The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-10-27
Did do 1

Rear Admiral Sampson persists in his
assertion that Captain Chadwick is the
man who compelled Toral's surrender.
He gives the lie TO Genera Shafter n
relates anew, and with especial empha-
sis, the story-as he understands it-of
the episode. Indeed. he goes into such
bewiIdering deails as TO leave upon the
average mind the impression that eth
er he or the reader must be just a trife
"nuuty." In these feverish ramifica-
tons we shall not try TO follow him.
His proposition, stripped Of all embroid-
perry. amounts to this: Nobody in the
army knew what TO do until Chadwick
appeared upon the The army
had done all the fighting, so far as con-
cerned the reduction of Santiago. Its
operations had caused Cevera 10 make
his desperate and disastrous sortie, and
the question then remaining was that
Of completing the army'S work OF Sc
curing the capitulation of the Spanish
stronghold. Sampson was as unwilling
to enter the port after the destruction
Of the fleet as he had been afraid 10
enter Ii before. Shafter, DESTROYS OF
avoiding unnecessary slaughter on both
sides, was anxious to have a naval de-
m~onstration, which would secure a cap
itulation without further bloodshed.
And so the matter stood.
Now comes Sampson as~severatins
that but for Chadwick the consumma-
ton might nave been indefinitely post
poned. Without saying it in so many
words, he gives us the impression that
the navy was merit, paralyZed n in
competent, and hat Chadwick, fresh
from the cruiser New York, which had
taken no part in the naval engagement,
knew more about the situation on land
| than any officer who had been engaged
in the assault. The situation is thus
described in an interview given by
Sampson to the New York Herald:
Captain Chadwick found Gen. hat
ter very much depressed over the re-
port that the force in the city in front
Of him had been increased. Captain
Chadwick said to him: General, their
ships have been destroyed and there is
nothing more to fear. If you will let
me write a letter I shall try to put the
situation in such a light that Gen. Toral
will see the futility of standing out
any longer
General Shafter agreed. He had not
written a letter to Genera Toral; at
least. he a. not sent one, n Captain
Chadwick had seen non
$50 Captain Chadwick sat dow and
wrote this letter that we have been
talking about, which General Shafter
is reported in the newspaper dispatches
to have written himself.
Now, Captain Chadwick wrote that
letter, but, of course, General Shafter
signed it; because General Toral was
dealing with General Shafter, and
would probably have paid less atten-
ton at that time to such a communi-
| cation from an officer of the navy
! Captain Chadwick wrote that letter.
He told me positively that he wrote
every word Of it.
ANY one familiar with navy COM
m~unications and dispatches, and par
ticularly with Captain Chadwick's
style in putting things, could tell in
reading the letter that an officer of the
navy. composed it. An officer of the
army would not have taken Captain
Chadwick's view of the situation"
The outside world is not familiar
with Captain Chadwick's style in put.
ting things" and that may account fol
the outside worlds incredulity in this
regard. But the outside world viii
continue to believe-of course, mistak.
enly-that the Spaniards in Santiago
had ne fear of Chadwick-or shall We
say Sampson?-and that their surrend.
er was inspired wholly by the presence
Of Skaters army. The question, there
fore, is whether Chadwick really con.
ceived the idea Of demanding Toral.
surrender, and whether it was his pow.
erful or m%ellifuous way of putting
things that broke h spirit of tn
Spanish general. That question w
leave ITO the taste and fancy of the in,
dividual.
1t is our opinion, however, that th'
capture Of Santiago was due ~entirel!
ito h operations Of the army. Th'
navy under Sampson had been figurin.
about the entrance. of the harbor 70
several weeks and had accomplished
nothing in the way Of alarming TIL
Spaniards. The navy might have fig
ured III there ITO this day with tn,
same result had not the army LANDED
and began its operations. It was a ma
Wy proposition, and yet the army set
tied it. The country is in no humor I,
believe, at this late day, that Captain
Chadwick appeared at the eleventh
hour n showed General Shafter how
to reap the harvest of his own activity
Washington Post.