The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-08

movement to Cuba was to follow b
means OF strong cavalry force whic
was TO be organized and euuipped b
august or September. He contemplat
eu that 10000 cavalry thrown to tn
center of Cuba, cutting the Snanisl
forces in two and moving west To 10
Ndha py the time the rainy season wa
over ana 1t would be possible to ma
newer an army; we could mov
against that city a well-orga nized
WeH-equipped and well-disciplined ar
my ana complete the capture of IN,
,,p.ni Iorces. The enclosure of Ger
vera fleet in the harbor of San+iag,
changed the conditions and made /,
that point" i0rce t'
General Miles. while at Tamna or.
sanizlng the expedition. felt the inn.
| pi.ahce or the enterprise so greatly
| that ne requested permission 10 sccor,'
pany that expedition, or TO organizo
anotner 10 join it. This was moi
| sIanteu' so far as ACCOMPANYING thai
! sApeultlon was concerned bur sTtbor-
ny was granted to equip "a second
~ ~NeIheht OF operation against the
| enemy In Cuba and Porto Rico
however, before this expedition uas
| equipped, calls were made for a,sSt
tiohai forces to go to Santiago. and
they were Immediately forwarded ON
the 80 day of July General Sbaftar
telegraphed that his losses had haen
sIeatly underestimated: that he met
80 i stLohser resistance than he had
anticipated. and that he was serio,,si,,
considering the advisability of faIIin.
pdcK TO position five miles To the raar
ana that he had not been able TO he mn
turing the past four days. Under such
circumstances General Miles teIe-
sraphed General Shafter that he would
De with him within a week with strong
TtlnIOTCpmentS nf
troops prepared for the second exnedi-
tloh. winch had been ordered NV tho
president 10 operate against the enemy
IN Cuba, as well as in Porto Rico
Ihese reinforcements were pushed for
ward and some of them arrived in o5
vance of the commanding general a,1
We're put in position in the trenches
around Santiago
tnuer verbal instructions of the
president, General Miles was directed
10 go Wherever he deemed his presenca
was required and that he should give
such directions as in his opinion were
pest for the army and government
Ihese were the circumstances updor
Which General Miles left Washington,
arriving at Santiago July IL not as n
private individual nor as a visitor.
any pretense that he went there dis
robed of his authority or official ca
pacity is too childish TO be considered
by sensible men. From the moment he
arrived at Santiago he was responsible
for what might occur.
lie proceeded to the front and after |
with General Shafter. a note /
was sent to the Spanish commander |
py General Shafter saying that the |
general Of the United |
states army had arrived in his ca |
pacity with strong reinforcements and |
would meet him between the lines AT
any hour agreeable. The replv of the
spanish commander was that he would
meet him at II o'clock next morning.
fhe meeting was held, and after some
between General Shaftar
and General Toral. General Miles
frankly admitted to the Spanish gen
sral that he had left Washington six
lays before and that il was then the
determination of the government that
MS portion of the Spanish army must
De captured or destroyed. He also in
ormed the Spanish general that his
endorsements had arrived with him.
nat some of those forces had already
Ilsembarked and the remainder would
'e disembarked on the west side of
he harbor and that it was useless for
nm to contend against the inevit-
BILE.
General Toral replied that so long as
had rations and ammunition he had !
, fight in order to maintain the honor
the Spanish army. In response to
lat he was informed that he had AL
lady maintained the honor and that
lrther efforts would be useless and
ould result in a wanton sacrifice of :
lman life. He then said that he was ,.
aitlng TO hear from his government !
Id was informed by General Miles that !
had already taken much time for
at purpose and would be given until :
lylight Of the following morning. If
ing then 3 o'clock, to submit an an :
yer. he begged for longer time and ,
rnestly requested until II o'clock next =
~. This was finally agreed to by Cen !,
al Miles, the meeting dissolved and the :
lcers separated. on returning from n
Is conference a dispatch was re- 4
ived by General Miles from Washing =
n as follows: "
Washington, ID. c., July 13-Major :,
neral Miles: You may accept surren-
r by granting parole to officers and
m the officers retaining their side
ms; the officers and men, after pa G
e, to be permitted to return TO
ain, the United States assisting. If
accepted, then assault, unless in
ur judgment an assault would fail q
insult with Sampson and pursue such
irse as to the assault as you jointly
rec upon. Matter should be settled
'mptly. (Signed,
r. a. ALGER, Secretary of War"
ms, the statement says, does not look ~,
II General Miles was there as a visi- :"
lie was charged with the respon- Ia
illty or ordering an assault upon the sa
renchments and fortifications of an he
ny which. If successful, would have ro
I at least 5000 men. or of withhold ~,
the assault IL, in his judgment, such -
ault would fail. No greater discre- ce
was ever given to any general COM tn
nding an army. and what is more. ma
viii be observed, he was authorized 3,
accept the surrender, which. in the 80
rest Of his subordinates, ne gener I.
ly declined to do, and went away. viz
ing all the honor to his next in ee.
k, General Shafter. o,i
n the morning succeeding the first ma
rView letter was received from no,
erai IoraI. Of which the following is In
.eral translation: an
'antiago de Cuba, July II, ls9S.-Gen- wit
-in-Chief Of the American Forces. uni