The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-02-02

NtaSY1 HyfX&ES&M Pi4t1 yO ftaldlUASs
"a which had been
sZ'A sSas9IIs sssS1s5l@ issued at the be-
ElssggH34I@g Inn Ing, had
y-aNEzA%- be en-: exhausted
IS, AsANSs' 0s ~ : before landing in
~ $780, cgnsf : C u.h a., b.
z-(W@ MR oramped position
eSSssMAgss aa5sSz.XSsESof the troops in
-~I'1r' s-eaII the ships, the
% 80 long and tedious
voyage under tropical sun. Slapped the
vitality and energy of the.soldiers and
they were not by any means ina oondi-
tion to do their best Immediately on
reaching the field of action.,: This is no
discredit to the mettle Of the soldiers.
Human nature has limits. Had it been
possible for the army to disembark and
spread itself out over: good camping
grounds with a good supply of water
and facilities for bathing, cooking, ex-.
ercising and drilling, withfgood air, for
two OF three days even, then the effects
Of the voyage might have out NO: figure
in the condition of the troops. Il, But the
camping grounds where they landed at
Siboney and Daiquiri were very unfit.
Troops began spreading out: toward: the,
heads of the streams passing through
the camps near the shore: i In q short
time the water became foul The whole
region was congested with troops and
the impedimenta, and the situation was
such, in BRIEF that the: army had no:
time to take breath, or, as. the; saying:
is,i"pull itself together for the hustling
campaign which followed .....e;tEs !%s :
All Of this has most impertan8 bear
ing upon the conduct of the soldiers and
their efficiency at the time of extreme.
trial in front of the Spanish blockhouses
and trenches around Santiago: Any &C
count of the Santiago campaign which
starts with the assumption that Shat
ter's army was in the normal condition
of an army when it set out along blind
trails and through the dense jungles
which interviewed between the seashore
.. and the heights about the city will con-
vey no adequate idea Of the sufferings,
the hardships, the persistency under
difficulties as we'll as Of the. glorious
achievements and unparalleled courage
of the heroes of Santiago As is already
known, General Shafter went on shore
and conferred with General Garcia, the
Cuban, at point held by the insur-
gents, Is miles west Of MORO Castle.
From Garcia and from former residents
Of Santiago, who were with him on
board the transports, he learned the stu
alton east of Santiago harbor and city
and decided to land the army for opera
tions in that region. 70. mislead the
enemy with regard to his intentions he
secured the cooperation Of our navy in
:bombarding several points at once. q
g. 1t was of prime necessity to keep the
army under cover Of gunboat; fire while
it was landing and for some time after
ward, or at least until the forces We're
we'll in hand Oh land and .outposts es-
tablished for defense. There is but one
road running into Santiago from the
east which communicates with good
landing places on the coast. Accounts
Of the condition of this road vary. Gen
eral Shafter says that it.was very mar
row and in many places not better than
"a trail. Other officers, particularly those
connected with the artillery and trans
port department, speak Of it as an ex-
ecrable roadway. Statements to- the con-
trary have been published, claiming
that it is a fair country road over which
a farmer would run no risk with full
load Of hay, that some one in authority
had hobby for pack mules, and for
that reason wagon transportation was
neglected. = { <,
The landing was effected at Daiquiri
and Siboney between June 30 and 25.
AS rule the troops disembarked while
the transports were from one mile and
a half to two miles offshore. Soma idea
Of the confusion attending the landing
may be gained from the. experience Of
Lieutenant Parker with his Calling bat
- terry. Parker had an order from Shafte1
to land at once and get his outfit to the
front. That was on the evening of June
30. The Cherokee, upon which the bat.
terry made the trip from Tampa, was
warped along the iron pier. at Daiquiri,
and Parker seized a government pontoon
to use in transferring his outfit to shore
He was stopped by q young Office; !, who
claimed to control the pontoons, and
who said thatsin spite Of Shafter' 8 order
that the Gatlings get to the FONT al
once his pontoon should ''npt be smash
ed in doing it,, While this parley wa,
going on a general officer rode up ant
ordered the Cherokee to put sea AGAR
SO that some other ships might come III
TO the pier. For another day the Chero
kee, with Parker's guns on board, la,
in the ofing. It is said that at that tim,
the steamer Alamo had on board an en-
tire cargo Of pontoons, which had no
been landed On the 25th the Calling
were taken off the Cherokee BY ligh
draft steamer and were put upon th
shore where Lieutenant Parker wa
warned by the engineers that the road
to the front were impossible A littl
later it was demonstrated that Parker
Gatlings were as effective as anythin,
in the whole fighting outfit.
q AS the cavalry brigade Of Genera
Young took the lead Of the real advano
on Santiago and first felt the teeth 8