Arizona republican., 1898-08-08
.BRECkENRIDGE'S REPORT.
Criticism of inc Transport and Con-
 misSary Service Before Santiago.

Washington, Aug. 7.-In a special report on the Santiago campaign, made by Inspector-General Breckenridge, U. s. A., to Secretary Alger, the general lsavs:
 Ut was seldom, indeed, that the supplies were brought up to the fight ing lines in any great excess of the immediate needs. and the entire ab- sence of the usual comforts and con veniences Of even the simplest army life during the whole of the expedi tion, and sometimes of medical essen tia,s, even in the hour of utmost need, was one of it's most marked features after landing Ever the shelter tents and flies were abandoned, and all bivouacked without the wall of the common tent. The energy with which every element YVES driven from first to last will be sufficiently understood when such men as General Shafter and Co.'s. Humphrey and Watson had the task in hand. The means of ex- pediting the landing of stores seemed inadequate, even to the last, and it is understood that lighter after lighter ordered to the Cuban coast was sunk at sea, and the lack of quick com nunicatiOn between the vessels or of any launches were apparently ire mediabe. The extent to which the transports suffered in their ground tackle, capstans, small boats and other paraphernalia, and the dread their masters had of even greater loss on such a surf-beaten, rock bound shore was constantly shown, and the navy appeared to leave the army at last much to it's own devices.
 Nothing like the usual proportion of artillery was present on the field to aid the other arms as accessories be- fore the fact, and the comments on and results of this question came best from line officers of other arms. The remarkable marksmanship of our | trained soldiers was hardly more ex- plotted than the gross ignorance Of our recruits. The books say that it ought not to be possible to successfully assault the enemy in front unshaken. still more with his fortified infantry under modern conditions. But in this
 instance dismounted cavalry as we'll
 as it's conferee of the infantry arm
 did without bayonets, successfully assault infantry posted on command | ing ground and well entrenched, val
 iant and unshaken, and the difficulty
 of the task indicated by the list of casualties. as compared with the ac-
 tual numbers the immediately oppos- ing trenches will hold And when the fight was over, though successful hod
 Bates independent brigade having been in the assault, first at Caney and then by night march reinforcing the
 last at San Juan under most urgent lcalls. It was afterward supposed that
 the gap between our road and the bay
 was closed by Garcia's forces, and the demand for the surrender of the Spaniards was made prior to any
 knowledge of the intention of Cervera
 to escape with his fleet or of the ar
 rival of the enemy's endorsements.
 "Such conjunction of evidence
 may indicate the rapidity of the
 changes in the situation. Indeed, the
 fighting of this army came up to the
 highest expectation, and accomplished
 results beyond what is usually ex-
 pected of a force so constituted"
 Of the Cuban soldiers, he says:
 In the beginning the Cuban sol diers were used largely as outposts on our front and Hanks. There has l been a great deal of discussion among ) the officers of this expedition con- cerning the Cuban soldiers and the aiG they have rendered. They seem tc l have very little organization or disci. l pline. and they do not, of course, fight : in the battle line with our troops