The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-03-05

can War" written by Senator Henry
Cabot Lodge, we find this statement b
the situation at I5i caney when sharter
the commanding general, lay sick OF /
fever in his tent miles from the scene o.
battle
| At haif-past the situation looked bad. IN
Americans were holding their own, but oslni
far more heavily than the spanards An ordei
from General Shaftcr at this moment 70 mes
lect Dl Caney and move 10 the assistance Of
the troops ut San Juan must have seemed Ike
n grim satire, aud was disregarded.
II was at this critical hour that cour-
Ter from General shafter is reported to
have dashed up to General Lawton on
tho firing line and informed him that 1t
| was General Skaters desire that he order
a retreat Lawton answered: THAT is
too important an order TO be made orally.
Go back, present my compliments to
General Shafter and ask him TO put It In
! writing" The messenger dashed away
and Lawton proceeded with his attack
on the enemy's position This story Is
borne out by the results and this further
statement from the pen OF Historian
Lodge:
Lawton ana cnaffee and Ludlow had gone TO
III Caney with well defined purpose. 1t ~
difficult even after the most careful study
ana repeated reading Of the official reports, to
detect any plan In the movements OF the rest
Of the army
Mr. Lodge again says OF the situation
after the assault on San Juan hill
Our men were exhausted by battle marching
ana digging. They were badly fed, transpor-
tatipn was slow and supplies scarce, and thoy
"a q TaHa n
tons some officers thought aud urged With
drawal while General Wheeler backed strong
~ ny many OF tho younger officers opposed
any such movement. The spirit which carr
rled the heights Of San Juan held them, but
70 General Shaftor, away from the front and
firing line the voices Of doubt and alarm cnino
w-th directive force. During the day be nuc-
tuated from doubt TO confidence iio wanted
sampson 10 try at once aud at all hazards to
break IN, and he proposed 10 General Wheeler
70 move against the entrance forts OF the har-
nor thus giving tardy adhesion To the wise
plan OF sampson aud Miles, which he had
abandoned Early on the morning Of July
theie came a dispatch from him. written I'M
ger me nrst depressing influences, to the war
department. saying that he had Santiago well
invested, hut that our line was thin, the city
strongly defended, and not to be taken with
our heavy loss; that he needed ronforcements
and was considering withdrawal to a POSI-
ton which an examination of tho man shaved
to mean retreat to the coast The news
me tlrst received in twenty four hours-camo
upph tuohN IN NulnOlllN ut washington with a
depressing shock, General Shafter was urged
TO hold the san Juan heights. II was the only
Ieoly ohfk day of the war, aud the long hot
hquis OF that memorable Sunday were heavy
WIZ doubt apprehension and anxiety.
There is nothing in this history 10
open the way to the honorable promotion
of General Shafter To confer recognl-
tlon in the face of such a record. believed
un1uostlonably by his countrymen to be
true, would be 10 discourage merit and
to reward at least the approximate OF
imbecility' II Is tho Lawtons. the Chat
fees, the Wheelers who win battles on
land and the Schleys, tho Philips who
win victories on sea that deserve promo
ton and not the Skaters, wavering and
uncertain In distant tents, nor the
Simpsons whom luck or fate decree shall
be absent when the tragedy is passing.
Men have died to win the cross of the
Legion OF Honor, as they are dying to-
day In South Africa to win the Victoria
cross, and brave men in the American
army have ridden to heroic deaths 20 win
another star. But all this chivalry OF
war would pass for naught ana cease to
be II favorltsm and not merit should
dictate rewards.