In Cuba with Shafter

Preface

In this, volume it is my object to put before fiy readers a clear and intelligent narrative of he Santiago campaign, showing the orders reeived and how they were executed ; the plans ormed and how they were carried out ; the obstacles met and how they were overcome, ^he work is not in any sense a criticism of ersons or military movements, but a plain statelent of facts as the writer knows them. At be outbreak of the Spanish-American War I jft San Francisco with General Shafter as one f his aides-de-camp, remaining continuously n his staff until the present, and for that rea- 3n feel competent to speak from knowledge.

J. D. MILEY,

Lieutenant- Colonel and Inspector-General,

United States Volunteers.

Governor's Island, N. Y.

January 5, 1899.

CHAPTER I Assembling at Tampa, i CHAPTER n

The Embarkation of the Santiago Expedition, . 15

CHAPTER in

The Embarkation of the Santiago Expedition

CHAPTER IV The Disembarkation, 52

CHAPTER V The Advance on Santiago, 82

CHAPTER VI The Battles of San Juan and El Caney, . . loi

CHAPTER VII The Battles of San Juan and El Caney {Continued), iig

vii

CONTENTS

CHAPTER VIII The Siege of Santiago, 129

CHAPTER IX

The Siege of Santiago {Contifmed), . . . 148

CHAPTER X The Capitulation, 164

CHAPTER XI

The Capitulation {Continued), . . . .189

CHAPTER XII Re-embarkation, 215 vlii

PORTRAITS

Major-General William R. Shafter, U. S. V.,

Frontispiece

General Shafter and Staff at Tampa, Major-General Joseph Wheeler, U. S. V., . General Calixto Garcia, ....

Brigadier-General H. S. Hawkins, U. S. V., Brigadier-General William Ludlow, U. S, V., Brigadier-General A. R. Chaffee, U. S. V., Brigadier-General J. Ford Kent, U. S. V,, . Brigadier-General John C. Bates, U. S. V., Brigadier-General Samuel S. Sumner, U. S. V., Brigadier-General Henry W. Lawton, U. S. V., General Jos^ Toral,

MAPS

Santiago de Cuba and Vicinity, . At end of volume

Map showing intrenchments and position of the Fifth Corps U. S. Army and those of the Spanish after the taking of Caney and San Juan Hill, evening of July I, 1898, . . . At end of volume

Map showing intrenchments and position of the Fifth Corps U. S. Army and those of the Spanish at beginning of truce, 12,30 p.m., July 3, 1898, ...... At end of volume

Map showing intrenchments and position of the Fifth Corps U. S. Army and those of the Spanish the day of the surrender, July 14, 1898, ...... At end of volume

CHAPTER I

PURSUANT to orders from the War De- ^ partment General Shafter, with his staff — Lieutenants R. H. Noble and J. D. Miley, Aides-de-camp ; Colonel J. B. Babcock, Adjutant-General ; Colonel Charles P. Eagan, Chief Commissary ; Major S. W. Groesbeck, Judge Advocate ; and Lieutenant Frank Greene, Signal Officer, left San Francisco April 21st for New Orleans, to take command of the United States forces assembling there. He arrived at New Orleans on the morning of the 25th, assumed command, and the following day left for Washington, in obedience to orders.

Here he was informed that he had been selected to lead the first expedition into Cuba, and instead of returning to New Orleans would proceed direct to Tampa. The expedition was to be in the nature of a reconnoissance to gather information for use in subsequent movements, and to furnish supplies to the insurgents. No extensive movement was contemplated at the time, but while waiting for events to shape themselves it was intended to give all possible aid to the Cuban insurgents, in order that they might continue to wage warfare against the Spanish troops. The navy entered into its part of the campaign with so much vigor and with such brilliant results that the feeling prevailed throughout the army that there would be little left to do after the navy and insurgents had completed their work. This feeling seemed to be very general until the army finally faced the enemy before Santiago.

