Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-19

Interview With Capt. Chadwick on
Shafter-S pson ControNersy.

The New York Herald of today says:
Rear Admiral SIMPSONS recent assertion
that Captain Chadwick wrote the letter
which induced General Toral to surrender
Santiago has awakened much interest in
army and navy circles. Friends of General
Shafter have criticised Rear Admiral Samp-
sons assertion as an indirect ATTEMPT to
rob the army of credit, and they have init
mated that his version of the matter was
incorrect.
Captain Chadwick, when seen yesterday
on board the cruiser New York, said:
Il deeply regret that any controversy has
arisen from Rear Admiral SIMPSONS re-
marks, which were made, | have no doubt
with the sole object of saying something
pleasant about me in community that had
just honored me with a sword How the
remark can be construed into an attempt to
detract from the credit General Shafter
gained during the Santiago campaign / can
not see. l am positive that Rear Admiral
Sampson had no such intention.
Ma urally, L am sorry the letter to Cen
eral Toral was ever mentioned, but since a
question of fact has arisen ! feel obliged to
assert that what Rear Admiral Sampson
said was wholly true. and reputed inter-
view from General Shafter which | have
noticed shows lack Of recollection on his
part.
THE letter was drafted on July on my
own motion. after 1 had asked General
Shafter if he were open to suggestions He
said he would be glad to hear any sugges-
ton from me, and after reading the letter
-
However, before submitting the letter to
General Shafter. | showed it to Lieutenant
Commander Staunton, assistant chief of
staff. who had accompanied me ashore He
suggested slight change in one para
graph, which 1 adopted. [ retained the
original draft which was roughly written
in pencil, and my wife has il as a mement o
of the campaign.
II can distinctly recall, since the matter
has been brought up the circumstances
which attended the writing of the letter
found General Shafter sitting in his shirt
sleeves and his feet in slippers. He COM
planned Of not feeling well, and seemed
much depressed. ] remember that he re-
ferred to the large numbers of men lost at
Ell Caney and San Juan HILL and from the
tone of his conversation l concluded he had
no definite plan of procedure mapped out
" General L asked, are you open to sug-
gestions?'
:. Certainly he replied.
Suppose l said, Il write a letter to
General Toral, stating the situation plain
{" DO so,' he replied, evidently pleased
with the suggestion.
Then l drafted the letter, as 1 have told
I handed it to General Shafter, who read ii
carefully and declared himself satisfied
with it. He called to Lieutenant Colonel
Miley his chief of staff, and asked him to
have Ii typewriter. ] pointed out that
General Toral might regard a typewritten
letter as a breach of courtesy. In this
General Shafter aeauiesced, and had the
letter copied.
at should be clearly understood. how
ever that the letter which ! wrote and
General Shafter signed was technically his
letter He simply adopted its phraseology
ton of ever saying anything whatever of
! my connection with the letter, and the mat
ter had dropped from my mind until recall
ed by Rear Admiral Sampson"