be useful except in the defense of fortified positions; that they
never could be brought up on the battlefield, nor used if they were
brought up. This view was that of a prominent young officer of that
department who wrote a report on the subject, and it seemed to express
the views of the department.

This view must have been that of our War Department, for it did not
even acknowledge the receipt of drawings and specifications for a
machine gun carriage, offered freely to the Government as a gift by
the inventor six months before the war, together with the first
correct tactical outline of the proper use of machine guns ever filed
in any War Office in the world. This invention was designed to
facilitate the use of the machine gun by making its advance with the
skirmish line possible on the offensive, and was recommended by the
whole staff of the Infantry and Cavalry School as a meritorious
device, worthy of trial. The discussion filed with the invention
pointed out, for the first time, the correct tactical employment of
the weapon, and staked the military reputation and ability of the
author and inventor on the correctness of his views.

From these facts it may be gathered that there was required a certain
degree of originality and energy to get together and organize a
machine gun battery for the Santiago campaign.

The project was conceived and executed. The service rendered by this
battery has forever set at rest the question of the proper tactical
use of the machine gun arm, both on the offensive and defensive. These
things are now beyond the realm of theory. They are a demonstrated
problem. The solution is universally acknowledged to be correct.