On the 29th General Shafter received formal orders to remove his head-quarters to Tampa, assume command of all troops there, and prepare them for this expedition, which was to be composed of Company E, Corps of Engineers ; the Ninth United States Cavalry ; Light Batteries A and F, Second Artillery ; C and F, Third Artillery ; B and F, Fourth Artillery; D and F, Fifth Artillery; and the First, Fifth, Sixth, Ninth, Tenth, Thirteenth, Twenty-second and Twentyfourth United States Infantry. All these troops were either at Tampa or en route for that place. The expedition was to sail under convoy of the navy, on as early a date as possible, with a large quantity of all kinds of supplies for distribution to the insurgents, and also arms and ammunition sufficient to enable the expedition to successfully engage any Spanish troops that might be encountered. The first landing was to be made on the south coast of Cuba, to communicate with General Gomez, supplying him with arms, ammunition, and food. It was expected that this visit would infuse spirit into Gomez's army, when they realized that the strong power of the United States was actually behind them. After the interview with Gomez, the expedition was to proceed to the northwest coast of Cuba and furnish supplies to the insurgents on that coast, unless, in the meantime, the movements of the Spanish navy had been such as to render this hazardous. In that event the expedition was to seek safety in the nearest American port. It was enjoined upon General Shafter that he was expected to stay in Cuba but a few days ; that the expedition was in the nature of a reconnoissance in force ; and that he should give aid and arms to the insurgents, injure the Spanish forces as much as possible, and avoid serious injury to his own 3 command. The idea of giving moral and material aid to the insurgents was now paramount, and the movements throughout the month of May all had that object in view. Hardly had General Shafter reached Tampa when he received orders from the head-quarters of the army, dated April 30th, to delay any movement, for the reason that the Navy Department did not feel that ships could be spared at that time to act as a convoy. Those responsible for the conduct of the war believed that the first object was the destruction of the Spanish sea-power, and that nothing should in the slightest degree interfere with this. While the expedition was not to sail until further orders, active preparation of the transports was to be continued.

Care was taken that the lading of the transports should be such as to enable all, or any part of them, to be sent as an expedition whenever the opportunity might arise. In the orders delaying the sailing of the expedition it was suggested that General Shafter confer with the naval officer in command of the blockading squadron on the north coast of Cuba, in order to learn his opinion of the feasibility of convoying the expedition at this juncture. Accordingly, he despatched General Lawton on May 4th to Key West, to have 4 an interview with Commodore Watson, then in command. In this interview Commodore Watson gave assurance that a small expedition of one or two vessels fitted out to land arms and ammunition on the north coast of Cuba could be convoyed in absolute safety at any time. It was also considered by the Commodore safe to undertake the expedition ordered on April 29th to communicate with Gomez, but he did not feel that he could undertake to convoy both expeditions at the same time. General Lawton had been instructed by General Shafter to ascertain definitely the practicability of convoying an expedition of five to seven thousand men as a reconnoissance in force to the northwest coast of Cuba in the vicinity of Mariel. This was pronounced by Commodore Watson to be absolutely safe without any consideration of Cervera's fleet. On General Lavvton's return on May 7th, General Shafter prepared a letter to the Adjutant-General of the army forwarding General Lawton's report. In his letter he said that there was so much uncertainty about the operations of the Spanish fleet, that he did not at that time consider it prudent for his command to sail as a body. He stated further that his expedition would be completely fitted out by May 12th, and he would be 5 ready at any time after that date to execute the orders of April 29th, or to take possession of, and hold permanently, some point on the north coast of Cuba, to be used as a base of operations. As there had been received on May 6th orders to push forward a quantity of arms and stores to the insurgents, he informed the War Department in his letter that a small expedition for this purpose would be sent without delay.

This expedition was organized by Captain (now Lieutenant-Colonel) Dorst, having in view the landing of stores to the westward of Havana. It was known as the Gussie expedition, and the troops engaged in it were two companies of the First Infantry. On account of the publicity given to the movements of this expedition by the newspapers throughout the country, the Spanish authorities in Havana were aware of the sailing of the expedition and of its destination. For that reason, the expedition was repulsed and wholly failed in its object.

