the path of empire-第25章

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uch　a　controversy　over　naval　red　tape；　he　may　have　the　consolation　of　knowing　that　all　concerned；　admirals　and　captains；　did　the　right　and　sensible　thing　at　the　time。　If　there　be　an　exception；　it　was　the　curious　maneuver　of　Schley；　the　commander　of　the　Brooklyn；　who　turned　a　complete　circle　away　from　the　enemy　after　the　battle　had　begun。　This　action　of　his　was　certainly　not　due　to　a　desire　to　escape；　for　the　Brooklyn　quickly　turned　again　into　the　fight。　A　controversy；　too；　has　raged　over　this　maneuver。　Was　it　undertaken　because　the　Brooklyn　was　about　to　be　rammed　by　the　Vizcaya；　or　because　Schley　thought　that　his　position　blocked　the　fire　of　the　other　American　vessels？　It　is　not　unlikely　that　the　commander　of　the　Spanish　ship　hoped　to　ram　the　Brooklyn；　which　was；　because　of　her　speed；　a　most　redoubtable　foe。　But　unless　this　maneuver　saved　the　Brooklyn；　it　had　little　result　except　to　scare　the　Texas；　upon　whom　she　suddenly　bore　down　out　of　a　dense　cloud　of　smoke。

Steering　westward；　the　Spanish　ships　attempted　to　pass　the　battle　line；　but　the　American　vessels　kept　pace　with　them。　For　a　short　time　the　engagement　was　very　severe；　for　practically　all　vessels　of　both　fleets　took　part；　and　the　Spanish　harbor　batteries　added　their　fire。　At　10：15　A。M。　the　Maria　Teresa；　Admiral　Cervera's　flagship；　on　fire　and　badly　shattered　by　heavy　shells；　turned　toward　the　beach。　Five　minutes　later　the　Oquendo；　after　something　of　a　duel　with　the　Texas；　also　turned　inshore。　The　Brooklyn　was　in　the　lead　of　the　Americans；　closely　followed　by　the　Oregon；　which　developed　a　wonderful　burst　of　speed　in　excess　of　that　called　for　in　her　contract。　These　two　ships　kept　up　the　chase　of　the　Vizcaya　and　the　Cristobal　Colon；　while　the　slower　vessels　of　the　fleet　attended　to　the　two　Spanish　destroyers；　Furor　and　Pluton。　At　11：15　A。M。　the　Vizcaya；　riddled　by　fire　from　the　Brooklyn　and　Oregon；　gave　up　the　fight。

By　this　time；　Sampson　in　the　New　York　was　rapidly　approaching　the　fight；　and　now　ordered　the　majority　of　the　vessels　back　to　their　stations。　The　Colon；　fleeing　westward　and　far　ahead　of　the　American　ships；　was　pursued　by　the　Brooklyn；　the　Oregon；　the　Texas；　the　New　York；　and　the　armed　yacht　Vixen。　It　was　a　stern　chase；　although　the　American　vessels　had　some　advantage　by　cutting　across　a　slight　concave　indentation　of　the　coast；　while　the　Colon　steamed　close　inshore。　At　1：15　P。M。　a　shot　from　the　Oregon　struck　ahead　of　the　Colon；　and　it　was　evident　that　she　was　covered　by　the　American　guns。　At　1：30　P。M。　she　gave　over　her　flight　and　made　for　shore　some　forty…five　miles　west　of　Santiago。　The　victory　was　won。　It　has　often　been　the　good　fortune　of　Americans　to　secure　their　greatest　victories　on　patriotic　anniversaries　and　thereby　to　enhance　the　psychological　effect。　Admiral　Sampson　was　able　to　announce　to　the　American　people；　as　a　Fourth　of　July　present；　the　destruction　of　the　Spanish　fleet　with　the　loss　of　but　one　of　his　men　and　but　slight　damage　to　his　ships。

On　the　hills　above　Santiago　the　American　Army　had　now　only　the　land　forces　of　the　Spaniards　to　contend　with。　Shafter's　demand　for　unconditional　surrender　met　with　a　refusal；　and　there　ensued　a　week　of　military　quiet。　During　this　time　General　Shafter　conducted　a　correspondence　with　the　War　Department；　in　judging　which　it　is　charitable　to　remember　that　the　American　commander　weighed　three　hundred　pounds；　that　he　was　sweltering　under　a　hot　sun；　and　that　he　was　sixty…three　years　old；　and　sick。　Too　humane　to　bombard　Santiago　while　Hobson　and　his　men　were　still　in　Spanish　hands；　he　could　not　forgive　Sampson　for　not　having　forced　the　narrow　and　well…mined　channel　at　the　risk　of　his　fleet。　The　War　Department；　sharing　Shafter's　indignation；　prepared　to　attempt　the　entrance　with　one　of　its　own　transports　protected　by　baled　hay；　as　had　been　done　on　the　Mississippi　during　the　Civil　War。　Shafter　continued　to　be　alarmed　at　the　situation。　Without　reenforcements　he　could　not　attack；　and　he　proposed　to　allow　the　Spaniards　to　evacuate。　The　War　Department　forbade　this　alternative　and；　on　the　10th　of　July；　he　began　the　bombardment　of　Santiago。

