sherman said war is
hell, and if he said that while fighting in
our own beautiful land what would he
have called it in unhealthy, fever-strcken
Cuba, where it is hell with all the varia-
tons:
1.-The administration was practically
forced to yield to the public clamor and the
result has been a glorious victory-but at
what an awful cost l don't refer espe-
cially to the killed. although our percentage
of loss was very great in that direction, but
to the thousands who have died or will die
of fever, dysentery, etc., and not only those
who die, but those whose constitutions will
be shattered and who will suffer all the rest
of their days a result of their campaign
in July in that death-dealing. poison-br .
ing land. Out of the $1,000 troops which
made up the original army of invasion, we
lest nearly 2,G00 dead and wounded; almost
1900 more are to-day reported down with
fever, ETC., and it is only question of time,
il they stay there in my opinion, when all
will be stricken. l hope and believe the
government will soon bring the entire army
nome and place the immune regiments
there for the necessary garrison duty. No
better soldiers ever trod the earth than the
regulars and volunteers that made up the
army of Cuban invasion. They have con-
Quoted a glorious campaign TO a triumphant
result under difficulties such as no army
ever faced and deserve the best and tender
est care at the hands of their government
and their countrymen. l don't refer to the
officers-we did but little-I refer to the
rank and file, the privates who faced the
shells of FL Poso who charged through the
hail of bullets up the San Juan hill and
slept at night without food, waist deep in
water, in the rain-soaked rifle pits of Ell
Caney. 1t must be remembered, too, of the
volunteers who landed in Cuba since the
severe fighting was over, that although they
may never hear the firing of a gun they are
equally risking their lives with the others,
for when they set foot on that soil at this
time of year, they, too, took their lives in
their hands, death and disease surrounding
them on every side"