The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1922-11-02

born when the Maine was blown up in Havana
harbor. They say putting it across" or something
Of the kind and haven't the least idea what their
fathers meant l.. saying carrying the message to
Garcia" Well the job brought Rowan deathless
fame. And It's story well worth retelling-So
here 1t is for the benefit of the young World War
veterans:
To begin at the beginning, in 1895 there was
Cuban revolt against the Spanish policy of re
concentration" which had resulted under General
Weyler In the suffering and death of thousands.
American sympathy was strong. February 10,
1895 the American warship Maine blown up
In Havana harbor with the loss of 266 officers and
men. Uncle Sam issued an ultmatum to Spain:
Get out Of Cuba. Spain didn't go. Uncle Sam
declared war April % and by August 10 had
whipped Spain to standstill.
1t is the fashion nowadays to speak Of the
Spanish-American as successful skirmish. or
words to that effect. II short and sweet,
to be sure but ii was an impor,a with far
reaching results.
For one thing 1t reunited the North and South
of the United States. The fighting men Of both
sections fought under the Stars and Stripes.
1t drove the Spaniard from his last foothold on
the Western Hemisphere.
1t opened the eyes of the world to the quality
Of the American fighting man. Lieutenant Lee,
British military observer (now Lord Lee Of Fare
ham), the assault Of San Juan Hill. 1T Is
magnificent" he gasped, but 1t is not war" The
Spanirds put II another way when they said, THE
Yankee pigs should have turned and run, we fired
such volleys. But they came and tried to
catch with their hands"
1t put the American navy the Seven Seas.
Europe expected the Spaniards to whip on the
sea. 1t gasped over the clean-cut victories Of
Manila and Santiago.
1t made us a world power In spite Of ourselves
through the acquisition of the Philippines and
Porto Rico and relationship with Cuba.
OF course the blowing up Of the Maine meant
~ and naturally Uncle Sam wanted to know
Military conditions In Cuba. Now the Cuban
0tionists were under command Of q certain
neral Garcia, buried somewhere in the inacces-
sple interior. Incidentally this rebel leader was
Calixto Iniguez Garcia QS36-98), q Cuban patriot
who had rebelled against Spain In 1880 and had
been captured and imprisoned in Spain for fifteen
years. In 1895 he escaped and got back into Cuba
So It was decided to send message to Garcia"
Here are some of the questions to which answers
were wanted:
How many Spanish troops were now, 1895 in
Cuba? How were they distributed? How were
they waging war? How were they armed and
equipped? How clothed? How fed7 The condi-
ton and quality of the Spanish forces? The char
acter Of their officers, especially the commanding
officers; what Of the Spanish morale? What were
the typographical conditions, local and general?
The character and conditions of the roads them
and at all seasons?
Similar information regarding the Cubans and
the Cuban forces was also wanted. How were the
Cubans armed, equipped and fed? What was need
ed In the way of placing the forces In condition
10 harass the enemy while the American army
was modifying?
"On April g. $685." says Colonel Rowan. telling
the story after twentyfour years, 81 was on duty