Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1898-10-26

lets The physical wrecks of this army which had been spared by the Mausers al. Santiago reached Camp Wlkotf, Long Island, between the 18th of August and the end of that month, and l consider 1t the happiest episode of nay career as writer that 1 was commissioned to go to Montauk and spare neither time nor expeBss nor laboI in covering the camp
 from end to end in order to glean from the lips of participants of all ranks the true story of Shafter' campaign at San
 tiago. t--1-'
 Ths moment I stepped from the cars
 into a.throng and jam of war worn ng-
 ures clad in stained and begrimed uni
 forms around the landing at Montauk,
 the S9 years that have elapsed since
 marched with the oOnquerors of Peters burg, back from AppomattoK over the blood stained course to the army land ing on the James, were wholly oollter- ated. It seemed that was soldier
 again, touching elbows with heroes, ! thinking their thoughts and sharing
 with them the after emotions of events | 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 ID [ the heat of the August days they told me of the battle, made sketches or tne | position and explained the movements | of the regiments, brigades, divisions i 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. i Wherever there was doubt or contro- 'versy uD-l any point, absent officers or 1 soidicIs W!o could testify ID the mat
 ter were summoned Moreover, soldiers ! of every rank finding the strain or weeks 1 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 horn
 ble nightmare and for the first time
 feeling that it was all over and time % i take an account of what had happened. O.. Twas conscious from the first moment
 of my entrance to Camp Wikof that
 was in the midst of a superior body ol
 soldiers. The type could recognize a; f having existed in 1S64-5, but the army
 has kppt pace with the march Of i'm movement. and the ideal soldier of lS6S
 is the. real and universal soldier o'
 Shafter's regular regiments today
 There was no posing in the camp, nC sl standing hat in hand to be gazed al
 and appIauded as hero, but bust!ing
 dead, earnest, soIdierly activity, which with cool self control. was broken or long enough to sit down and discuss tn details of the campaign There was n' : difference whether the soldier inter viewed was the leader of a battalion Q a regiment or a commander of brigad } or division no, not excepting the chief 3 of the corps, two of whom were ID com maud during my stay in camP-that l 3 to say. General Shafter and Genera Wheeler.
 5 As this is to be story of the fight ing as the soldiers in line of battle re
 member it, it is not necessary to discus moot questions, but could not bette ureface the stories of the marYeIou s deeds of Shafter's army than by ssyin }. that it had a leader who in the opinlo n If a host of the best soldiers in the serN g ice was in every way worthy or Il Il Whatever he may be or may not bS f whatever he may have or lack, he ha l., qualifications for a high command s William k. Shafter Is no accident VI was so fortunate as to pass who' e forenoon in General Shafter's headquA Q ters tent the second day after he too e command of the camp at Wikot, whel 2 I oouId witness his method of admin d teriug affairs calling for prompt and ei B. er;etio action. The business of the a a. miuistration being over, he devote
 more than an hour to general ana ol Y, hsnd eIucidation of the difficulties
 she Santiago campaign
 As to Shafter's army in the Santla
 campaign. I could not help saying
 myself again and again at Camp WikC b. that the equal of his corps as sa" ,E barring the fever wrecks lying on [ CT grotpd and in the hospitals could D ,r- haze been paralleled by any single COT he in the Army of the Potomac ln le' ms This notwithstanding the fact that ne the beginning of the Wilderness ca of paicn the Army of the Potomac V at thoroughly reorganized and consohd ed, ed. lid In the first place, this country ,ar progressed more than aquarter or a O .rv tury since that time. Military lae oy have been fostered and followed uT
 their very highest point, and the V
 elements of choice American bone
 bIooi and sinew and brain which W
 to the creation of the crack corps of ] r a have entered into tBe ma!e up or tI on natchless regiments of regulars ' { is storned and carried the heights ot ans C,anev and san Juan in the face of 8 ion the equal in courage, III equipment oys nosition. of any troops that ever s' mi for battle
 This Sbafter had the pick of the reg nh army with him at Santiago This ugh stated to me again and again at c in Wikof. aud 1 think no discrlmlna can. ,ras intended against the regiments
 were not there The fact seems r,ad that those regiments which were se
 ed happened to be, without slnsl'