Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-08-17
aliseellanepas Rsading.
GENERAL wHEELER's GREAT COURAGE.
He Has Made the Best Reputation Of All
the Generals In the Santiago Campaign.

|
the Generals In the Santiago Campaign.
WASHINGTON, August 10.-Of al
the generals with the army in front ot
Santiago Major General Wheeler now
promises to come out of the campaign
with the highest reputation for courage
strength of purpose, military foresight
and soldierly discretion"
This was the opinion advanced by
a prominent officer of the war depart
ment today when the Round Robin
and Roosevelt controversy were under
discussion. There is no doubt that
the conduct of General Wheeler in the
Santiago campaign has won golden
opinions from leading officers in the
army. In private conversation they
assert the belief that the principal
credit of the victory belongs to Gen.
eral Wheeler more than to any other
general who took part in the cam
paign. Strong reasons are advanced
for this opinion. 1t has been made
clear that if it had not been for Gen
eral Wheeler's determination the army
would have retreated from the ad-
vanced position which it captured in
the fight before San Juan. The tele-
gram sent by General Wheeler to Cen
eral Shafter on the night of July 1,
clearly indicates this.
In this telegram General Wheeler
says that many of the officers had ap-
pealed to him to have the line with
drawn and the army take up posi-
tion further back, but that be positive.
ly discountenanced this as it would lose
the American army much prestige. He
urged General Shafter not to pay any
attention to similar requests if made
of him.
That General Wheeler understood
perfectly the conditions which con-
fronted the army when he took this
stand against retreat, is shown by
his telegram to General Shafter. In
| it he said
"The lines are thin, as so many men
have gone to the rear with wounded
and many are exhausted but I hope
these men can get up tonight and with
our line entrenched and Lawton on
our right, we ought to hold tomorrow
but I fear it will be a severe day. II
we can get through tomorrow all right
we can make our breastworks strong
the next night"
"He realized thoroughly" said this
officer above quoted, "that his forces
were in bad shape and that they had
hot work before them. But he saw
also that they could win out if they
held their ground, and believing that,
be counted not the cost. He at once
set the whole army to work strength
ening its position, and we learn from
officers who have returned from the
front that it was his intelligent direc-
tion which not only made the Ameri-
can position tenable, but enabled our
army later on to drive the Spaniards
into Santiago. Some of the officers
who took part in the battle even 60
so far as to say that if it had not been
for General Wheeler the victory of
Santiago might have been lost and
the American forces routed. Even
while he was 80 sick that he had to be
carried around in litter, his knowl-
edge of what ought to be done and his
directions as to how to do it were OF
incalculable advantage"
"You will take notice that General
Wheeler is the only one of the COM
manding generals at the front whose
name is not signed to the Round Rob-
in Just as he refused to listen to the
generals who urged retreat, so also
did he refuse to take part in any COM
plant. He was not unsympathetic to
the suferings of his men. His tele-
grams to General Shafter show how
deeply he was affected by the hard
ships which they endured. you can
hardly realize the exhausted condition
of the troops" he said in speaking of
the situation at the front on the night
of the battle of San Juan. But he had
himself stuck to his duty like man,
when racked with pain, and he looked
to the men under him to show simi-
lar undaunted grit.