General Lawton's report and General Shafter's letter were sent by me to Washington, where I arrived on the morning of the 9th, and delivered my letters and plans to General Miles. It was on this day that General Wade superseded General Shafter in command at Tampa. Some time 6 in the morning, shortly after my arrival, General Wade was ordered by telegraph to inform General Shafter that his suggestion of delay, in view of the uncertainty of the movements of the Spanish fleet, was accepted as satisfactory, and that the expedition would wait until further report from the fleet. However, on the afternoon of the same day telegraphic orders were sent to General Shafter, through General Wade, to move the troops originally intended for the reconnoissance in force on the south coast of Cuba, to the vicinity of Mariel, or other important point on the north coast of Cuba. There he was expected to take up a strong defensive position and occupy enough territory to permit all of the regular army available, as well as the volunteer troops, as fast as they were equipped, to be rendezvoused behind the lines thus held ; and there they were to be prepared for a campaign against Havana. The reason that General Shafter was superseded in command by General Wade was this: Prior to this date both these officers had been at Tampa holding the rank of Brigadier-General in the regular army. General Shafter being the senior by date of appointment. On the 9th, however, these two officers were confirmed as Major-Generals of Volunteers, and the law is that when officers of 7 the same grade are appointed on the same day the one with the longest service is senior. As General Wade had entered the service in 1861, a few weeks before General Shafter, he became senior under this law, and, therefore, assumed command.

Only one day elapsed before the orders concerning the movements of the expedition were again changed. On the loth, the orders given on the 9th to take a defensive position on the north coast of Cuba were directed to be suspended until Monday, May i6th. In the meantime, however. General Wade was instructed to send the infantry at Tampa to Key West and there disembark them, continuing the movement until twelve thousand had been assembled at that place. The instructions further stated that these troops would be moved later from Key West to Cuba and the Dry Tortugas on ships coming from New York. There were objections to this plan, for, as early as May 5th, on account of the insufficient supply, water had been sent from Tampa for the naval vessels rendezvoused at Key West and vicinity. If the infantry was to be moved, as just described, all the water for their use would have to be carried from Tampa.

In view of this, and the lack of convoy, these 3 instructions were never carried out. All the strength of the navy was now concentrated for the destruction of Cervera's fleet. As it would be necessary to detach at least a few of the naval vessels for any movement of troops that might be made, all idea of moving an expedition of land troops was abandoned. It was not until May 26th that any further orders were received, and these were the preparatory orders to sail against Santiago. On the 20th General Shafter again assumed command. General Wade having been relieved and ordered to the command of the camp at Chickamauga.

On May 2d, Colonel C. F. Humphrey, of the Quartermaster's Department (now Brigadier-General of Volunteers) was, at the request of General Shafter, ordered by the War Department to take general charge of the Quartermaster's Department at Tampa, in addition to the duties of fitting out the ocean transportation for the expedition, to which he had been assigned the previous day. There were at Tampa, at the time, a Depot Quartermaster and a Chief Quartermaster on General Shafter's staff, and the resulting lack of harmony in the management and methods decided the General to place everything pertaining to the department under one head. The trans- 9 ports began to arrive immediately after General Shafter took command, and, superintended by Colonel Humphrey and his assistant. Captain MacKay, a shipmaster, were coaled, watered, and policed as rapidly as possible.

Both coal and water were expensive and very difficult to place on board, owing to the limited facilities for loading ; and, to prevent waste, the fires were drawn. A few of the transports came fitted with bunks and stalls for the reception of men and animals, but in the greater number the work of putting these in was done at Tampa. The object kept steadily in view was to have transports prepared for any expedition that might be ordered. Events followed one another in rapid succession, making frequent changes of orders necessary by the War Department. At each change the expedition ordered would increase in size, and when the order finally came to sail for Santiago a long delay was still necessary in which to carry on the work of preparation. As soon as the transports began to arrive, the work of loading ordnance stores and all the heavy, bulky parts of the cargoes was begun and carried on simultaneously with the work of coaling and watering. During the time that General Wade was in command, from the 9th to the 20th, this part of the work practically ceased, and no progress was made in that direction until General Shafter assumed command the second time. After that the loading of the cargoes was resumed and continued without regard to hours or fatigue.

