Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-27

is made to any preparations for embarkfng
or disembarking troops, or other specihc
duty of any kind
l proceeded to Tampa, showed General
Shafter my instructions and found that, in
making his preparations for the campaign,
he had already charged the quartermaS-
ter's department with the entire arrange
ments for the embarkation and transporta-
ton to Cuba of the expeditionary force, as
was entirely proper, the matter being one
of transport and not of engineering. Col
onel Humphreys was in charge, and was
hiring transports, fitting them up for the
transport of animals and men, engaging all
the lighters, tugs and other similar prop
erty that he could find, and there was
nothing in that connection left for me to
do.
What He Did.
I therefore devoted my attention mainly
to making as thorough study as l could
of the topography, the defenses, the roads
and other military particulars in and about
Santiago, both on the east and west sides
Of the harbor, with these exceptions:
First. l found that there We're two deck
scOWs unfinished on the stocks at Tampa
which could be bought (they were engaged
to the navy, but the negotiations fell
through, and l bought them. These light
ers were taken with the expedition; one of
them was lost a sea on the way, the other
performed invaluable service in connection
with the Decentralization of the troops and
freights at Daiquiri and Siboney.
Second, 1 made endeavor, through the
quartz rmaster general, using Gen. Miles
authority, to procure steam launches for
the transports, the utility of which would
be obvious in towing ships boats and other
small craft to and fro, between the vessels
ard the landing. l made no endeavor to
provide for the construction of whIrV2s at
Daiquiri or Siborey, where it had been &c
termined that the landing should he mace,
for the reason that l was familiar with the
circumstances of those two points, having
thoroughly explored the situation in Wash
ingtOn, and later at Tampa. The difficulty
Of constructing a wharf, in the local con-
ditions existing and thu delay in doing so,
made it quite impracticable 20 undertake
such task. The quartermaSter general
reported that steam launches could not be
obtained, after inquiry, made at all the
large centers.
Third, 1 took a census of the transport
fleet and the number of ships boats, and
made an estimate of what might be the adj
ditional facilities by use of the navy boats,
cutters and cargo boats and the steam
launches belonging to the blockading
squadron. These data We're carefully col
lated, and it was found that not less than
5000 men could be put afoat from the ships
at one time, and that the transports being
held at a distance of "A quarter or half
mile from shore, it would be possible, under
favorable conditions, to land the entire per-
sonnet in a day.
Fourth, l took occasion at Tampa to pro-
cure a considerable amount of additional
lumber of convenient sizes, plank and tim
Der, which l also had loaded into the Alamo
for such uses as might later be made of it,
with further additions to the tools and
similar matters.
He Reported to Gen. Miles.
This practically concluded my relation
to the subject of decentralization, as all
the points were covered as fully as the cir
cumstances permitted. 1t was quite true
that the provision could have been ad-
vantageously increased by the employment
Of more steam lighters, if the quarter
master could have found them, but with
this IL Will be observed, | had nothing to
DO. l reported these facts personally to
the major general commanding, assured
him of my conviction that there would be
no difficulty, with average conditions of
weather, in DISSEMINATING the expedition.
With this statement he seemed to be salts
fled. He then inquired what arrangements,
If any, | had made with regard to the re-
embarkation of the expedition after the
conclusion of the campaign My reply to
this was that as the dsem barkation had
to be made practically in the open sea, the
men ana lrelghtS foated ashore in boats,
and the mules and horses mainly landed
by discharging them through the side ports
and swimming them to the beach, it was
lmpracticable without great difficulty and
loss of time to return them to the trans
ports by a reversal of this process and
that in any case the theory of the expedi-
ton was that it should succeed in its object
ana CAPTURE Santiago harbor, and it was
taken for granted that we would have
the inclOsed waters OF that bay with the
existing wharves and other facilities for
the decentralization when that should be
necessary"
"A few days before the expedition sailed
Gen. Miles, who was at Tampa, informed
me that was not to go, but to remain and
arrange for the fitting out of another and
Larger expedition intended for Porto Rico
OF some 10000 men. l represented to the
general, however, that all my arrange
ments had been made to go with Gen.
Shafter that he wished me to go with him:
was In sense relying upon me for certain
work that | might do to be useful to him,
ana that l would much prefer if he would
permit me to carry out the original instruc-
tons. This was held under Amusement for
twenty-four hours, during which time
hao made draft of the engineer materials
necessary for the larger expedition had
arranged for one or two engineer officers to
come directly to Tampa and be assigned
specifically to that duty, and in other re-
spects had made such provision as 7 couId
leaving the other officers to amplify the
matter If found necessary as they would
be entirely capable of doing
Il also ordered by telegraph a large in
voice of entrenching and other tools from
the quartermaster and elsewhere to be
shipped to Tampa without delay. arranged
for the procuring of more pontoons and
scoWS and endeaVored in the brief time
allotted to me to anticipate what might be
the requirements of the Porto Rico expe-
dition SO far as the engineer department
would be concerned.
Letter From Gen. Miles.
General Miles finally assented to my go
ing with General Shafter, but after this de-
cision had been made and just prior TO the
departure from Tampa, 1 was much sur
prised to receive a formal letter from him,
stating that l had been charged with the
full responsibility for the embarkation, dis
embarkation and decentralization of the
troops, and had been unrestricted in my