The San Francisco call., 1899-03-17
STORY OF SANTIAGO
TOLD BY SHAFTER
HISTORY OF FORMER CAM
PAIGNS IN CUBA.
Big Audience Greets the General
With Enthusiastic Applause.
Lecture for the Benefit of the
Christian Commission.

General Shafter received a rousing re-
ception in the Y. NJ. G. A. Auditorium
last night, where he delivered lecture
on THE Campaign at Santiago de Cuba
The hall was crowded, and when the gen.
eral stepped out on the stage he was
greeted with storm OF applause.
The evenings entertainment was
opened with the singing of the Star
Spangled Banner by Miss Grace l. Davis.
Secretary H. ]. Mccoy then introduced
Mayor Phelan as chairman of the even
ing. Mr.. Phelan in introducing General
Shafter said:
General Shafter is a Californian as
we'll as a soldier. AS students of contem-
poraneous history, we regard him as a
man of note and as citizens we look upon
him as our neighbor. We are thankful
that he has come back to us unharmed
from his trying campaign and hope that
he will spend the balance of his days In
our beloved State, for when he was given
his choice of departments did he not Sc
lect California? This is an honor to our
State and should help endear him TO us.
General Shafter then stepped forward,
and after the applause had subsidized open
ed his speech by saying a good word for
the Army and Navy Christian Commis-
sion, which has done so much for the
soldiers and sailors. He then gave a
brief general history of previous expedi-
tions sent from temperate climates into
the tropics.
u
said, was in 1742. The English at that
time sent a large force under General
Vernon to capture Santiago. The troops
landed, and although altogether unop-
posed, were forced to withdraw after
having marched but a few miles. The
soldiers We're utterly prostrated Ine
English landed another army of 1000
A number of these were negroes and
some were colonists from New York. OF
this army II 900 died from the tropical
faJy md of 10 md nT
only 700 were fit for service, In 1901 Ma
poleon sent thirty-siX ships of the line
and sixteen frigates to the south of Cuba.
Twenty thousand men were landed, but,
although the campaign only lasted about
three weeks, there were only 1000 men
who managed to get back to France. The
rest had succumbed to the dreaded fevers
of the tropics.
'T give you these figures simply to show
what our men had to contend with. These
were all carefully planned campaigns
Ours was not. We had not intended land
ing an army in the islands until the fall,
but when the news of the sudden appear
ance of CerVera'S fleet in the harbor
reached Washington we were ordered to
move at once. received the dispatch at
night, and the next morning 10000 men
were moving. 1t has been said that the
accommodations for the men were not
sufficient. The men were crowded some
what but the weather was fine and the
tro0Ds suffered little or no inconvenience.
Yet had we had more time better arrange
ments would certainly have been made
campaign. and concluded by saying
good word for the boys in blue, the fight
ing privates to whom he gives the whole
credit of the victory.
Among those on the stage who acted as
Vice-presidentS were:
Colonel W. R. -smedberg., Edward Coleman.
Rev. DR.. J. N Beard, Judge E. \. Belcher,
Z. P Vining General R. H. Warfield, c. A.
Maydwell, w. W. Chase. Judge E. D. Saw
yer Major r. H. Noble, Captain E. H. Plum
mer W. H. Mills Rev. DR.. G. E. Locke, D.
Edward Collins, Rev. DR.. E. B. Spalding, Rev.
DIR. George c. Adams, Major S. F.. Thorn,
Colonel F. NJ. Coke Colonel W H. Forwood.
Major F. c. Lord Captain F. Greene, Captain
T. u Raymond. Major N. Kenyon, Major G.
F. Downey, General ]. B. Marshall, R. II.
Chamberlain, N. H. Jacks. General Babcock.
Captain Charles Goodall Captain o. Eldridge,
Colonel c. Mason Kinne Major w. o.
Gould Bishop Nichols H. ], Mccoy. Captain
McKittrick, Rev. DIR. John Hemphtll, w. S.
Goodfelow, J. S. Bunnell, Judge Morrow,
Major W. b. Hooper, I. J. Truman, c. S.
Wright, e. e. Kelly, NJ. D., ]. d. Mckee,
b. c. Wright, Rev. DIR. James, Robert Bruce,
c. S. Holmes. W. Bradford, n. p. Cole and
c. B. Perkins.
The proceeds of the lecture will be de-
voted to the Army and Navy Christian
Commission.