The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1901-02-09
GEN. cHAFFEE.
sonethins Asout the American OF.
Seer Whe Wrote TO Field MAI.
shall von waldersee.

THAT letter in which Gen. Chaffee
called down Field Marshal Count Won
Waldersee for German looting must
have been an amusing document" said
Al ex-ofdcsr of volunteers, according
TO the New Orleans Times-Demoerat.
chaffee Ia a blunt, rugged old cam
psirner, who has spent the best part
Of his life lighting Indians and cussing
mule whackers all over the wild and
woelly west, and be knows no more
about diplomatic Establishments than
. Zulu witch doctor knows about mod
ern bacteriology. His note to Won
Waldersee was undoubtedly hot stuff
and ! can imagine the Amusement Of
the polished and diguifed German field
marshal as he perused Its contents.
'Gott In himmell' he must have E
claimed, what kind of a wild man Is
dot. anyhow?' Chsfee was the idol
Of the rank and file throughout the
operations In Cuba" continued the e1.
volunteer, "and a good mAay quaint
stories were circulated there illustrat-
ing this very phase OF his character.
One Of thsmr--htvt rrsOsti Ou ehe
spur Of the moment, is peculiarly spro.
pos.
During the engagement at FL Caney
Chaffee was in command Of a brigade
in Lawtons division, and on the morn.
ing Of July /, when the fighting began.
he was saddled with 800 or 400 Of our
Cuban allies. As a matter of fact, the
native PARROTS were more OF a nuisance
than anything else, and Chaffee was
psrplexed TO know what TO do with
the detachment. Some distance north
east Of Fl Caney and well out Of the
real Zon Of action there was a very
small and dilapidated Spanish block
house, perched On a little ridge, and,
happening to notice II. he told the
Cuban colonel. who was an extremely
pompous individual, TO take his troops
and capture the position while the
main attack was in progress. There
couldn't possibly have been over a
dozen Spaniards in the blockhouse at
the time, and the work of taking 1t was
really child's play, but, instead OF max
ing a charge. the Cubans proceeded to
deploy themselves about a mile and
q half away. and opened a long-dis-
lance bombardment. II any Of their
bullets carried that far they certainly
did no damage. and the SpaDiards prob.
ably never knew they were being as.
saulted.
During the heat OF the general en-.
gagement the allies were forgotten,
but early in the afternoon there was a
hull In the action, and while Chaffee
was consulting with some Of his regi.
mental officers a Cuban aid came rush.
ing up and reported that the native
division was out Of ammunition. NY
colonel desires that you send him I'm.
msdiately some cases Of cartridges he
said, In conclusion. Chaffee looked q,
him with q sardonic grin. I don't
think you fellows had better burn any
mor cartridges he said, slowly.
Those Spaniards might find out you
were shooting at 'em, and II they did
they'd come over and kick your whole
blankety blanked cowardly crowd all
the way down TO Matanzas. Tell your
colonel that with my compliments
he ADDED. The aid turned purple and
went away, boiling with Indignation.
u heard this story from an officer
who was present, and he chuckled glee-
fully as be told 1t, for everybody had
been cautioned to treat the Cubans
with the greatest Difference and had
found It difficult TO obey the order.
Chaiise was probably animated by the
same spirit Of candor when he opened
his now-celebrated correspondence.
with Won Waldersee"