Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-07-28

Washington. July IRWIN the week
Just closed the United States saw the
end of the third month of the war with
Spain, and the responsible officers,
from the president down to the last
employe, who had 10 do with the snap
ing OF the curse Of events. feel moth
ing but satisfaction at the progress
made. An army of q quarter of a
million OF men has been modified,
armed and equipped, and much of 1T
has seen service. The battles pre-
ceding the capture of Santiago have
beer. remarkable in many respects, and
in the opinion OF the military experts
have covered the United States army
engaged with imperishable glory. Mod
ern warfare Of a type developed in
these engagements was absolutely new
anil untried, not only TO the United
States army, but to the world. No
such charge is recorded in history as
that made upon the stone fort and the
blockhouse browning the hills of FL
Caney. There have been engagements
between trained troops and savage
races in the jungles Of India and on
the hills of South Africa of late years
that conveyed In a slight tile
possibilities OF modern Weapons. But
these battles fought by the Fifth
army corps have been the first in
which large bodies of troops of civil
lied nations on both sides
Have Eccu Engaged
with all the implements OF modern
warfare. and the result Is bound to be
highly instructive TO the military
student and to extort admiration for
the splendid lighting qualities of the
United States, ever from the most I'M
willing critics. Few officers in any
army have had more experience in
hard fighting, especially in rough our
try. than that old Indian fighter, Gen.
Henry, so some weight must be at
tached 10 the opinion Of the merits OF
our officers and troops expressed by
him in the following personal letter adj
dressed by him to Adjt. Gen. Corbin,
dated in front of Santiago. July Il:
we had a pleasant sail down, but
having TO row the, men ashore it took
some time TO get off. We left Siboney
at 2 p. m. yesterday with the Eighth
Ohio and came into camp here, about
three miles from the front. The CON-
pany with Gen. Breckenridge rode to
the front TO Gen. Wheeler's headQuar-
tiers. and a flag OF truce being up, had
an opportunity 10 see the lines. We
were almost on top Of them In front OF
Wheeler, being about 500 yards to the
r CHIT of them. but the country Is rough,
given to the falling and ascendant,
overe by Their Fire.
The country all the way Is the rough
est | ever saw. You have to follow
roads or trails and come under heavy
fire, their positions commanding every
approach. The work done by these
troops since landing. their heroism and
patience under discomfort, heat and
rain, calls for the highest praise, and
the work accomplished by Shafter, his
pertinacity and goaheaditiveness under
adverse circumstances and discom-
forts, is a revelation 10 me. ! doubt If
there is another officer who would
have gotten there as he did. Our
less was most unfortunate, but from
tAt tkllkuOtGI VI II tOUhAAe toAit hNh
have been avoided If we had TO get
there Last night the Eighth Ohio
were almost drawn out, and il appears
to. day to be due 10 the climate, and TO
get out of ii il would be cheaper 10
lose more by fighting and success than
by sickness and inactivity and staying.
We have about thirty cases Of yellow
fever and many of malaria. but the
men are cheerful. Gen. Duiie'd and
Capt. Wilcox have yellow fever. they
say a mild form, gotten from sleeping
in infected buildings, which are now
10 be burned. Miss Clara Barton and
Mrs. Addison Porter rode TO the front
yesterday i'm an army wagon over
rough roads and raining; they are I'M
selfish women. Too much credit can
not be given the heroism, pertinacity.
pluck, patience and endurance Of the
men who have borne the brunt OF this