The record-union., 1898-07-04
hirty-six hours in the official informa-

thirty-six hours in the official informa-
ton from the field. At first, when it
became known that the American Com
niander had reported the defenses to be
so strong 1t would be impossible to carry
them by storm With his present force
there was momentarily q wave of deep
apprehension. But this was not shared
by the military authorities here. All
their energies, ALI their attention, was
turned to meet the situation as pre-
sented by General Shafter There was
neither time nor disposition to take ac-
count of what had gone before. when
the fact was plain that the American
army had fought it's way, inch by inch,
under burning sun, through a dense
tropical vegetation, steadily advancing
and beating back the foe. taking posi-
ton after position, until, as General
Shafter reported, the town was well
invested on the north and east by the
long drawn out line of American troops.
That was sufficient tribute to the
vaior OF our brave men. and it silenced
all cavil over all conditions now pre-
sented by General Shafter. 1t was
a time for action, for reinforcements
and toward the execution of this end
every effort of the Administration was
at once turned.
But there was other information of a
d1Herent tenor coming about the same
time
The American army was not long
feeling the effects of this three-days
OF arms. The distress of the city. even
before the battle, was clearly shown
by the action of the Consul in serving
out rations of half pound daily to his
fellow countrymen, a few hundred in
number, for the last month Evidently
there was no food to buy, the Spanish
military forces having taken every
available pound Only by this official
distribution of rations to the foreign
colony could they be kept from starva-
ton. Then came the brief but graphic
recital of the terrible effect of the
American attack from land and sea.
Ihe bursting shells from our fleet had
done the greatest damage inside of the
city. Buildings We're riddled with rifle
shot and mown down with the huge
shells and solid projectiles from the
Shlps. Most serious of ALL the Spanish
commander, General Linares, occupy
ing a place similar to that of General
Shafter in the American army, was
seriously wounded. This last fact had
been grudgingly admitted from Madrid
but the report reaching here left no
room for doubt as to the seriousness of
this feature. With it was the further
fact that the Spanish casualties even
behind entrenchments, ran up to a
thousand. and was equal to that of the
fearless men who fought in the open
With all the light furnished on the
situation, official and unofficial. direct
and indirect, it was apparent that
each side had suffered terribly, with
not period of lull for those in re-
sponsibility to measure their condi-
tions, bury their dead, care for their
wounded and prepare for the graver
conflict yet to come
The President and his war advisers
remained calm throughout the trying
experiences of the day. All their at
tention was directed to the work Of
preparation. The future movements of
General Shafter are well established
They had been made known in his dis
patch. but it was deemed advisable not
10 make this portion public, as it would
serve to advise the enemy of the Amer
lean plans. 1t can only be said that
General Shafters forces will be strong
iy and favorable located, with the guns
of the American warships serving as an
additional protection to their front.
keinforcements will be hurried to them.
which will be ample for any emergency.
whether it be storm or siege With
Santiago partially wrecked and filled
with thousand dead and wounded. the
condition there is desperate. even crit
hlf ic-I
Spanish sortie in force under such cir
curnstanees, but the possibility is still
open that the Spanish garrison may
seek relief by evacuating the city and
retiring TO the mountain paths to the
nofth But the American plans are
for offensive. vigorous action and with
the Iuil resources of men and arms at
the command of the country AS Gerer-
al Mules said, 10000, if need be, will be
moved on Santiago. if more are needed
for US. it will be 5000 The losses at
Santiago have served only to enkindle
a greater earnestness throughout every
avenue of official life at the National
capital. And there is a deep set deter
mlnatlon to meet heroic conditions with
heroic treatment
roHoWing the receipt of General
Skaters telegram there was a hurried
war conference at the White House
Secretary Alger and General Corbin
reached there a few minutes no
fore L O'Clock and were immediately
clcseted with the President Secretary
Alger brought the Shafter dispatch
with him and also maps and other data
necessary for the important meeting
about TO take place. General Corbin
was with the President and Secretary
Tor few minutes and then hurried
back to the War Department. where
ne made public such portions of Gem
eral Shafter's dispatch as was COM
patible with the public interest. AS
sis'ant Secretary Meiklejohn. who has
thorough knowledge of the transport
service, was also hastily summoned
and reached the White House about I
o'clock. The conference lasted for some
time.
General Miles, who also was at .he
White House, said that reinforcenoents
would be rushed to the assistance cf
General Shafter, and if necessary these
would aggregate J0,000. though the
General had no idea that such a nurn-
Der would be necessary. The COM
plned American and Cuban forces now
under the command of General Shafter
amounted approximately, he said. to
23,ooo men, while those avaiIab!c for
the Spaniards We're probably 50 600
soldiers. These included however. the
men men at Holguin. presumably about TO-