The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-02
Theory and Practice at Santiago

In the last issue Of The Army and
whether" in the military operations
about Santiago the new tactics with
their subdivisions of authority and
leadership received any test, or wheth-
err, as appears to be the fact, the az
tificial regulations of the drill ground
were swept away in the h~ur1y-burly of
battle. or shown to be useless in the
typographical conditions existing"
Were fne-spun theories applied in
practice? BATTLES like this, The
Journal continues, "Waged in dense
thickets under most novel conditions
under a tropical sun, are not apt to
afford opportunities for much scientific
warfare in fact, few battles ever
realize the conditions of theoretical
a Starting in with the most cor
rect conceptions, they almost invari
ably, by the logic of events, are trans
posed into a simple question of fight
ing, where the personal qualities of the
soldier and the direct leadership of the
officer alone are shown"
General Skaters recent general Or
der" congratulating his troops on the
SuCCeSS VI liz CdIlpdlSH JUST COIlCluu-
ed, supplies in part an answer to The
Journals queries. The personal quail
tiles of the American soldiers and their
officers, rather than the nice ObServ-
ance Of tactical rules, it appears, de-
cided the result. Men and officers
| struggled forward with uncomfortable
spirit and intelligence under difficult
ties hardly ever contemplated in theO-
retical dispositions on the military
nrt vt n 1Sro .N NY
coast" says General Shafter, you
faced danger in disembarking and
| Cvercame obstacles that, even in look
ing back, seem insurmountable. SeiZ-
ing, with h assistance Of the navy,
the towns Of Baiquiri and Siboney,
yOu pushed boldly forth CALAMITY driv-
ing back the eneuy's outpOsts in the
engagement of La Guasimas and COM
| PEELED the concentration of the enemy
near Sevilla, within sight of the Span
ish stronghold at Santiago de Cuba.
The outlook from Sevilla was one that
might we'll AVE appalled, the stoutest
heart. Behind you ran a narrow road
made we'll night impossible by rains,
while to the front you looked out upon
high foothills covered with a dense
| tropical growth, which could only be
traversed by bride paths terminating
within range of the enemy's guns.
| Nothing deferred, o responded Gag
erly to the order to close upon the
| foe, and, attacking at Caney and San
| Juan, drove him from work to work
until he took refuge with his last and
! strongest intrenchments Immediately
| surrounding the city. Despite the fierce
| glare of a southern sun and rains thai
| fell in torrents, you Valiantly withstoOd
| his attempts to drive you from the po-
! Sition u valOr had won. Holding in
your viselike grip the army opposed 20
| ou, after seventeen days of battle
| and seige you were rewarde by the
{! surrender Of nearly $4,000 prisoners"
Thus ended a campaign of extraor-
| binary difficulty. BY every sound
| military CANON says The Journal
| our failure was most probable" AT
the outset our force was inferior in
| strength and clad in clothing untitled
| for a tropical climate. Artillery was
wanting. Roads there were none
Means of transportation, deficient al
best. were impaired by incessant rains
| The scene of operations was a tropical
thicket, and all the circumstances were
of a discouraging character. Success
was evidently due, as The Journa-
says. to American a~daptability anc
! American courage and common sense