The　Secretary　of　War　then　hit　upon　the　really　happy　though　quite　unmilitary　device　of　offering；　in　return　for　unconditional　surrender；　to　transport　the　Spanish　troops；　at　once　and　without　parole；　back　to　their　own　country。　Secretary　Alger　was　no　unskillful　politician；　and　he　was　right　in　believing　that　this　device；　though　unconventional；　would　make　a　strong　appeal　to　an　army　three　years　away　from　home　and　with　dwindling　hopes　of　ever　seeing　Spain　again。　On　the　15th　of　July　a　capitulation　was　agreed　upon；　and　the　terms　of　surrender　included　not　only　the　troops　in　Santiago　but　all　those　in　that　military　districtabout　twenty…four　thousand　men；　with　cannon；　rifles；　ammunition；　rations；　and　other　military　supplies。　Shafter's　recommendation　that　the　troops　be　allowed　to　carry　their　arms　back　to　Spain　with　them　was　properly　refused　by　the　War　Department。　Arrangements　were　made　for　Spanish　ships　paid　by　the　United　States　to　take　the　men　immediately　to　Spain。　This　extraordinary　operation　was　begun　on　the　8th　of　August；　while　the　war　was　still　in　progress；　and　was　accomplished　before　peace　was　established。

The　Santiago　campaign；　like　the　Mexican　War；　was　fought　chiefly　by　regulars。　The　Rough　Riders　and　the　Seventy…first　New　York　Regiment　were　the　only　volunteer　units　to　take　a　heavy　share。　Yet　the　absence　of　effective　staff　management　was　so　marked　that；　as　compared　with　the　professional　accuracy　shown　by　the　navy；　the　whole　campaign　on　land　appears　as　an　amateur　undertaking。　But　the　individual　character　of　both　volunteers　and　regulars　was　high。　The　American　victory　was　fundamentally　due　to　the　fighting　spirit　of　the　men　and　to　the　individual　initiative　of　the　line　and　field　officers。

In　the　meantime　the　health　of　the　American　Army　was　causing　grave　concern　to　its　more　observant　leaders。　Six　weeks　of　Cuban　climate　had　taken　out　of　the　army　all　that　exuberant　energy　which　it　had　brought　with　it　from　the　north。　The　army　had　accomplished　its　purpose　only　at　the　complete　sacrifice　of　its　fighting　strength。　Had　the　Spanish　commander　possessed　more　nerve　and　held　out　a　little　longer；　he　might　well　have　seen　his　victorious　enemies　wither　before　his　eyes；　as　the　British　had　before　Cartagena　in　1741。　On　the　3d　of　August　a　large　number　of　the　officers　of　the　Santiago　army；　including　Generals　Wheeler；　Sumner；　and　Lawton；　and　Colonel　Roosevelt；　addressed　a　round　robin　to　General　Shafter　on　the　alarming　condition　of　the　army。　Its　substance　is　indicated　in　the　following　sentences：　〃This　army　must　be　moved　at　once　or　it　will　perish。　As　an　army　it　can　be　safely　moved　now。　Persons　responsible　for　preventing　such　a　move　will　be　responsible　for　the　unnecessary　loss　of　many　thousands　of　lives。〃　Already　on　the　1st　of　August；　General　Shafter　had　reported　4255　sick；　of　whom　3164　were　cases　of　yellow　fever；　that　deadly　curse　of　Cuba；　which　the　lack　of　proper　quarantine　had　so　often　allowed　to　invade　the　shores　of　the　United　States。　On　the　3d　of　August；　even　before　General　Shafter　had　received　the　round　robin；　the　Secretary　of　War　authorized　the　withdrawal　of　at　least　a　portion　of　the　army；　which　was　to　be　replaced　by　supposedly　immune　regiments。　By　the　middle　of　August；　the　soldiers　began　to　arrive　at　Camp　Wikoff　at　Montauk　Point；　on　the　eastern　end　of　Long　Island。　Through　this　camp；　which　had　been　hastily　put　into　condition　to　receive　them；　there　passed　about　thirty…five　thousand　soldiers；　of　whom　twenty　thousand　were　sick。　When　the　public　saw　those　who　a　few　weeks　before　had　been　healthy　and　rollicking　American　boys；　now　mere　skeletons；　borne　helpless　in　stretchers　and　looking　old　and　shriveled；　a　wave　of　righteous　indignation　against　Secretary　Alger　swept　over　the　country；　and　eventually　accomplished　enough　to　prevent　such　catastrophes　in　the　future。

The　distressing　experience　of　the　army　was　too　real　not　to　have　its　constructive　effect。　Men　like　William　Crawford　Gorgas　were　inspired　to　study　the　sanitation　and　the　diseases　of　the　tropics　and　have　now　made　it　possible　for　white　men　to　live　there　safely。　Men　of　affairs　like　Elihu　Root　were　stimulated　to　give　their　talents　to　army　administration。　Fortunately　t