Regiments of regulars and volunteers were arriving continually from the different camps throughout the country, and, at first, were all encamped in the city of Tampa and near the Port of Tampa. As the command at Tampa increased, it was found that new camping grounds must be selected or the water-supply would prove insufficient. Quite a large number of regiments were put in camp in Ybor City, a continuation of Tampa, and three regiments at Lakeland thirty miles to the northeast. General Lawton was sent to Jacksonville to examine the grounds offered there for camping purposes, and on his favorable report nine volunteer regiments en route for Tampa were stopped there.

The fleet of transports, which consisted of only three or four vessels on May ist, was slowly growing at Port Tampa, and by the 26th of May numbered about thirty. A second small expedition, under Lieutenant-Colonel Dorst, left Tampa, on the transport Florida, on the 17th, for the same purpose as that of the Gussie expedition. General Lacret, a Cuban general, with three hundred Cuban soldiers, which he had recruited from among the Cuban refugees in Tampa and vicinity, was on board, to be landed at some port on the north coast with a large quantity of ammunition, arms, clothing, and food. Colonel Dorst, on his arrival at Key West, found the navy unable to convoy him at the time, and the expedition was delayed there for several days.

Finally General Lacret, his command and supplies, were safely landed to the eastward of Havana. When the Florida expedition was about to sail. General Shafter, in order to avoid on this occasion the publicity that had been given to the Gussie expedition at the time it sailed, caused orders to be issued to all the war correspondents then at Tampa not to publish anything in their papers concerning the expedition until it had accomplished its object. Each correspondent was notified that he would be held responsible if anything concerning the expedition appeared in the paper he represented, and a copy of his paper was filed daily for examination by the press censor. He was also notified to inform his paper that his credentials would be revoked in case the above instructions were violated. The correspondents realized the necessity for this order and heartily approved of it. Some of them, however, thinking that the expedition would soon be an accomplished fact, sent written accounts of it, and failed to notify their papers not to publish these accounts when the delay arose at Key West. The result was that the story of the expedition appeared in several papers having correspondents at Tampa — the New York Press, Jacksonville Tijucs- Union, 'SiUfi Chicago Tribune. The order was promptly put into effect against the offending papers, but after a satisfactory explanation to the War Department, their correspondents were again permitted to furnish them with news from the front.

General Shafter, on his arrival at Tampa, had established his head-quarters in the Tampa Bay Hotel, where it remained until his departure. The different staff officers also had their offices in rooms of the hotel. On the 24th General Shafter was asked to submit a plan for the formation of the Fifth and Seventh Army Corps from the troops then under his command. In submitting his plan he proposed that the Fifth Army Corps, of which he was to be the commander, should be exclusively of the regular troops, and the Seventh Army Corps, under command of General Lee, of the volunteers. 13

He stated, as his reasons for this, that his corps was to form the first expedition into Cuba, and should be composed of tried troops. This suggestion was adopted, and the Fifth and Seventh Army Corps were formed on these lines. The wisdom of this was soon demonstrated.

Chapter II The Embarkation Of The Santiago Expedition

'X'HE period from the loth to the 26th of May, ^ during which no orders were received, though a very busy one, was filled with anxiety. Due to the enterprise of the war correspondents the bulletin-board in the hotel rotunda was covered with despatches, giving the predicted movements of the Spanish navy, with comments and suggestions in reference to them. After reading these despatches daily for some weeks one was in a frame of mind to expect anything.

On the morning of the 26th a telegram was received which indicated that the period of suspense was broken, and that an expedition would soon leave Tampa. This telegram contained instructions to General Shafter to be prepared to load on transports twenty-five thousand men, including infantry, four batteries of light artillery, eight siege-guns, including siege-mortars, and one squadron of cavalry. The movement 15 of the expedition was to depend upon information concerning the Spanish fleet. If it was found inadvisable to send these forces, then it was expected that all the transports would be loaded at Tampa for another movement on Cuba similar to that ordered on April 29th. This telegram stated that definite instructions would be sent later.

This was the first intimation General Shafter had that the troops at Tampa would be sent against Spanish forces. Up to this time a conflict was to be avoided if possible ; now an expedition was to be sent to seek one. No intimation, however, was given, so far, that the expedition was to go to Santiago, and many felt that Porto Rico was to be the destination. As the subsequent orders were sent in cipher and known only to General Shafter and a few of his staff, even after the sailing of the expedition many still felt that it was bound for Porto Rico.

