The evening times., 1898-09-07
SECRET REPORTS TOALGER
Officers Tell Him Shafter Is to
Blame for Blunders.
CHARGE BAD GENERALSHIP
They Say He Made No Detailed
Plans, Was Irascibie, ProfaRe and
Ipcapacitafcd by IIIness-Staf and
Volunteer RegimeRtaI Officers Ac-
cused of Incompetency.

New York, Sept. THE Journal prints
the following Washington dispatch:
Secretary AIger has been receiving per-
sonal reports from officers who took part
in the Santiago campaign. The Secreta-
rvs store of knowledge has been largely
increased. but it is doubtful if in any OF
his reports he will give the public the
benefit of what he has learned in the last
few days These officers have told him
some home truths, and this is what they
report:
First-Lack OF generalship.
Second-IneXperience of staff officers.
Third-Ignorance of volunteer regiment
al officers.
Fourth-Failure in transportation.
These officers report that Gen. Shat
ter's inability TO witness for himself many
OF the conditions at Santiago was largely
responsible for much of the defect in the
command. The fight before Santiago is
alleged TO have been carried on by cap
tains, leutenants and enlisted men, with
out more than most general scheme
laid down preliminary 10 the operations,
with too much left to the discretion of in
dividual officers and more 10 chance. Men
Of various commands were hopelessiy
mixed with other commands. Several
times collisions between one command
and another were narrowly avoided, each
supposing the other 10 be the enemy.
This lack OF generalship resulted in ia
tai delays and mismanagement of the ar
tilery train, which at one time was used
IL advance OF the infantry and cavalry
n. Slnrh a tn iray 10 frA Of
the enemy.
Some OF the officers complain that the
official reports do not actually exhibit
this condition and that officers of line
and staff are securing credit when they
were not even near the lighting line.
They say ii is a well-known fact that
after the original and very general or
der Gen. Sumner, Major Vessels and
others of the regulars received no in
structions from anybody. They were
driven 10 the point of desperation, and
had the proposition of retreat been
adopted, as il nearly was at one time,
large part Of General Shafter's command
would have been annihilated.
These officers further charge that regi-
mental and staff officers OF volunteers
complained that they found General
Shafter a poor officer 10 whom to ap-
peal. He was most of the time confined
to his camp, incapacitated by the cli-
mate and eXaSperaIed by the whole stu
alton. They charge he was irascible TO a
tempCstuous degree, and his reception Of
officers with complaints and suggestions
was violent in manner and profane in
language. He is described by these Off
GERS as being for the most time man
enraged
The officers who have made their per-
sonal complaints to Secretary Alger claim
that the inexperience OF the volunteer
STAN officers was almost fatal. Most of
these were young men without training,
who knew nothing of the duties devolv-
ing upon them, and who, left to their
own resources, were absolutely lost OFF,
| GERS and men suffered in consequence
| Assistant adjutant generals showed dense
ignorance, very natural under the cir
cumstances, in making out orders and
as result there was delay and confu-
! sion.
A large share of the blame for the con-
| diuon of the Santiago campaign is placed
on volunteer regimental officers by these
| regular officers. They charge that the
| volunteers ignored the Instructions of sur
| geons and defied the warnings of army of
| iicers. They exacted no discretion in the
| habits of their commands, and this fail
ure led to much sickness before Santiago
| The last defect these officers find to have
| been the failure of transportation, OF
| which there was an abundant supply a,
| Tampa and an unaccountable absence al
| Santiago. There were hundreds of mules
| at the Florida corral, but none was taker
to Santiago. Troops and their officers
were compelled to carry on their backs
such supplies as were issued. These in.
| cluded at least half the shelter tents q
| blanket roll, three days rations and 10
/ rounds of ammunition. Such a burden
was almost intolerable in the thick under
| brush in front of Santiago.
There were subsistence supplies in plent,
on the coast but the delivery and distri
| button of them TO troops was uncertain
| irregular and unbusinessike. One day the
| troops would be furnished with a prepon.
| derance of one article in the rations tc
| the exclusion Of nearly everything else
| The failure to get the regular subsist.
| ence to the troops is due, say these off.
| GERS, TO the utter incompetence of those in
charge Of transportation. They add that
had the surgeons who landed and marched
for miles with the soldiers been furnished
with transportation for their medical sup.
| plies as they should have been, the cas-.
ualty list would have been much less.