New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-17
! many astounding assertions. / VIII instance
| only two of them On Page 80 he says:

MANY astounding assertions. i VIII lhstaiiSo
only two Of them. on Page ~ he says
therefore advocated the plan OF extending
our right around the city which va, wa ond con-
the first instance by thinning our lhes anu III
tinually spreading them to the right ana Hn".S
the arrival OF reinforcements ehapeu 10 ~
lengthen the line by placing the ne" tio1p ~
position The enemy very soon perVelEsu tI
Tho gradual Increase OF our forces woulu nIahe
this Enclosure so complete that escape WouIu py
IMPOSSIBLE and this would place their army anu
thnr neet under Admiral Cervera. at our mercy
General Blanco and Admiral Cervera po.l
seemed to realize this. and IN oruer ' -
their feet it sailed out on SUNDAY ''o' ''7'
July 3.
This is n deliberate attempt TO create '"e
innrcssion that the General had IN some
vo, or other bcen responsible for the extern
sion Of our lines and that this extension OF
tho lines was directly connected with the going
ont ~ the fleet As matter OF fact, the Meet
sailed forth on the morning Of July Re"
hours before we had extended our lines one
inch end before General Lawton began that
famous movement with his division TO the right
which was continued daily for fully three
miles until. on July H. they inclosed the
entire city and we held the Spaniards hemineu
in down to the waters edge This was DAN
gcrous exciting and arduous WORK II "'s
all done by man. II was the only hh"'''S
work done during these two weeks GENERA
Wheeler must have been cognizant OF IL. why
does he not mention II? An historian ne Wouiu
be vet he omits TO mention the batte OF FL
Canev. one Of the two brilliant hard-fought
fights OF the war. and the series Of nan~uVres
which brought about the surrender
Again. in the Generals report OF the hght on
Julv o he SAYS: General Lawton had At
TEMPTED to Join us from FL Caney. but Wheh
worry near our lines was fired upon by the Span
iards and turned back. but joined us the next
day at noon by n circditous route. Now 'he
records show that General Chairees prlsaue h"u
taken up its position on ;he san Juan riuse d"
30 o'clock on the morning or the a. anu '"N
gone into action, and that by oclocA '"e -"
tire division was under cover. Inc DUNN %
whole seems to show caretuny loio"0u '
plan to convey the impression that "e"''"'
wheeler was in some form or other. in COM
rnand at the front. This we see IN MS uisP"'N
- camera, ToraI. which he signed as Major
General. Commanding Advance Lines
r,ottar of fact. being senior officer on shoie
Julv %. &C. 81 and 2S. the General hau sc"''"
charge on these dates, during which, however
a.,ir, uas done by the Army except change
canns After General Shafter came OH sIio'
corera1 Wheeler was simply the ranking oincei
80, tho division commanders. As such ne
,,.os roon,ber Of the board which prepared the
articles Of capitulation, and as such ne oeoa''o
tho medium through which the various o'"
from headquarters passed down the hne-s''''p''
this and nothing more. u,.
7 repeat that l believe this book was no, "','-
r., nv General Wheeler, or II 1t was written -
him. that IT was done in no other sense IMAM "
nurely perfunctory one. prefer to oeheVe ''s,s
come oyerzealous secretary did tho work %
,rue a gentleman and brave soldier as Gene'a'
wheeler couId never have made the extraordl-
rorv rnisstatements that abound throughout
This book. He would certainly he incapaoie .,
visb,n, TO belittle a gallant brother oni'er' II
&c pity that the book has been written.
l. f JUSTITIA.