, 1898-11-16
ROUGH ON SKATER
CRITICISM OF GENERAL BRECKIN-
RIDGE BEFORE THE INVESTI-
eating COMMISSION.
General Miles Would Have Run Things
Better at SantiagO-The Army
Went to Victory No Matter How 1t
Was Tangled Up and Won It's Bat
ties G~loriously.

before the war investigation commits
sion today. His testimony today dealt
with the campaign in Cuba and the
transportation of troops to that island.
His criticism, both direct and implied,
of General Shafter. was very severe.
He also eulogized General Miles as the
best military man in the army.
He had, he said. gone to Cuba as in
srector general. arriving in Tampa on
June ). He had observed casually the
preparation for the Decentralization of
troops before the expedition left and
had concluded that they we're quite in
adequate.
Il made no report. however," he said.
"as General Miles was on the ground
and could observe for himself Con-
tinuing. he said that there was no pre-
paration for landing in the face of an
enemy other han that which the navy
might furnish. So far as he had OBJ
served. there were only two lighters
and w scows secured on behalf of the
army before the departure from Tampa.
1t vas his understanding. however,
that the army and the navy were CO.
operating in this expedition.
Speaking of the conflict of authority
on the transports, he said the masters
of the vessels did not respond as
~, r+l,- nc r,ipI. have boan. laeirnI
True" he said, there was Il little navy
cadet on board each vessel. but he had
no authority. An actual naval officer
of the quartermaster's department on
each vessel would have been better.
What was needed was prompt COM
m%unication between the commanding
officer and the vessels and the masters
of the transports did o respond very
promptly
He was questioned at some length
concerning the conduct of the cam
paign in front of Santiago, and replied
that the result was what he expected it
would be. Everything there, he said.
was strained to get men on board. and
consequently there was comparatively
little effort to secure equipment. While
of the campaign, he was sure there was
some plan. He was quite certain from
a conversation he had had with Cen
eral Miles that he had a plan. though
he did not say that this was the plan
carried into effect.
"Of course" suggested Governor Bea-
YER. Santiago was the goal of the cam
paign."
certainly. The fact was published
so extensively in the newspapers that
many of the men on board the vessels
would not accept this information as to
the destination as correct"
Asked as to his opinion of the result
of the campaign, he said he thought it
was Consistent with the character of the
men who conducted it-what was to be
expected from the limitations of Cen
eral Shafter. | think it would have
been different if General Miles had
been in command-that it would have
been more satisfactorily conducted. l
think he has more of the spark and
genius of command than any man in
the army. and | am sure that if he had
had charge he would have been in the
front rank"
Ex-Governor Woodbury. suggested
that the battle in front of San Juan had
been fought and the victory o with
in eight days of landing. General
Breckenridge in reply said the victory
had been won when General Torals
nerve gave out" This, he continued,
had been the war of all Others when
success had been won in its earliest
stages. He believed that the wal was
the Lords war and hat this wonderful
success was due to His supervision.
The time for the battle was, however,
short enough. Yet it must be remem-
bered that the distance between the
battlefield and Siboney was less than
half a days march. But while he con-
sidered the result as marvelously COM
meadable he did not feel that General.
Shafter was above criticism in the con-
duct of the campaign. He could not
believe the result was a miracle. but he
ascribed the outcome to the fact that
the army was one which was capable
of meeting all calls. mo matter how
it was tangled up" he said, lit went to
victory"
He had at the time quoted LORD
Beresford when he said to his army up
on a certain occasion: 81 have led you
into a devil of a fix and it is now your
duty to fight like HI to get out of it.
He was sure, at least, that all engae-
ed in the war had acted with zeal, n
every man had done the best of which
he was capable, and he had never
known a war in which there was not
criticism at the close OF 1t.
General Breckenridge spoke OF the