Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1898-10-12
STEWART L. RITZ,
WHO WAS IN THE THICKEsT
oFTIiE FIGHT AT SAN
TIAGo, Is AT HOME
ON A FURLoUGH.
He Furnishes Us Statement Re
garding the War and His
Experience.

garding the War and His
Experience.
Mr.. Stewart l.. Ritz, formerly
employed in the ADVANCE office as
typo aud who was IN the late war
Is at home on twenty days fur
Tough. He belongs to Co. G, 18th
Regulars. which is now at Colum.
bus, Ohio, recuperating. Mr..
Ritz was wounded three times.
lie was shot through the arm, In
the thigh and n piece OF a shell
struck him on the thumb. None
OF the wounds gave him much
trouble, except the ono in the
thigh which was caused by Span
ish brass ball. These balls are
very poisonous and for some time
II was thought his limb would
have to DO amputatsd. but be is
getting along all right now and
IA almost we'll.
When seen Mr.. Ritz gave the
following statement regarding the
war and his experience:
'Our war with spain has undoubtedly
surpassed anything OF it, nature ret 70
corded upon the pages OF history.
"Csn We scarcely realize that within the
short space OF four months nation should
iose her whole navy aud be compelled 70
forfeit her richest po.ssasl0nsy
"suoh thing hardly seems reasonabis,
but nevertheless u IL n tact Who ooaId
have forecastsd, -four months ago, such
magnanimOus victory for the United staissf
It's true that st the OUTSET OF this war;
that In the end. We all predicted victory Cor
our nag. bat We expected 10 wage a war OF
longer duration, a. can be seen by the mas.
nitade OF our preparations.
when war was declared al,yut nvs
months ago. our troops were masasd with
wonderful rapidity and in ain weeks ansr
our naval heroes set forth 70 subdus the en-
smy, an army Of soldiers had been mobili1.
Cd in the South large enough 10 conquer
spain and all her allies
ALREADY We are beginning 20 note the
signs OF The fnlniIfnsnt of what oiaastons
said many yearS ago. 'Amsrica viii some
day be what England is today: the head
steward In the great hoosshold Of the world.
because her service viii be the best Ia the
vorid.e
spain has long since had her reign. IN
the years of her greatest prosperity her
cause Wa one Of iust aud cruelty. Her con
que<tA we're for Eoid. hat The beginning Of
the end came when she decided 70 snooan-
ter The Invineibls Americans.
AS to the fighting before San
tiago Mr.. Ritz spoke as follows:
The lighting from start % nnish va
nsree aud sffectlys. but had the Americans
been placed upon An equal footing Vita the
enemy, our victory would have been sohiev-
ed much qsicksr and not half the losses
would have been Incurred. Santiago va
magninosntiy fortified ON every side. Ths
~eil devised foFtineationa of Gen. wsylsr.
who aimo~t succeeded In banishing a race
Of people from The earth. we're stnl obvious
and proved 70 Be Of great bsnsnt 20 the en-
smy.
~AFound the city Of Santiago snsircisa
six wire fences .og troehaa. f0ar Iluss Of 60
tfsnehments gust on ths outer edge % ths
city and line Of stone foFta, bIoek noaaaa
situated about oos-haif nile apart BIZ this
one can readily sss that shs Amsrieans
must have displayed uoederful xsiIantry
and cool oo0Fass while fighting under saeh
disadvantage. and compelling The saemy
" desert their Qualifications.
As 70 she sickasss I san fraakfy slsts
tnst VS. not much surprised. Evs4v one
Sho nas any kn0~iedEs - TIE Island %
Cuea knows that unaeeiamatsd truops can
not exist thers daring ths Faioy asssou
Without having heavy Losses 81 ssEnass
and diaeass- TIE Losses am0ns tbe spasisb
forces we're sQusfly ~ iarEs a. ihat q oars
~ disssse. and they ~srs qasrtsscd. sEespt
Shsn ths hshtinE uss 10 progress. 10 thsir
garrison and bsd iasa a. GOOD. u hot better
fopd thsn Es bad Thsn vhy 9oudar a.
tils asfoi havoc sFgugst smonE oor troaps
by dineasss 80 - true thaf al prsiimfaasiss
whieh shouid have bssa made bsf0rs en-
baking ne troops fos Cubs ssFs aoi raass
nat shyf bscauss tas ssntinssnt % an in-
diEasut people dsmsadsd mat ths var uaass
% o., and our sbisf sEscouvs gss forssa 70
susbafk troops hsfors ths sscs.asfy rFspara-
tioas soai1 Bs nsds-
"Aa ~ ligina Caha frss and lnfspsat.
eat goyssumsnt 6eaE tufhE u saoald -
doas nar % nos oslisvs n wm b.. Is = .
ssii snsgu fsei 70 ever oss 80 has ha1
any sEpefissss "a ne isiald that fas Gu
lars ars fHoreasair inzoll gsfsut 90 cuu.
taslins q Eovsfumsni. Wkne lEsFu Ers
soas fss Cahsns sss p.s-ssss sod sora aason
$3.50 there are - uaay vho sfs uoi cspstfs
81 sHsfelains ths prfgtisrs salsh g. nsrut-
iic iofu 1f EsFarams1t uuald all1a ihfn
nsiusiy -c4silas q nailof."
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