The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-11-26
sHAtTER's CAmPIGN.
The General Talks About the mistakes ne
Made ~ Et Caney

4
Made ~ III Caney
New York. Nov. 25-Gen. shafter was
The principal guest tonight at a banquet
given at Delmonicos by the Sons Of the
re, olution Of the state OF New York -
the course OF speech, he said;
II wish to say something about the late
war, about the success IN Cuba. sup
pose you all know how that campaign
has been bitterly criticised. / want TO tcu
ou that # Is much easier for man TO
say how a thing should BE- done ti.an to
60 it,"
Gen. shafter then detailed the ,repa. a.
tion for the Cuban campaign and th 20
Gen. shafter said
war was declared In Aprn, at the be-
ginning OF the slclely season in cuba. It
was the express intention of the Presl-
dent and he told me so himself, to delay
the war until after that season, no mat
ter what the public clamor was. lie
would not send volunteers into Cuba dur
ing the sickly season"
After referring to the conditions which
made earlier action necessary Gen. SHAFT
ter told OF The embarkation at Tampa, OF
his arrival In Santiago with his forces,
s1S said;
Il viii say right here that there was no
strategy employed. I learned OF con-
siderable body OF Spanish troops in and
about Santiago which, in round numbers,
will place at 21.OOO
Il knew we would have some sickness,
and determined to make sharp and
forced mar ch straight to Santiago. I had
~ rs men, all Of the light artillery and all
OF the available cavalry. There were
three regiments OF volunteers. One com
posed of cowboys. who, while they Lack
ed in the discipline OF the regulars, were
Injured by past lives to hardship and did
good work. There were also the list
New York and the second Massachusetts
They were good regiments and did their
duty well (applause). There is not a re-
slment in the volunteers on the face OF
the earth who could be made soldiers in
the short time and training that these re-
glments had.
CARRIED THEIR HAVERsACKs.
"Of course we could not carry comfor-
table homes with us. Every man had
three days rations. All the generals ex-
,ept Gen. Wheeler went on foot with
their hayersacks and their rations, like
privates."
Gen. Shafter then described the various
marches and the methods of the span
iards in fighting and continued;
u made one mistake in that march to-
wards Santiago. 1t was the only serious
mistake ! made. That was at the battle
OF FL Caney. on the first day we ap-
preached the town from the northeast /
sent several Of our best men to recon-
noiter on learning this from them
ordered an advance on FL Caney."
Gen. shafter complimented Gen. Kents
and Gen. Lawtons forces. OF the ElCaney
fight ne said:
1T was the most direct way l knew
that sickness was certain and was de-
termined TO reach Santiago before the
sickness came upon the men.
Il knew that the surrender OF Santa
go was only question of a few days"
said the general. Il 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,"
ADMITTED SUFFERING
In speaking Of the sufferlngs OF the
men, he said
I'VE had lots Of suffering, l will admit.
There is always suffering in war. There
was not a moment when / could have pre-
vented 1t, that any man suffered unnee-
essarily. Out Of the 500 wounded but
thirteen died, as l was Informed, In July.
That is a small percentage. ] have never
heard a complaint from any officer or
man OF the regular army"
Gen Smarter closed with a tribute 10
AitH F7bHn VI AiiN AN'fhthAibi oii' "aN NoMit
amid great applause,
VINDYKE's FRENZY.
Rev. Henry vindyke was introduced
and created a sensation by vehemenuy
denouncing the policy OF expansion. TTe
declared that the purposes for which we
went to war were freedom for Cuba and
the cause Of humanity and not for the lg-
grandizement OF territory. He referred
TO the evacuation OF the British and said:
imperialism means reaction to the
days OF l7Ss, when the colonial policy was
banished from America by Washington.
no You propose, Sons Of the Revolution,
20 change this republic into a conquering
smpireg"
/ The greatest excitment prevailed at 'hls
point and the speaker had 70 walt for
quiet Then he paid wonderfully elo-
quent tribute TO the flag and hoped it
would never float above any country
whose people were unwnlingly under the
dominion OF this government and that
It never should stand for conquest. inpsr-
laliam. instead Of humanity and ealighten-
ment. He read sections from Washing
tons farwen address and declared that
f--a-.- 81 90. Ia f1rr.,