On May 29th orders were received to have thirteen volunteer regiments fully armed and equipped, and to place on the transports the most effective regiments of regulars and volunteers. Many of the volunteer regiments had come to Tampa not fully equipped ; one had no uniforms, 16 others were without serviceable arms, and nearly every regiment lacked something.

On the 30th all doubt was removed in the mind of General Shafter as to the ultimate destination of the expedition, by the receipt of a cipher telegram, directing him " Go with your force to capture garrison at Santiago and assist in capturing the harbor and fleet." The order is so important that I quote it in full, as well as the order received the following day.

Head-quarters of the Army,

Washington, D. C, May 30, 1898.

Major-General William R. Shafter, Tampa, Fla.

Referring to my telegram last night. Admiral Schley reports that two cruisers and two torpedoboats have been seen in the harbor of Santiago. Go with your force to capture garrisoti at Santiago and assist in capturing the harbor and fleet. Load your transports with effective force of infantry and artillery, both regulars and volunteers, taking siege-guns and howitzers and mortars and two or four field batteries. You can take any dismounted cavalry that you desire. Limit the animals to least number for artillery, as it is expected that you will go but a short distance inland. Your troops should have five hundred rounds of ammunition per man with possibly two months* supplies, and in addition you can load supplies to last six months if practicable. Take five thousand rifles, with ammuni- 17 tion for insurgents. You can organize your command under Generals Arnold, Burt, Hawkins, Kent, Henry, Lawton, and Chaffee. Have your command embark as rapidly as possible and telegraph when your expedition will be ready to sail. I leave for Tampa to-night.

(Signed) Miles, Major-General, Commanding the Army.

The second cipher telegram received gives further detailed instructions.

Washington, D. C, May 31, 1898. Major-General William R. Shafter, Tampa, Fla.

With the approval of the Secretary of War, you are directed to take your command on transports and proceed, under convoy of the navy, to the vicinity of Santiago de Cuba, land your forces at successive places east or west of that point, as your judgment may dictate, under the protection of the navy, and move up on to high ground and bluffs overlooking the harbor or into the interior, as shall best enable you to capture or destroy the garrison there, and cover the navy as it sends its men in small boats to remove torpedoes; or with the aid of the navy capture or destroy the Spanish fleet now reported to be in Santiago Harbor. You will use the utmost energy to accomplish this, and the Government relies on your good judgment as to the most judicious use of your command. It is desired to impress upon you the importance of accomplishing this with the least possible delay. You can call to 18 your assistance any of the insurgent forces in that vicinity, and make use of such of them as you think advisable to assist, especially as scouts and guides. You are cautioned against putting too much confidence in any persons outside of your own troops. You will take every precaution against ambuscade or surprise, or positions that have been mined or are commanded by the Spanish forces. You will coopcrate most earnestly with the naval force in every way, agreeing beforehand on a code of signals. Communicate your instructions to Admiral Sampson and Commodore Schley. On completion of this enterprise, unless you receive other orders or deem it advisable to remain in the harbor of Santiago, re-embark your troops and proceed to the harbor of Banes, reporting, by the most favorable means, for further orders in future important service. This with the understanding that your command has not sustained serious loss, and that the harbor is safe for your transports and convoys. When will you sail ?

By Order of Major-General Miles,

(Signed) H. C. Corbin,

A djutayit- General.

General Miles with his staff arrived in Tampa on June ist, and from that time until the expedition finally sailed he and General Shafter united in their efforts to hasten its departure.

Up to May 26th, while the work of preparation had been energetically pushed, it had been 19 done quietly, but now there was a change, and head-quarters and the different departments began to work under a strain. Working hours were no longer confined to the day, but were prolonged into the night, and for several days before sailing the embarkation was kept up continuously all night. The troops in camp at Lakeland were brought to Tampa and a camp of volunteer regiments was established close to the Port, so that they would be more convenient when the time came to embark. This camp of volunteers consisted of nine volunteer regiments of infantry, organized as a provisional division to accompany the expedition, when it was thought that the carrying capacity of the ships would be about 27,000. This was soon found to be an error and the Provisional Division, much to the regret of General Shafter, had to be left behind. The supplies from the storehouses in Tampa and trainloads of supplies that had not been unloaded all now began to move down that single track of railroad between Tampa and the Port, and out on the narrow tongue of land alongside of which the transports were moored. On one side of this narrow strip of land a channel had been dredged, in which vessels could lie while loading. There was no dock, however, alongside the channel, and everything had to be carried on these ships up an incline.

