New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-28
DIFFICULTIES AT SANTIAGO.
TRIALS OF THE MPAIGN.
OBSTACLES WHICH HAD TO BE OVER
COME-IN ARMY'S MARCH UPON
THE CITY.
TIE CITY.

the arduOuS nature OF the campaign :" ""''N''
fully terminated to-day by the surrender OF al
the Spanish 6Drccs east of santiago ana the
virtual Abandonment If this province by Spain
In Continental Europe. during all the wars
since the Napoleonc days. it has been possible
70 drive armies by forced marches over long
distances and to keep transportation supplies up
with tho advance. II will he hard. therefore,
for European observers to understand the oh
stocles that had u he overcome in advancing AN
army Of sixteen thousand men ten miles into
the interior from the south coast OF this prov
ince.
one word tolAz the story-roads The roads
here arc simply paths through the dense tropi-
cal forest paths along which half "A dozen OK
teams in ordinary times haul numbering carts
once n day in comparatively dry weather There
ere no bridges. and in wet weather. when the
streams are raging torrents. these paths arc
almost inpassablc to men on horseback and
absolutely SO to vehicles Of all descriptions.
Thus 1t was that all these roads along which
the troops were moved had really 10 be built
before a single wagon train could get through
The bridges thrown across the streams were
repeatedly swept away by high water. Several
times communication was almost entirely In
tcrruptod. and the Army had to fall back on
pack trains. Indeed, the base OF supplies was
seriously threatened.
ONLY ONE BATTERY At THE FRONT.
II IS n fact that during tho four days before
the surrender II only possible TO get one
light battery Of the six brought by General
Randolph to the front. while not a single one
Of the siege guns brought by General Shaftcr
got beyond Sboney. In EUROPE whore the
roads are good none Of these difficulties exist.
There Is another vital difference IN the nature
Hofl
ton in the Austro. Prusslan War Of 1866 and tho
Franco Prussian War OF 1870 IT was possible. in
almost every engagement. to manruvre an army
corps by platoons and battaons Here the
men were obliged 10 advance in single file INTO
tho open. and at the famous assault on San
Juan JIill ono column marched out ~ tho road
into the open I'm the face Of the murderous ar
tillcry and rifle FIRE from the Spanish trenches
and deploycd for the charge on open ground.
No finer exhibition Of nerve could 10 required
OF a soldier than that charge across seven hun
drcd yards Of open territory against an enemy
intronched upon the crest OF HILL But the
Americans: never fiinched.
As a matter OF fact II is one Of the unwritten
secrets Of the battle OF July that the plans
made the night previous did not contemplate
an assault upon the works Of the enemy before
Santiago. Two divslons-those OF General
column on the main road to Santiago to rein
force General Lawton. whose division was 10
assault FL Caney on the extreme right. while
Grimos's battery made n diversion on the left
DIFFICULTIES OF AMERICAN POSITION.
But when the Spanish guns began to drop
shrapnel shells the road on which the Amer
lean column rested. and when word came that
General Iawton successful nj FL Caney. Il
became NECESSARY either for Wheeler's and
Kent's divisions 70 advance. retreat or remain
quiet under the storm OF shell that was burst
ing over their heads.
In these circumstances IL was less dangerous
10 advance and charge the encny's works than
TO stay where they were and. with n general
impulse 20 get where they could return the
enemy's Are, the advance regiments the 9th
and 18th Infantry. moved out The others fol-
lowed
There is a question whether any specific gen.
eral command 10 charge was ever given Regi-
mental and company commanders simply led
their way heroically forward up tho hill Tho
Hill was taken. the American nag planted on It's
crest. and the enemy driven pcmen into their
inner line Of Entertainments beyond The Ameri-
were too much exhausted 10 follow UP
their victory. though Il has since been asserted
that, had the pursuit been continued that after
noon, the demoralized Spanards would have
surrendered that night.
But men who had loft n third OF their officers
and - per cent Of their comrades upon the field
behind them could not go on. Physical strength
and courage have their limitations. European
critics Will. perhaps. seize upon this for con-
demnation. Just as they frequently condemned
the failure Of the Northern armies during the
Civil War TO follow up their victories. But just
as the Northern generals had 20 build their
roads through the South. so the generals In tho
Santiago campaign have had TO build their
roads. and the men. exhausted by travel over
hard roads and hard fighting OF necessity FINAL
~ reached tho limit Of endurance
GENERAL wHEELERs PLUCK
So terrific had been the slaughter OF mcn-00
per cent OF whom then under FIRE for the
first tine-that the fact 49, though comparative
~ few know II. that on the night OF July l OH
GERS OF high rank-brave soldiers too-went TO
General Wheeler. who was In command at the
front General Shafter being stu aboard his
ship and appealed TO him TO withdraw They
predicted an awful disaster II an attempt was
made to hold the position earned so dearly.
But the intrepid old cavalry leader OF tho
Confcderacy said mo" He spoke reassuring
words 10 those who came with dire forebodngs.
I'VE are I'm an uncomfortable position" he
said. but the spaniards are more uncomforta-
bic than We Pass that word down the line"
General Wheeler even sent back dispatch to
General Shafter telling OF the pressure that was
being brought to bear upon him.
II presume the same influences are being
brought TO bear YOU" he wrote in effect. but
1t will not do. American prestige would suffer
irretrie yably II we gave in an inch. We must
stand firm"
When Or. Goodfellow and Captain Stuart
Brice. of ex-senator Calvin S. Brice. took
some wounded Spanish prisoners into the