Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1907-04-18

chip Seguranca was about to ieay'
her dock at Port Tampa 10 lead tbs
feet OF transports on their way Il
Cuba. a wild telegram was received
IN Washington saving the report tina
Cervera was bottled up In Santiago
harbor was not true: only a few ole
ships had gone Ia there as ruse Il
deceive the American fleet. while the
four frst-class Spanish cruisers were
hidden In some bay tof which there
are any number on the coast OF Cuba
and was now en- route westward To In
terccpt the transport fleet and blow 4
out Of the water. The heaviest ships
of SamIeon's fleet were In front o
Santiago and only a few of the lighter
vessels were Going blockade duty OF
Havana The naval convoy TO the
army transport fleet was small. pitt
fully so. and when the reported move
ment OF the Spanish feet reached
Washington. the civilian branch OF the
war and navy departments we're In
a great state OF turmoil and tribula
ton. The report specifically stated
two large Spanish cruisers tpresum
ably the viscaya and Almirants
Oquendo) were seen the night before
running without lights westward
through the Nicholas channel. The
United States cruiser Eagle. believe
Il was. came into Key West post haste
with this news: II was quickly tele
graphed to Washington and ther
came the order to stop the transport
fleet and prepare To resist the attack
OF the Spaniards.
All the army men knew this Spanish
fleet was a myth and probably the re
suit OF an imaginative brain OF some
overworked blue jacket. Col Cheney
had received Information on the morn
ing Of June from one OF his men
who was operating In the eastern end
OF Cuba that Ccryera was In Santi
ago harbor. This man ian army ON
cer) had gone into Santiago In dis
guise. had counted the four big cruis'
crs nj anchor. had sailed around them
read their names-viscaya. oquendo
Colon, and Maria Teresa; he had
seen Admiral Cervera land. had seen
Gen. Toral receive the admiral and
drive up to the palace, Sampson,
alert and vigilant. with n feet OF
mighty ships was outside the narrow
harbor mouth. and Cervera never
could have run that blockade without
q disastrous fight Before Sampson
assumed active command nj Santiago
Cervera could have escaped any night
he chose: but the fact remains he
did not: he was there when Sampson
came and from that minute his doom
was sealed.
These facts were fully reported 10
Washington. but civilian Washington
looked with supreme contempt On
military and naval Tampa. and the
army fleet came back, and for eigh,
days moro they backed and filled like
a lot of sheep. Gradually Il dawned
on the civilian war department that
the threat, ming feet was only n phan.
tom. and on June a they gave the
word and the army sailed away.
II Is not the purpose or intention OF
this article 10 deal with the operations
around Santiago. although volumes
could be written telling of the great
courage and daring OF the American
regular line officer and soldier. OF the
hopeless inefaciency OF army head
quarters nj Santiago until the arrival
OF Gen. Miles. II might be noted that
the physically weak commander of the
Santiago army contemplated retreat
Ing from San Juan I'm on July 4.
and being physically incapacitatcd
from further active command sent for
the next ranking general and outlined
the proposed retreat. telling the gcner.
nj 10 assume command That gcner-
al quietly but forclbly informed the
commander that IAN American army
under his command would never re-
treat on the Fourth Of July. That was
the wrong day Ia begin such a move
ment." Then the great president In
Washington took hold Of Affairs. Re
Inducements were hurried forward:
the thin line spreading over IA miles
hung on and Spain vas beaten. IL Is
safe 20 say, had retreat been or
dered the army would have disregard.
ed the order. American men and
blood were. spent In taking that hill:
American men and blood would hold
A. withou, an order from anyone
the army stormcd San Juan Hin and.
as one civil war veteran remarked.
They'd hold II until hell freezes" And
they would
Col. Chency's part In this campaign
was conspicuous. lie was under no
ones command but was after informa-
lion OF all kinds. Over at Caney he
saw Chaffee and Lawton lock horns
with vara del Rey. and right there
was the hardest fighting OF the cam
paign. In the afternoon he was back
at San Juan and saw the rush mp the
hill. He was In II as much as any
soldier.
After Miles came and brought order
out OF chac-. Cheney went with him
% Porto Rico. and AZ the close Of that
campaign Of flowers Col. Cheney re-
turned to the United States. Tho pres
ident was appreciative OF the work
this quiet man had done and offered
him an appointment a. captain and
auarter-mastcr In the then rc-organ-