The herald., 1898-11-26
GEN. SKATER SPEAKS
TELLING THE STORY OF THE
CUBAN CAMPAIGN
Criticism Is Deprecated Because It Is
Easier to Say How Thing Should
Be Done Than to Do It

NEW YORK, Nov. 25.-General Shafter
was the principal guest tonight at ban
quet given at Delmonicos by the Sons of
the Revolution of the state of New York.
In the course OF speech he said:
Il wish to say something about the late
war, about the success in Cuba. l suppose
| you all know how that campaign has been
criticised. L want to tell you that it is
much easier for man to say how thing
should be done than to do it."
| General Shafter then detailed the prep
arations for the Cuban campaign and the
embarkaton for Santiago. He continued:
War was declared in April, in the be-
ginning of the sickly season in Cuba. 1t
was the expressed intention of the presi-
dent, and he told me so himself, to delay
the war until after that season, no matter
what the public clamor was. He would
not send volunteers into Cuba during the
sickly season."
After referring to the conditions which
made earlier movements necessary, Gen
eral Shafter tod of the embarkation at
Tampa, OF his arrival at Santiago and said:
81 will say right here that there was no
strategy employed l learned of a consid-
cradle body of Spanish troops in and about
Santiago, which in round numbers 1 will
place at 2l,000.
Il knew we would have some sickness.
and l determined to make a sharp and
forced march straight to Santiago. l had
20,l25 men, all of the light artillery and all
oil the available cavalry. There We're three
regiments of volunteers, one composed of
cowboys, who, while they lacked in the dis
cipline of the regulars, were Injured by past
lives of hardship, and did good work. There
were also the Seventy-first New York and
the Second Massachusetts. They were good
regiments and did their duty well. Cap
plause) There is not a regiment in the
volunteers on the face of the earth who
could be made soldiers in the short time
that these regiments had.
"Of course we did not carry comfortable
homes with us. Every man had three days
rations. All the generals except General
Wheeler went on foot with their haversacks
and their rations, like privates."
General Shafter then described the vari-
GUS marches and continued:
Il made one mistake in that march to-
ward Santiago. 1t was the only serious
mistake 1 made. That was at the battle of
FL Caney. On the first day we approached
VIC tONl II the HOIlutdSl. L sent several
of our best men to reconnoter. On their
return they told me that the place could be
taken. On learning this from them l or
dered an advance on El Caney."
General Shafter complimented General
Kent and General Lawtons forces. Of the
Ell Caney fight he said
''It was the most direct way. Iknew that
sickness was certain and l was determined
to reach Santiago before the sickness came
upon the men.
81 knew that the surrender of Santiago
was only the question of few days. |
was told by the British consul afterwards
that the town was ours when we arrived
at the brow Of the hill. There was much
clamor for me to assault the town. / had
to exercise the greatest effort to withstand
it,"
General Shafter then closed with a trib.
ute to the Sons of the Revolution and sat
down amid great applause.
Rev. Henry Van Dyke, D. D., was intro
duced and created a sensation by vehe-
mently denouncing the policy of expansion.
lie declared that the purposes for which
we went to war were freedom for Cuba and
the cause of humanity and not for the ag-
grandizement Of territory.