Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-07-25
SPANISH WAR ECHOES.
Gen. }. G. breckenridge Tells Some
Things About Santiago Campaign.

Things About Santiago Campaign.
Julius Chambers. in Brooklyn Eagle)
An old and valued friend, Gen. JOS
eph C. breckenridge, L. S. A.. who was
Inspector general in the Santiago cam
paign, writes to me a long letter from
Oberhofen, Germany, confirming in
every particular talk about the mar
row escape from defeat of the Ameri-
cans on tho hills east Of Santiago de
Cuba. This article, published with
reference to the unwilling OF statue
10 the brave Lawton. contained some
startling information regarding the
situation of the American forces OH
the second morning of the attack up
on the Spanish position. Some of it
was calculated to damage regulations
made on that occasion. General Breck-
inridge mentions Major Carvaugh,
Lawtons adjutantge general, and Col
onel Noble, General Skaters aid-dc-
camp. as two men still living who
know how the situation was put TO
Lawton by tho commanding general.
At the crisis of affairs at Ell Cancy,
Shafter sent message to Iawton
reading: support our hard pressed
left"
1t Is easy to comprehend from Cen
eral Breckcnridges personal state
mcnt about the memorable fight that
General Shaftcr was entirely justified
in the anxiety he felt regarding tho
failure Of the first days assault The
capture &c the heights is now seen to
| have beer for the purpose of turning
| the heavy siege guns that had been
brought there from the Spanish ships
! and fortiflcations at he entrance of
! tho harhor upon tho war ships of Adj
miral Cervera, os they lay In the har-
Dor of Santiago, in order to drive them
out whore Sampson could destroy them.
AS matter OF fact. Sampson had been
summoned TO GUANTANAMO to discuss
this very point when Cervera steamed
out, Shaftor was really the man who
gave to Schloy his splendid opportunity
to act rs the commander of tho fleet
| I recall the statement made by Cap
tain Clark. on his return from San
ltiayo. In which he declared that Ger
vera never ought to have left the inner
harbor of Santiago. Captain Clark's
words to mo were: "Cervera should
have stayed in that harbor until star
walton drove him to scuttle his ships
and take to the mountains with hi:
mon"
General breckenridge makes a very
interesting suggestions: Speaking OF
thoughts that occur to us, did you eve,
contemplate the simi,arities bctweer
the convention OF Santiago and tn,
surrender at Yorktown? In both in
stances a yielding force makes stipu
lations regarding its future after sur
render. Santiago afording the pre-
cedent for a promise to send the Span
ish soldiers home"
Food for more thought is found II
another part of General Breckinrdgo'
letter. where he says: IF Togo wa
able to destroy the Russian ships at
distance of three and four miles. VIII.
didn't the fire Of our big guns. espc
cially at night when they approached
close to the harbor entrance, hnv
damaging effect upon the city of San
tiago? The women and children of TIL
town. sent to FL Caney to scape tn
expected artillery never were 1
actual danger in the city, but at tn
place to which they were removed the
D nearly starved and were exposed to tn
fire of both armies"
Thes" and a score Of other sugges
tons offered by this experienced arm
officer indicate that the real histor
of the Santiago battle hasn't bee
written. That there was a mix-up G
the troops OF Hawkins and Lawton a
critical moment. probably due to tn
delivery of an order to the wron
Officer, seems conclusive. But tn
, secret has been so well buried that
b may never be unearthcd.