Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-07
SHAT TER is HERE
Some "reminiscences of the
Cuban Campaign.
WHATITACCOMPLISHED
1T DROVE THE SPANISH FLEET
FROM SANTIAGO HARBoR.
Real Cause of Sickness Demonstrated
by Events-Compliments Gen.
Harries' Discipline.
WHATIT ACCOMPLISHED

| States forces at Santiago, is in the city with
| the Grand Army Veterans of California. He
is working hard to have the next annual
| encampment at San Francisco and is max
ing great deal of progress to that end.
| Florida, Georgia. Alabama and Mississippi
| are four of the southern states whose dele
gates have given assurances that they will
vote to go to San Francisco. The biggest
card that has been played for California In
| this contest is the securing of a rate of $50
from Chicago to San Francisco and return.
| This is the cheapest rate that has ever been
given over that distance. In 1886. when
the q. A. R. encampment met in San Fran
cisco. the rate was S9o-odd dollars from
! Chicago and return. 1t is believed this
cheap rate that has been assured by the
| trans-continental association and the de-
sire Of many people to the beauties OF
California will do much to secure favor
able vote in the encampment for holding
! the next meeting there.
Is Looking Robust.
| Gen. Shafter was i'll with lumbago during
a month before leaving San Fran
cisco for this city, but he is now feeling
well and is in excellent spirits. He APP
pears robust. but has not quite as much
weight as when he went to Cuba in COM
/ mand of the American forces. When asked
about his views, at this time, of the Cuban
! campaign he spoke in confidence that the
ultimate judgment of it would fully vindi-
| cate the American army and its course
! there.
You have noticed" he said. I'VE have
| had no quarrels since that campaign closed.
| quarrel might have been gotten up. of
course, but any one who felt the least in
| clined to do so remained quiet greatly to
their honor The quarrel in the navy over
the Santiago campaign was simply a dis
| grace TO the service and to the nation"
The Santiago Fight.
General Shafter recounted the circum-
stances leading up to the Santiago fight.
1t was thought in the beginning that Ha-
vana would be the scene of the great con-
test. Twentyfour thousand troops were
| sent to Cuba at a time when there were
! on the island 165, 900 Spanish soldiers The
| intention to send them to the relief of CO.
mez was abandoned, and then it was pro-
posed that they should take Mariel, twenty
| eight miles west of Havana. Later a large
force was to be sent to Cuba under General
| Miles, and the attack on Havana was to
| be made. But then came the necessity for
| driving the Spanish fleet out of Santiago
| harbor, and that changed the entire course
| of events.
The army accomplished that result"
| declared General Shafter. "Our fleet would
| have been cut to pieces had the ships gone
| in the narrow channel of Santiago harbor,
| each subjected to the combined fire of the
| Spanish ships. They would have received
| the Spaniards they came out of the har-
Dor In front of our own ships. 1t would
| have been still worse for our ships be-
| cause but one at time could have gotten
| in that narrow channel, and each would
| have had to fight the combined Spanish
| forces"
Climate Was Real Trouble.
| General Shafter said the real trouble that
| was faced by the American troops on land
| was because of the climate. and that was
not as bad as had previously been expert
| enced by soldiers Of other nations In tho
West Indies.
II have been through harder campaigns"
| said General Shafter.
| Speaking of the different regiments he
| said the Rough Rider Regiment commando
| ed by Colonel Wood. was good for
| having been drilled twenty days.
| 1.-The advantage that regiment had was
| that it was made up of men accustomed to
| rough life. They knew how to provide
/ for their wants They could get down in
| the brush and make a cup of coffee. They
! telligence and habits, and had the qualities
| of tough soldiers.
There was this great terror in the Sam
tiago campaign. The fact that there was
| danger from unknown diseases and the
| knowledge that every expedition that had
| gone to the Caribbean sea had been dis
astrous. In 1915 5000 Englishmen went
! there, and the climate did them up and but
| a few hundred were left. In 1901 Napo-
! leon sent $4,000 men to Santo Domingo, and
in three weeks 10000 men died-they were
| not sick only. but they died. That expe-
dition has been characterized as Napo-
| Icons greatest mistake.
Every Man Got Sick.
an our forces every man got sick. Prac-
tically the whole army was sick. At the
| time I attributed their sickness to their
hardships, but General Wood who is an
able doctor, as well good soldier, after
ward believed otherwise In his report he
attributed the sickness to exposure but
when the new troops went there with floors
| to their tents, with ample supplies and good
food, including vegetables. and We're not
exposed to any hardship of campaign. they
had the same percentage of sickness There
fore he made up his mind that all foreign
ers had to go through that sickness after
going to Cuba.
Il only want to say our army before San
tiago was the best army that ever left the
United States"
Gen. Halries Complimente6-
Speaking of some of the individual regl-
ments, General Shafter said
1.-The list District Of Columbia was a mag
nifcent regiment. and so was the LIST Illi-
nois' 1-
There has been some criticism of Cen
eral Harries for his discipline" suggested
the reporter.
Discipline" repeated General Shafter
General Harries discipline just what
made the LIST District Of Columbia mag
nificent regiment. / would not like to name
a regiment I could name that showed the
lack of discipline and you could compare
the different results accomplished-one by
discipline and the other because OF a lack
of discipline Harries' regiment was Al
and his discipline was strict. Strict disci-
pline is the only means that can be adopted
under such circumstances for taking care
of men,
General Shafter said he had been asked to
write his recollections Of the Cuban CAM
paign, and the many erroneous statements
he had seen in print had tempted him to
do it. But he said. he was not studiously
inclined. did not like office work, and doubt
ed whether he would attempt the task
ICE PARALYZED HIN.