Evening star., 1898-10-14
SHAF WANTED TO QUIT
Offered to Turn His Army Over to Gen
Breckinridge.
Sensational Story From Lexington
Regarding Events in the Campaign
Before Santiago, Cuba.

a dispatch to the New York Herald dated
Lexington, KY, Thursday, says: A man
who was present in Gen. Shafter's tent be-
fore Santiago on the morning of July 3 last,
, the morning that Gen. Shafter was sending
disheartening dispatches to Washington.
says that Gen. Shafter sent for Gen. Breck-
inridge on that eventful morning and tried
to persuade the veteran of two wars to take
command of the army he was already pre-
pairing to retreat The man who makes
this statement asks that his name be not
made public at this time, put says that in
due course of events the entire truth will
be known, as limited in a recent article py
Gen. Breckenridge, which his friends say
here caused his reduction TO a brigadier
general. The story this man tells is as fol-
lows:
Gen. Shafter on July 3 sent for Gen.
Breckfnridge to come to his tent At the
interview which then took place there were
present the two generals, Lieut. 5. M
Foote, aid TO Gen. Breckenridge, and others
The conN erSatlon that enSued was almost
verbatim follows:
"Breckinridge" said Gen. Shafter, what
in HI is the matter with your
Zen. BreckinridSe, in surprise, replied:
Why, Shafter, what do you mean?'
Gen. Shafter who was lying on his iron
Oraced cot, made especially to sustain his
enormous weight, and with his face red
and swollen from the effects of the intense
heat and his great excitement, replied with
much fire:
You look so id well, and here L am
sick in body and mind-whats the matter
with your
Why" said Gen. Breckinridge. Il never
felt better in my life. You see, Shafter We
say in my state of Kentucky that a horse
needs roughness sometimes, and | reckon
was so pampered in Washington that like
stalled horse, am thriving on the rough
ness we are meeting down here"
Meanwhile Gen. Shafter was calling to
his servant TO put cooling cloths on his
head and to bring him mineral water to
drink. urging his servant on with rather
forcibie language. After some further COM
plant as to his pitiable condition and the
folly of war department in sending in
what he called three hundred pounds of
sick flesh to command army fighting an
enemy in a sickly country, Gen. Shafter
rose on his couch and said:
Breckinridge, you must take charge of
my army"
Gen. Breckenridge replied: What for.
ShafterT'
81 am SICK was Gen. Skaters answer.
Look at the ulcers on my leg; look at my
head: my brain is upset. I'm not fit to lead
the army. You must take it."
To this surprising request. rather de-
mand. Gen. Breckinridge answered as fol-
lows:
"Shafter, I'd take it in fifteen minutes,
but you must listen to me first. You have
made ready to retreat | will not retreat.
Tomorrow is the Fourth of July. No army
under me retreats on the Fourth of July.
Il will take your army, but when ! do /
will order it not to retreat on the Fourth of
July, but to move on Santiago, and 1 will
lead my men. L know they will go. / may
die in the attempt, but / am an old man.
and had as well die here as later
But. said General Breckinridge, after a
pause to allow General Shafter to get into
his mind the full meaning of these words.
Il am not the man to take this command,
even though you are not fit to retain it.
M h
please the War Department. You know
that whether / win or lose 1 will be found
fault with. You ought not to give up the
command, but IL you insist on so doing you
have men here besides me abupdantly able
to take your place"
To ali of this General Shafter listened
with manifest amazement. 1t was rev.
elation to him of the courage of an Ameri-
can soldier. Presently he said:
Who is there fit to take my place except
your
Then General Breckenridge began to
name the other commanding officers begin
ming with Gen. Wheeler. As each name
was called Cen Shafter woulu break forth
with strong objections. using rather vio-
lent language in criticism of Wheeler, Law
ten and the rest of them. The conversation
went on, General Shafter listening more
and more sttentively and General Breckin-
ridge pleading the cause of these men. At
last General Breckenridge said:
"Shafter. you must, for your own sake
stay at the head of this army, and you
must not retreat"
To this General Shafter replied with an
evident effort to summon back his cour-
age:
''Give me twenty-four hours to think
about II"
General Breckenridge answered:
IF you please at the end of that time
1 will take your army, IL you so insist, but
remember II do take ii it will be to ad-
vance on Santiago and not to retreat"
General Shafter then ordered his servant
to bring him something to eat, saying he
had not eaten anything for several DAYS
And when the food came its nourishfng
effect began to arouse the energies of Gem