The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-02-04
SOME LESSONS FROM THE
SPANISH AMERICAN WAR
-N lorRNNL Of thc Mlitnry serylcc InltI.


A tcrcsling review by Colonel Edward u
Brlttun, acting assistant adiuiant genera
Of the Second brigade, New York National guard
Of former Secretary Of War Russell \, Alger'
book "Thr spanisrAmorcan War;" roccntl.
published by Harper 4 Bros. IN the course o
1t Colonel Britton says;
The author dwclls on the fact that Of the frs
appropriation OF $4,000, Ojl--"for National lie
fense' in anticipation OF Wir.-no part was avail
able for offensive purposes, not even for OiIcn
sve preparation, and while measures is NOR,
effective coast defense were permissible and wcrt
| pushed forward, no disturbance Of the status o
peace could be made before the declaration O
war Consequently, while, during the few week.
| immediately preceding the outbreak OF hostiltlcs
every arsenal In the country and every ptlvat,
| establishment capable of turning cue guns, car
riages, powder, ammunition, ETC., was working
| up to full capacity night and day for coast de-
| fonsc, the War department could not purchase
| or contract for any Of the material so soon &c
| be needed for the new army. There were nc
| stocks of reserve supplies on hand, aud no in
crease could be made, except for the everyday
needs of the army on a peace basis; SO that
| under the Presidents Interpretation of the term
| national defense" there could be added to the
ordinary supply nothing in the way Of equip
ment, clothing, tcntage, harness commissary
stores, medical and hospital supplies, camp furni'
| ture, etc. "Dilatory and grudging legislation
| had borne it1 irut."
| Within a few days after the enactment Of the
| acts of Apri! o2d and Goth, 1s0S, increasing the
| military forces. the War department was engaged
| IN the simultaneous preparation OF three large
armies Tor operation in foreign countries separ-
| ated from the United States by distances ranging
| from leo TO 1000 miles, and from each other,
| by half the circumference Of the earth. All OF
tile details of organization OF the 223, ,23j volun-
| tccrs, rs we'll as the increase in the regular
army TO about Gl,0Oo, are interestingly dealt
with. In referring to the transportation to the
southern camps OF mobilization, the author says:
Our soldiers did not travel during the war
with Spain as they did during the Civil war. In
all contracts with the railroads, it was expressly
stipulated that in the day coaches, each soldier
should have an entire seat for himself and his
equipment, and for over 81 hours Of travel, the
troops should occupy sleeping cars--Pullmans or
toursts'-thrce men to a section. Few veterans
OF the Civil war can recall having travelled, dur.
ing the sixties, in any but box, cattle or flat
cars. Even the horses and mules, in the war
with Spain, were nearly all shipped in patent
palace stock cars
With empty military storchouses, the supply
departments set to work cquipping practically
100000 men. Many of the articles required were
OF special manufacture, not to be had in open
market. Congress had repeatedly denied re.
quests to equip the arsenals with special reserve
machinery for their manufacture, to meet an
emergency so that specially designed appar-
atus for the arsenal5 had to be manufactured and
installed, before work could be commenced on
these article; of equipment. Notwithstanding the
fact that there but 81 officers OF the quarter
masters department, which requires specialized
knowledge and experience, by August there had
been manufactured or purchased and issued 5iG,
3SS blankets 310,7Ij blouses. j23, ,2O3 trousers,
i1G,I0j campaign hats, 153,1Ci canvas field uni.
forms, 1s23o3 shoes 5SS,SOO leggins, G22,ol1 fan
mel shirts, l2j7 COZ undegshrts, 1,2lOCs2 drawers
3so03 axes, 4,SSS trumpets, 3l,3ii camp kettles,
5S6O2 mess pans, $50 various kinds OF tents,
352,%79 shelter tent halves, lGGlS horses, 2O.1S2
mules, 5,l70 wagons, 2S,0l2 sets of single har-
moss, and other articles of every kind in like
proportion.
''Tlc arrival OF the volunteers from their sew
cral states at the camps OF instruction quickly
demonstrated the fact that so far as equipment
Was concerned these militiamen were little better
than recruits. Not a single regiment was fully
ready for the field They We're deficient in rcgi.
mental equipment OF every kind. No less than
100000 Springfield rifles and calbine9 were issued
TO volunteers who lad been supposed to be we'll
armed Very many arrived in camps without
uniforms, accoutremcnts, rifes or anything, in
fact, necessary for active service, except that
enthusiasm which is The invarabla Characteristic
Of the American volunteer"
The author states that on the first Of April
the output Of the Rock Island arsenal amounted
TO seventy sets of infantry equipment per diem.
When the protocol was signed, on the 18th OF
August, it was turning out daily 5000 complete
infantry equipments and aJO cavalry equipments.
The daily output Of the Springfield armory was
increased, during the same period, from 100 TO
1858 Krig-Jorgensan rifles.
There were so many more applicants than
commissions in The army TO he filled, that for
every man appointed, hundreds were necessarily
disappointed. After referring to the misunder.
standing and Misrepresentation as to methods OF
making appointments for the volunteer army, the
author says: II doubt whether | was more Will
fed and sandered in any other connection Yet
there were not dozen commissions issued dur
lng the Spansll-AmeriCan war in which | had
any personal interest. The appointments were
made by the governors OF the States and by the
PRESIDENT Nearly one.fth of the officers Of
the regular army were given volunteer commits.
slonS creating scarcity OF regimental officers
in the expanded regular service, which greatly
embarrassed that army. The system and data re-
latlnS to appointments is given at length. The
surgeons and assistant surgeons Of volunteer rcei.
nentS were appointed by the governors Of states.
Only % surgeons were appointed from civil lie,
which with $40 contract surgeons, We're made
upon the recommendation of the surgeon.general
after assurance of The candidates. professional
qualifications. "Not volunteer officer commits.
stoned by the president was court .marlialed dur.
ing the war, Oi the 81 paymastcrs commits.
stoned, SO were appointed from civil life. Not
a dollar was desautel and all accounts have
been closed. In all the expenditures of every
kind, aggresatng upwards Of 5000 1000, O0O-no
charge has been made of Jobs or fayoritism" "
The War Investigation commission after the cy.
animation Of many camps and numerous wit.
ncsses, stated that "the young civilians who Ie.
celNed stnf and other appointments, in the main
discharged their duties in highly commendablc
A chapte? is devoted TO the Ground Robin"
incident and the sickness prevailing in the forces
around Santiago, after the fall OF that place,
with the communications between The War de.
parlment and Shaiter The writer points out
that before the receipt on August 4th of the
so'ollcl "ROund Robin us carly rs June 18th
ana repeated on July 2ad, in cable dispatches,
the War department had made known its In.
tention to Shli;er to bring the troops back 10
the lnied States and that ON July 2Sth he had
cabled Shattcr, announcing the selection of Mon.
tlul Point for the rccupcraton OF his command
as soon as il could he moved. Following Tho |
text OF the "Round Robbin,' as cabled and a co. |
incident dispatch from Shalter, which moderated
the expressions in the "Round Robin" ,lescrib.
ing the situation, the author quotes an endorse.
ment OF General Lawton on that document, de.
plormB the mandatory language used Os impotir !
and unnecessary and expressing the opinion that |
much OF the fatal illness is due to homesicLnpss
and other, depressing influences. The entire army
was ordered back before the receipt of the |
Round Robbin,' although, as a matter OF public |
policy, that Circumstance was not made public; |
50 il was generally believed that the ''Round |
Robin" was responsible for the return OF the
9Th corps and the selection of Aontauk Point, !
when, as matter OF fact, it had nothing to DO |
with either