The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-13
WHEELER AT SANTIAGO
THE GENERALS EFFECTIVE REPLY
TO SOME OF HIS CRITICS.
The Battle of Las Guasimas Was I'm
Strict Obedience to Orders and
Useful I'm It's Results.
New York Tribune.

other publications of about that time-nota-
bly, letter 10 the editor OF the Tribune
prined on March 17-appear some serious
structures on General Joseph Wheeler's pro-
fessional conduct in that campaign. The
generals official reply to mis- critics. made In
the form of a report 10 the adjutant gen.
eral, with the approval and by direction
of General Miles, which has now issued
from the Government Printing Office, is so
explicit that it ought TO be more familiar
to the general public than War Depart
ment publication is likely to make 1t.
One of the chief accusations brought
against General Wheeler, in the letter TO
the editor of the Tribune already referred
to, which followed Mr.. Bonsars lead, is that
the engagement of Las Guasimas. at which
he commanded. was fought in direct dis
obedience Of General Skaters orders and
interfered with his plans. In reply to this
grave charge General Wheeler shows that
on June % General Shafter sent for him.
expressed great anxiety at not having heard
from General I.awton, told him that there
was Spanish force at Siboney and directed
him to proceed to its immediate vicinity
with the dismounted cavalry then on shore,
General Skaters exact orders being TO
proceed to Jurugua and throw forward
pickets to OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES name for
Sboney General Wheeler says
1.-The sea was high that the captain of
my transport stated that 1t was not safe for
his boats to be lowered at that time, but
1 inssed upon his doing so, reached the
shore procured the horses, directed the
Hotchkiss guns and the dynamite gun TO
move forward as soon as possible, gave the
same directions to Colonel Wood and Gen.
eral Young and then, accompanied by Ma
jor Beach, Lieutenant Steele and Mr.: Wes-
idly to Siboney.''
General Wheeler proceeds to S,I relate that
Siboney, and was camped on the Siboney
and Daiquiri road: that the enemy had left
ans on ths sbaney and
read: that after riding to the front and re-
ccnnoitering he was convinced that IL would
and defeat the enemy in their position, and
that thereupon he directed the command to
| take breakfast before daylight the next
This was done, and the enemy was found in
| the position they occupied the previous
| night; about three miles from siboney. Gen.
BEGINNING THE FIGHT.
"a man was sent across to General Wood
| to let him know that we were in position
and that the enemy was directly in our
! front. What appeared to be the right of the
enemy's line was in full view. The space
| intervening between this portion of the
enemys line and our position was quite
open, but the enemy's left was hidden by
heavy timber and underground. AS we
| were not fired upon, and as 1 had been un-
I able to find the bulk of the Cuban force.
feared for a moment that the men we saw
| might be Cubans. therefore, together
| with Major Beach, rode to little elevation
4 w
| a powerful glass. and, being satisfied that
| they were Spaniards, went back and or
Hotchkiss guns. This was replied to by a
| long line of infantry and the fight COM
menced. Shortly afterward We heard shots
also in action. Bells dismounted squadron
| of the First Cavalry was Immediately ad-
vanced, and Major Norvell, leaving Captain
/ Ayres's troop with the battery, deployed his
| other three troops into the line and the
seven troops advanced together. Officers
and men fought with great gallantry. con.
| was won. The enemys retreat was precipi-
tate, and our men, being exhausted ana all
| the men and regiraental officers being on
foot. pursuit was Impossible. Our Losses
were sixteen killed and fifty-two wounded
| and, after giving directions in regard to the
dead, / rode rapidly to Sevilla, which was
| In full view of Santiago, and then rode on
to point about seven miles from Santiago.
Immediately after the fight was over
| wrote to General Shafter and received from
him complimentary replies. That afternoon
| j received instructions to take Command OF
| all the troops on shore, and in the evening
received the following from General Shat
| ter's adjutant general: THE COM
| manding general directs me to say that he
is glad to hear such good news and that
"o, ere occupying the enemy's ground I"
The following day General Wheeler re.
ceived direct from General Shafter a
| message containing the words Your news
Is excellent" and on that day General
hot Ter .Ax,1-
from the President and secretary of war
| In his report of Sept Is General Shafter re-
ferred to the Las Guasmas fight as fol-
lows;
| The engagement had an inspiring effect
upon our men and doubtless corresponding
panP dns tn ye as that Ssv
a: foe to meet who would advance upon
them under heavy fire delivered from in
The foregoing expressions of General
| Shafter do not indicate that he considered
his orders to have been disobeyed and his
plans interrupted by General Wheeler's
| action, and General Wheeler adds that ir
| all his talks about the fight General Shafter
spoke OF the action in complimentary terms
| gress emphatically that ii had a very i'm
| portant and beneficial bearing upon the
| campaign.
LAwTON'S TESTIMONY.
An important point TO note is that the
charge of disobedience is made to rest or
| dHeSeu statements Oh 1eneTdl l<dWtOn, Dul
General Wheeler insists that II he had nc
| such support as the foregoing facts furnish
the evidence of General Lawton itself
would prove his case. Thus in his testimony
before the war investigating committee
General Lawton said: Il was directed by
the general commanding TO proceed toward
Siboney with instructions TO capture the
place. If possible and hold it," while or
June %. referring to the retreat of the Span.
iards, he said: 1.-THE retreat is rapid. I'm
possible TO follow up with infantry.
squadron Of cavalry would have enabled me
to capture the command" General Wheel
er's comments are that General Lawton':
ORDER are thus shown TO have necessarily
contemplated battle; that his own order:
were practically Identical: that he wa:
ordered up to a town occupied by Span
iards," and this certainly meant that h
was to fight them if 1t was TO our advan
tage to fight
Again referring to the use of Genera
Lawton as a witness against him, Genera
Wheeler quotes this sentence from Mr.. Bon
sails book:
General Lawton was al first not unnat
urally displeased with the way in which
orders had been ignored and the whole plar
of campaign frustrated, and in expressing
TO General Wheeler his opinion of the es
capade he stated that every man who had
fallen in the Guasimas fight had been need
lessly sacrificed"
To this General Wheeler decisively reptile.
as follows:
1T Is my duty TO say that this statement
is absolutely untrue. The first time / saw
General Lawton that day was some hours
after the fight had taken place. j had re-
ceived orders from General Shafter 10 taks