Men Won The Fight

Gen. Shafter Gets Small Credit for Santiago from General J.C. Breckenridge

CAMPAIGN WAS HAPPY GO LUCKY, seems to be the opinion of the witness who is anything except complimentary to the commander before Santiago - much praise for Miles - Characteristic story of Beresford told to illustrate the situation before the surrender of Toral.

Washington, Nov. 16. - The feature of General Breckinridge's testimony before the war investigators yesterday was its tone in regard to General Shafter, which was anything but complimentary. On the other hand it was highly eulogistic of General Miles. He said that the preparations for embarking Shafter's torce at Tampa was quite inadequate; that there were no lighters to speak of nor any preparations to land in the face of the enemy except the warships at Santiago. At the front the only point was to get men forward; equipment was not considered. The fight there was won when General Toral's nerve gave out. He did not consider General Shafter was above criticism in the conduct of the campaign.

"Limitations of Gen. Shafter."
Proceeding General Breckinridge said that all engaged in the war had acted with zeal, and every man had done the best of which he was capable, and he had never known a war in which there was not criticism at the close of it. "What was to be expected from the ïimitations of General Shafter?...I am sure that if he [Miles] had had charge he would have been in the front rank." He could not believe the result was a miracle, but he ascribed the outcome to the fact that the army was one which was capable of meeting all calis. "No matter how it was tangled up," he said. "it went to victory." He had at the time quoted Lord Beresford when he said to his army upon a certain occasion: "I have led you into a devil of a fix. and it is now your duty to fight like heil to get me out of it."

"Leaves Room for "Speculation."
The most interesting perhaps of Breckinridge's testimony was when he declined to testify. He was asked if he had visited General Shafter in his tent when the latter was ill at Santiago, and General Breckinridge replied that he had done so. "Did he then offer the command of the army to you as has been reported in the press?"

General Breckinridge replied: "I very much prefer not to answer that question. You should ask General Shafter. ...If General Shafter has not repeated the conversation I ought not te do so."

"As a matter of fact, he did not turn the command over to you?" suggested Governor Beaver, to which General Breckinridge responded: "No, he did not, and I do not think there is any impropriety in my saying that he could not have done so."

Those Sinks at. Camp Tilomas.
Dr. Conner questioned General Breckinridge about the condition of the sinks at Camp Thomas when the troops left there, saying that it had been represented to the commission that some 3,000 of them had been found to be uncovered. The general replied that necessarily some of the sinks had been left uncovered; that it was difficult to clean up after a large army evacuating a camp. He said, however, that he had foreseen this and had asked $1,500 from Washington for the purpose of putting the sinks in proper condition. This money had not arrived before his departure, but he supposed it had been received later and had been used by his successor for the purpose for which it was intended.