Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-07-28
He REFUSED TO WITHDRAW
OFFICERS BEGGED HIM To FALL
BACK, But HE SAID 'NO.,
Some of the Difficulties of the Santi-
ago Campaign-AnOther Scath-
ing Criticism of General
-Garein's Troops DO
Nothing but Eat.
e.pyrishs. 1898. by the Associated Press, ],

campaign SO successfully terminated to-
day by the surrender of all the Spanish
forces east of Santiago and the virtual
abandonment of this province by Spain.
In Continental Europe during all the wars
since the Napoleonic days 1t had been pos
sible to drive armies by forced marches
over long distances and to keep supplies
up with the advance. 1t will be hard. there
fore, for European observers to understand
the obstacles that had to be overcome in
advancing an army Of 1900 men ten miles
into the interior from the south coast of
this province.
One word tells the story-roads. The
roads here are simply paths through the
dense tropical forest. paths along which
half dozen ordinary ox-teams haul lum-
bering carts opce a day in comparatively
dry weather. There are no bridges. ard
In wet weather. when the streams are rag
ing torrents, these paths are almost i'm
passable to men on horseback, and abso-
lutely SO to vehicles of all descriptions.
Thus it was that all these roads along
which the troops were moved had really to
be built before a single wagon train could
get through. The bridges, thrown across
the streams, were repeatedly swept away
by high water. Several times cornmunica-
tion was almost entirely interrupted. and
the army had to fall back on pack trains.
Indeed. the base of supplies was seriously
threatened. 1t is fact thai, during the
four days before the surrender. it was pos
sible 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.
In Europe, where the roads are good,
none of these difficulties exist.
There is another vital difference in the
country itself. Over the fields OF operation
in the Austro-Prussian war of 1856, and the
Franco-Prussian war Of 1870. it was possi-
BILE, in almost everv engagement, to man
euver an army corps by platoons and bat
talions. Here the men were obliged to ad-
vance in single file into the open, and at tine
famous assault on San Juan hill one col
umn marched out Of the road into the
open in the face of the murderous artillery
and rifle fire from the Spanish trenches.
anu uepiosel ior ..e ise oh open
sH w my. $3.50 -, VI NC SN Souiu
ass -oo 80 - 81 - ..a,.s.
- an.,,,,, o,,.sa,.hos ,,a.,, .,s 80. - :.
hin Rnr our rran navor finchaa
AS a matter Of fact, it Is one Of the uIl-
written secrets Of the hattie of JuIv I that
the plans made the night previous did not
contemplate an assault upon the works of
the enemy before Santiago. Two divisions.
those of General Wheeler and General
Kent. were to remain in column on the
main road to Santiago to reinforce Gen.
eral Lawton. whose division was to assault
Ell Caney on the extreme right. while
Grimes battery made diversion on the
left. But when the Spanish guns began to
drop shrapnei shells over the road on which
our column rested ana "hen Wora came
thae uehe.aA Aa"'oh was successLui at FL
oaney, II oeeane necessary ior Nneeier
anu Ne uA,-sns s1.ne, " anse,
20 " tu.. 1nae. 'nS HA
r. a.. s,-,ss..onas =. -. -. 49,
an. - ad,,anoa and oh.r.a tha anar,r,s
,,orLs thar +o s+av uhara Ibsy u.ra and
nth !, gsnera, i,nnn,ss +o set u,here thsv
could return the enemy.s f,re the advance
regiments. the sixth and sixteenth in
fantrv moved out. The others followed.
There is a question whether any specific
general command to charge was ever
given, Regimental and company command
ers simply led their way heroically for
ward up the hill The hill was taken, the
American flag planted on its crest and the
enemy driven pell nell into his inner line
of intrenchments beyond. Our men were
too much exhausted to follow I'D their
victory. though it has since been asserted
,hat had the pursuit been continued that
afternoon the demoraIized snanish would
boya .,,rrender.d that NIGHT
pn+ r,an ,-ho nod 1sf, :. th;,a 80 .,.,,
.esaor. o15 10 ,,.. 80. 80 .h.,. ,e...asa
.,no,s 80 s.,s rah,Ss 80. sa,,,,, u.
up'', n.A.,N, .ns ...'o % nu .nsA ~ sou.u 'ios ~
o". ee"e." "'u uiaee nave
their hinitaeiohs'
so terrlac had oeen the slaughter OF our
men-S per cent OF whom were under fire
Tor the hrst time-that the fact Is, though
comparatively few knew it, that, on the
night OF July l. officers of high rank,
brave soldiers, too, went to General
Wheeler, who was in command at the
front General Shafter being still aboard
his ship, and appealed to him to with
draw. They predicted an awful disaster
to our arms IL we attempted to hold the
nosition We had earned so dearly. Rut the
intron;a old o.,.1r, ,e.dar of .h. g.
r,,orna,. I'll. ..,-.,, -.
t. 80. - 49,. - - -,
nus WIS - .nose "no eaile win oire
N,.'0,, IN a., ulso'ii,o, 'aoie
posi'ion' he saiu. pue eiie Spanish are
more uhco"iortanie .han we. fsss that
WORD down the line
General Wheeler even sent back dis
patch to General Shafter, telling of the
pressure being brought to bear upon