The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-10-01
SATURDAY. OCTOBER 1, 1898.


Mr.. Richard Harding Davis IS clever
writer. but me- is often wrong.
At the beginning of the war
N,s was employed 10y the Lon
don Times and the New York Herald
as one oil their war correspondents and
ne managed somehow 90 edge himself
aboard Of Admiral Simpsons flagship.
the New York. though he was very soon
ordered off Of it by the Secretary Of the
Navy. He was on board of that ship.
however. when Sampson made his futile
bombardment of Matanzas in which he
succeeded I'm killing one mule Davis let-
ter describing tins bomhardment. TO Both
tho London Times and the New York
Herald, written with tho Information of
"a man on the New Yorks decks, dc-
scribcd the bomhardmeut I'm sreat detail
AS one Of the most effective acts of war
the world ever saw We know now that
IL amounted TO practically nothing and
that Davis was like the other sensation
alists. in error.
But we arc not 10 turn our backs upon
facts when we meet them. Iu the october
number OF scribners Magazine he has am
article reviewing IN detail the actual cone
ditlons that prevailed at Santiago from
the landing Of our army there until the
end Of the battles Of July lst and "a that
presents one Of the most sickening pic
lures Of inemcency. murder and desola-
tion due to ineficiency. that is to be found
In all history. Davis was undoubtedly
there 10 see what he describes. ANA mo-
doubt he did see most of what actually
took place there We know SO
much now I'm the way of indspusable
proof Of what took place 40 Santiago,
that We can verify almost am that Dee
says from other sources. while he gives
rs the advantage OF a picture and cor
rected narrative Of the whole affair.
It is impossible to doubt, after reading
his article chat General Shafter was not
fitted 10 command tho expedition.
Our soldiers we're without food and
other supplies. while dozens OF transports
lay off Santiago loaded with an that
was wanted. And why! Because the mas
tiers of the steamers were unwilling To
take any risks for their ships and kept
them so far out az sea that they could
not Dc communicated with with the row
boats that were the only means at hand
A commander worth one cent would have
advised them % anchor close 20 shore
and he would have called upon Sampson
10 force them to ST. with his guns II neces-
sary.
when our army landed there was pier
extending out into the ocean. hat the
planks across the beams had been ripped
up. were loose. and IN many places mis-
sing. making IL dangerous 10 walk across
tbs pier Our whole army got across &c as
best 70 could. and that pier was In tho
same condition three weeks after the
army landed that II was in when tho
army got there
Instead OF cutting a number OF roads |
through the mile OF woods that our troops |
had TO march through when they came !
within range OF san Juan. ne marched the !
whole body through one bride path The |
Spaniards had tho rengc OF that path |
perfectly. and as our men emerged from |
the woods TO form line. they were nerci- |
lessly pelted and shot down by the hum
dreds before they could even see their |
enemy.
But space will not permit MS to so
further into detail The article must be
read 10 understand the horrible misman-
agement and inbeclnty OF the Santiago
campaign.
Unless the commission 10 investigate
the war is whitc-washing affair. 1t will
certainly call Mr.. Davis hef re Il and
give him Az opDortCni,y TO sabs,antiate
what he alleges