The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-23
English V|EN Of /.
Santiago Campaign Stripped
of Some Romance.
BLUNDERS OF INVADERS
Harmless Because the Enemy
Failed to Seize Them.

Early on the morning OF June "a a force
consisting of a detachment OF the First
United States cavalry and some 500 men
of the First Volunteer cavalry, supported
dismounted, were thrown forward along
the main road connecting Sibo1ey with
Santiago The object of this movement
was to ascertain whether the way was
clear for the main body OF the army, then
disembarking at SIboney and Baquari. to
proceed at once to the higher country in
the direction of Santiago. The first init
| nation Of the presence of the enemy was
the sight of a Spanish picket. Then a
volley was suddenly poured into the lead
ing sections oft he First Volunteer cav
airy. a sharp fight ensued. The loca-
tons Of the Spaniards could only be
| judged by the sound OF the firing, owing
to the thickness oft he underbrush and
the fact that only smokeless powder was
used The Tenth was ordered to make
| detour around the hnak of the house &C.
! cupied by the Spaniards, while the re-
mainder of the force engaged the right
and front The First Volunteer cavalry
on the Spanish right pushed forward and
! precipitated matters before the flank
movement was completed, with the result
that it became necessary for the American
troops TO charge up TO the front of the
house. This was successfully done
While this skirmish was not of any
great importance so far as the actual
fighting was concerned, il was memorable
for other reasons. It was the first time
the army had come into actual contact
with the enemy and first blood had been
drawn Then, again, the First Volunteer
cavalry had taken part in the fight and
suffered more heavily in proportion than
the others engaged. This regiment had
continually been before the notice of the
public, partly on account of the popularity
of aforementioned Roosevelt, who rails
ed it, and partly because Of the curious
elements of which it is composed-a mix
ture of Western cowboys, wealthy young
men Of New York and other cities, and
sprinkling of nondescript Adventures
from all parts of the United States On
the whole this regiment did very we'll in
this action, although there was not much
real justification for the lavish aduIa-
ton showered upon it by the New York
they are generally termed, showed the US
ual faults to be expected in a body of
undisciplined troops. The impeetuosity of
the officers and men led to precipitate
frontal attack on the house at Guasimas |
held by the Spaniards before the Hanging |
party could get round to the assault, and |
the result was that the Spanish force |
made good their retreat instead of being /
captured. Moreover, this premature at
tack of Colonel IRoosevelts men led to
heavy losses which would not have oc-
CURED had the movements been more I'M
der control. On the other hand, the men
showed they were full of pluck and good |
spirit and could takeE severe punishment |
without finching.
The most important result of the Quasi
mas skirmish was, however, that it dem
onstrated that the Spaniards had no inten-
ton of endeavoring TO hold the passes on
the trail from Siboney to Santiago The
position Of the Spanish in the vicinity of
of GUasimas was naturally so strong that
If it had been held in force, the United
States troops must have had several days
of hard lighting before nhey could have
driven the enemy from the mountainous
ridges commanding the road. But the
SpaniardS made no attempt TO utilize the
natural advantages afforded by the lie Of
the land, and fell back Immediately on the
line of defenses at San Juan and Caney |
in the immediate neighborhood Of San
tago. Had the Spaniards been a little
more enterprising and made flank attacks
by nights on the long columns OF exhaust
ed men marching up from the seaboard.
nothing could have saved the United
States army from terrible disaster.
The engineer battalion did nothing to
improve the means of trasit. An attempt
was made TO build bridges over some of
the large creeks, but these were invari-
ably swept away by the foods that oc-
CURED after every rain-storm What
road-making was done was the work of
cavalry or infatry officers. and that was
only of the most rough ad ready rescrip-
ton. Indeed. with the exception OF draw
ing up some sketch maps Of the country.
the eugieers rendered no services worth
mentionig during the expedition This
corps had charge OF a balloon TENDED 10
be used for reconnaissance purposes, but
i proved a failure. Two ascsnts oily were
made. The first attempt was from
hollow near the headquarters camp. and
the hsighth to which the balloon rose was (
insufficient 70 admit Of ay observations Of
value being taken. The second ascen, I
was made when the battle OF san Juan
was being fought and served only 20 .
draw the enemy-s Ere and show the ex- /
act position % the Tilted States troops.
with no beneficial results % counteract Z
these disadvantages. In fact. the balloon
trai was condemned OF al sides az being
a useless circumference.
The c4eri1ess and good nature OF tie
men were a marked feature throughout ;
the cam2aig. No matter now great ths s
hzr1ships, I seldom heard any com plants
Often the army only had balf rarlons to {
ca. was without tobacco 10 smoke. was
dreached 70 hsesia by heavy rams. :
bat there was 10 grunbllng By me rank
and fle- No efforts we're made 20 nit
gate me d.sconf0rts Incidental % this !
SORT % Work. TIE Clted States army
60 o. provide foT servants a
for the officers or cooks for tie r5ez Z
Every oflcsr rad both 20 carry bls food :
upon his back and g cook & when re z
reached camp At 1isat- TIE system n ,
the British army os detailing cooks 20
cook tae regsueatal food = act followed =
10 re Tnited states ssTviee. AID each
nan has 20 coax is OWE bacou and make J.
a-s 5Ez coGse or 80 tzlEry. Tie Tat.ons
zsso we're net q Al attractive k.-6 Pa
5zc91. biscuits. coffee, AID sugar Wsrs
snssugp.iss generally use3 varied rsw
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