The transports had been fully supplied with coal and water by the 31st, and on that date the rations for the command began to be loaded. Colonel Weston, the Chief Commissary of the expedition, was directed to place on board rations for twenty thousand men for six months. This order was modified, on account of the necessity for haste, and he was instructed to cease loading when he had two months' rations on board. Subsequently, he was ordered to place one hundred thousand rations on each of several vessels designated by Colonel Humphrey. These vessels had no reserve rations on board, and this action was taken so that there should be ample food supplies on each vessel in case of separation. The Chief Commissary was also directed to have proper arrangements made on each transport for making coffee in quantity, and ground coffee was directed to be issued with the travel ration.

By the 31st, the coaling, watering, and policing of the transports, as well as fitting them with bunks and stalls, was completed, and on June ist the loading of wagons, guns, and caissons of the light artillery began. This work was carried on simultaneously with the loading of commissary

Stores and continued for a week, when the embarkation of troops began. The animals were left on shore as long as possible and embarked just before the troops. The loading of the transports with supplies was a very difficult operation, because the wharf facilities were so limited. The railroad track was about fifty feet from and parallel to the channel in which the vessels were placed, and the boxes and packages had to be carried from the cars across this sandy space on the backs of stevedores or trucked over improvised platforms. Eight vessels could lie for loading in the channel, and two at the pier built at the extremity of the narrow strip of land. On the latter vessels the supplies could be trucked direct from the cars.

The components of the ration came direct from the contractors in different cars of the same train or on different trains. Therefore, in order to place a given number of rations on a transport, it was necessary to go from car to car on a train, or even to some car on another train to complete the cargo. Often the components needed to complete the ration were on trains that could not be brought to the wharf at the time, and the transport then being loaded would have to be pulled into the stream and another brought into its place to receive what remained on the train being unloaded. If the train-loads of commissary supplies had reached Tampa in time to be placed in storehouses and sorted, this difficulty would have been avoided. Even at this time, perhaps, it would have been better to "make haste slowly" by placing the food supplies in storehouses, sorting them, reloading complete rations, and running train-loads made up in this way to the Port. Now, however, cars of meat would come to the Port direct from some place in the North, cars of hard bread or flour from another place, cars of other components from still another place, and these cars were scattered along the congested track from the Port to Tampa City, a distance of ten miles.

There were in round numbers about ten million pounds of rations placed on board, a great deal of it carried there on the backs of stevedores. These stevedores, days before the loading was completed, were so worn out that they could be seen lying about everywhere, asleep, just where they happened to be when their working hours came to a close. Of course, it was very important that each ration should have its full proportion of bread and meat, but how much more important was it that each siege-gun should have its breech 23 mechanism complete in every part and the proper fuse for the projectile. The siege-artillery and ammunition had come from different arsenals and at different times, and much delay arose in gathering all the parts and mounting the guns on the carriages. For several reasons it was believed necessary to mount the guns before placing them on board the transports, and the artillery troops worked night and day to hasten the work. To add to this congestion of the railroad, passenger trains were continually running between Tampa and the Port, carrying crowds of sightseers and tourists; and the regular freight, passenger, and express business of the Plant System between Tampa and Key West went on without interruption. Large quantities of naval supplies were also shipped from Tampa to the blockading squadron on the north coast of Cuba, and on one occasion in one of the transports. The whole trouble lay in the fact that the place in all particulars possessed most insufficient facilities for the embarkation of so large a command. Many have wondered why the Government did not seize the railroad or parallel it. To build a track from Tampa to the pier, under the most favorable circumstances, would have taken a month or perhaps two. If the present track had been seized, 24 with green employees, it is feared the Quartermaster's Department would simply have increased its difficulties.