Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1899-01-19

compelled to retreat in the face of an
enemy more terrible than Spanish bull
let's. The physical wrecks of this army
which had been spared by the Mausers
at Santiago reached Camp Wikof, Long
Island, between the / 9Th of August and
the end of that month, and consider it
the happiest episode of my career as
writer that was commissioned to 60
to Montauk and spare neither time nor
expense nor labor in covering the camp
from end to end in order to CLEAN from
the lips of participants of all ranks the
true story Of Shafter's campaign at San
tiago.
The moment stepped from the cars
into throng and jam of war worn fig
ures clad in stained and begrimed uni
forms around the landing at Montauk,
the 33 years that have elapsed since
marched with the conquerors of Peters
burg, back from Appomattox over the
blood stained course to the army land.
ing on the James, were wholly obliter-
ated. It seemed that / was soldier
again, touching elbows with heroes
thinking their thoughts and sharing
with them the after emotions Of events
seldom finding parallel in the life Of
one man. From that time on until tine
camp was practically abandoned lived
among the soldiers, sharing the tents
and the fare of officers and men. Around
their campfires on the chilly nights and
under the welcome shade Of canvas in
the heat Of the August days they told
me of the battle, made sketches Of the
position and explained the movements
of tho regiments, brigades, divisions
and the vantage ground of batteries.
There came together to take part in
these recitals officers who had not COM
pared notes since the fight of July l.
Whenever there was doubt or contro-
versy upon any point, absent officers or
soldiers who could testify in the mat
ter were summoned. Moreover, soldiers
Of every rank finding the strain Of weeks
lifted at last were in the mood to recall
stirring incidents which, when pass
ing, had left no impress except as they
hurt or startled. In point Of fact,
found the army emerging from horri-
BILE nightmare and for the first time
feeling that it was all over and time to
take an account of what had happened.
was conscious from the first moment
of my entrance to Camp Wikoff that I
was in the midst of superior body ct
soldiers The type could recognize as
having existed in 1S64-5, but the army
has kept pace with the march OF i'm
provement, and the ideal soldier Of 1865
is the real and universal soldier of
Skaters regular regiments today.
There was no posing in the camp, no
standing hat in hand to be gazed at
and applauded as hero, but bustling,
dead earnest, soldierly activity, which,
with cool self control, was broken off
long enough to sit down and discuss the
details of the campaign. There was no
difference whether the soldier inter-
viewed was the leader of battalion or
a regiment or commander of brigade
or division no, not excepting the chiefs
of the corps, two of whom were in CON-
mand during my stay in camp-that is
to say, General Shafter and General
Wheeler.
AS this is to be story Of the fight
ing as the soldiers in line Of battle re-
member it, it is not necessary to discuss
moot questions, but could not better
preface the stories Of the marvellous
deeds Of Skaters army than by saying
that IL had leader who in the opinion
of host Of the best soldiers in the serv-
ice was in every way worthy Of it.
Whatever he may be or may not be.