Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1898-10-22

CoLupeIleu 10 reGr6aG III Ine lace or al
enemy more terrible than Spanish bull
let's. The physical wrecks of this army
| which had been spared by the Mausers
at Santiago reached Camp Wikoff, Long
Island, between the 18th of August and
the end of that month, and l consider Il
| the happiest episode of my career as a
writer that | was commissioned to &C
to Montauk and spare neither time nor
expense nor labor in covering the camp
| from end to end in order to CLEAN from
the lips of participants of all ranks the
true story of Shafter' S campaign at San
tiago.
The moment | stepped from the cars
into a throng and jam of war worn fig
ures clad in stained and begrimed uni
forms around the landing at Montauk,
the 33 years that have elapsed since I
marched with the conquerors Of Peters
burg, back from Appomattox over the
blood stained course to the army land
ing on the James, were wholly obliter-
ated. 1t seemed that I was soldier
again, touching elbows with heroes
thinking their thoughts and sharing
WIN oAiShA uuO alUCl OlIlOtlOllS VI 0NGutS
seldom finding parallel in the life Of
one man. From that time on until the
camp was practically abandoned lived
among the soldiers, sharing the tents
and the fare of officers and men, Around
their campfires on the chilly nights and
under the welcome shade of canvas in
the heat of the August days they told
me of the battle, made sketches of the
position and explained the movements
of the regiments, brigades, divisions
and the vantage ground of batteries
There came together to take part in
these recitals officers who had not COM
pared notes since the fight Of July l.
Whenever there was doubt or contro-
versy upon any point, absent officers or
soldiers who could testify in the mat
ter were summoned. Moreover, soldiers
OF every rank finding the strain of weeks
lifted at last were in the mood to recall
stirring incidents which, when pass
ing, had left no impress except as they
hurt or startled. In point of fact,
found the army emerging from horri-
BILE nightmare and for the first time
feeling that it was all over and time to
take an account of what had happened
was conscious from the first moment
of my entrance to Camp Wikoff that I
was in the midst of a superior body of
soldiers. The type could recognize as
having existed in lS6f-5, but the army
has kept pace with the march of i'm
provement, and the ideal soldier of 1865
is the real and universal soldier of
Skaters regular regiments. today.
There was no posing in the camp, no
standing hat in hand to be gazed at
and applauded as hero, but bustling,
dead earnest soldierly activity, which,
with cool self control, was broken off
long enough to sit down and discuss the
details of the campaign. There was no
difference whether the soldier inter
viewed was the leader of battalion or
a regiment or a commander of brigade
or division; no, not excepting the chiefs
OF the corps, two of whom were in COM
mand during my stay in camp-that is
to say, General Shafter and General
AS this is to be story of the fight
ing as the soldiers in line of battle re-
it, it is not necessary to discuss
moot questions, but could not better
preface the stories of the marvellous
deeds of Skaters army than by saying
that it had q leader who in the opinion |
Of a host of the best soldiers in the serv- |
ice was in every way worthy of it, |
Whatever he may be or may not be, |
whatever he may have or lack, he has |
for high command.
William r. Shafter is no accident.
2 was so fortunate as to pass whole |
forenoon in General Shafter's headquar-
ters tent the second day after he took
command ef the camp at Wikoff, where
could witness his method of admins
'ering affairs calling for prompt and en-
srgetic action. The business of the add
being over, he devoted