The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-10-25
LETTER TO GEN. TORAL
Capt Chadwick says he Wrote
and Gen. Shafter Signed it.

Rear ADMIRAL SIMPSONS Statement
Copflrmed-Gen. Shafter was Much
Depressed and Seemed TO Have no
idea Of what was Best to Do-The
Generals Assertions Corrected.
New York Post.
When shown the statement made
by Rear Admiral Sampson recently at
the Boston navy yard concerning his
participation in the negotiations with
Gen. Toral, which led to the surrender
of Santiago to Gen. Shafter: Capt.
Chadwick. commander OF the cruiser
New York, now 10 this port, to-day
made the following statement to re-
porter Of the Evening Post:
II regret to be involved in any dis
cnssion OF alteration with Gen. SHAFT
ter, for whom have high regard
and strong liking. And | would say
nothing whatever had not our com
mander-in-chie been attacked in some
papers on the ground OF inaccuracy
of statement.
"Under such circumstances | am
obliged to say, simply ia the interest
Of fact, that what be says is correct;
and what l have seen In one news
paper as coming from the General
shows want of clear recollection in
the matter on his part. The letter
was drafted (on July 8, and not as re-
ported, on July l2) on my own motion
after asking the General If he was
open TO suggestions. After reading
it over he said he would sign it with
out making any change.
"Before this, however, | called up
Lieut.. Commander Stauntou, assist
ant chief Of staff, who had accom-
panied me, and had him read the
draft, asking him If he had any sug-
gestions to make. A slight change
was made 10 one paragraph at his sug
gestion. The address was put at the
head of the draft by the clerk who
was called up to copy il. The origi
nal draft was given to me as the copy
which l should retain. ltwas rough
| ly done in pencil, and / sent it TO my
wife as memento of the campaign.
al would repeat that / regard all this
as rather trivial and of no special i'm
portance, except from the standpoint
OF verifying the accuracy OF Admiral
SIMPSONS statement. He Is strictly
accurate regarding the letter. The
Admiral merely mentioned it, under
circumstances when he desired to say
something which he thought might
be pleasing TO large number Of my
friends, then gathered together. He
certainly never designed 1t as an at
tack upon Gen. Shafter In any sense.
To suppose otherwise would be to do
him great injustice.
Concerning Gen. Skaters state
that the letter written by Capt.
Chadwick was only copy of the de-
mand made by himself, Capt. Chad
wick said:
''As have said, it was at my sug-
gestion that the letter was written,
and the composition Of 1t was mine,
except for the slight change suggest
ed by Staunton. / know of no previ-
GUS letter having been formulated. y
Regarding the circumstances at.
tending the writing of the letter,
Capt. Chadwick explained:
''Gen. Shafter was not feeling at all
well that day. l found him, in his
shirt-sleeves, evidently suffering, sit
ting outside his tent with pair of
slippers on bis feet He was feeling
much depressed, largely on account of
bodily illness, and the loss of men he
had sustained In the assault upon the
city affected him, too. He did not
seem to have any idea as to the best
course to pursue, and, after | had
talked to him for some time, / said:
!" General are you open to sugges-
tions?' and he answered Il am.
Then l said:
why not allow me to write let
ter to Gen. Toral demanding his sur
render, and giving him plain state
ment OF the case?' He replied yes,
do so. When ] gave the letter to
him, he read 1T over, and declared that
he was satisfied with it, and called
Lieut.. Col. Miley over and asked him
to have it typewriter. But object
ed to that because the Spaniards, as
pointed out, are very punctilious
about matters of this kind, and would
not look as favorably upon type
written letter as upon one in script.
AZ INV sngpestson. Cen. Shafter call
ed man. who. he said could write a
clear hand and had him copy the
rough draft which l had made. The
address. AZ the ton Of the letter was
NOT on NV draft. and was added by
the convino CLERK
Gas matter Of accuracy. a slight
correction In Admiral Samnson,s re-
norted statement onght n he made
The first homhardmant was heoun On
Julv / and not nm the 10th and II,
was not at tho snogastion of Con
Shafter
sIn this whole discussion II ought