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WILMESGTON, N. C, TUESDAY JULY 5, 1898.
S1.00 PER YEAR.
OL. XXXI. NO. 53.
1
1
FIERCE BATTLING.
The Vigorous Attack of Our Soldiers on the
Spanish Lines.
THEIR EARTHWORKS CAPTURED!
' ,
The righting Desperate Infantry, Artillery and Warships Engaged
The American Soldiers Advance -with Spanish Shot and Shell
Flying Around Them Until They Drive the Enemy Out of
Their breastworks Spaniards Retreat Upon the
City Their Last Trenches Attacked Yester
day Wonderful Marksmanship.
(Copyright by Associated Fress.)
Siboney, July 1, 3:30 p. m., via Playa
del Este, Guantanamo Bay. At 1
o'clock this afternoon, after five hours'
terrific fighting, the Spanish began to
leave their entrenchments and retreat
into the city. Many Americans were
v.-ounded and are being brought in.
One man had
both arms shot off and
in the hip, but was
was wounded
laughing.
Washington,
July 1. In a high dip
loma ic quarter is was stated tonight
that word had been received, indirect
ly, but in such manner as to receive
credit in that quarter, that the Amer-
kan forces had taken Santiago. There
j s of course no means of verifying this
.statement, but it is given in view of
the fact that the diplomatic sources,
who credit the report, usually are in
n position to have accurate informa
tion. The fact that their information
is indirect must be further taken into
account.
Later information in the same quar
ter was not as favorable and left the
outcome of the engagement open to
doubt. The first dispatch came from
Havana and in effect stated that the
American troops were advancing rap
idly to the city, driving the Spanish
before them. The later information
raised a question as to what had been
j-ent earlier, and it was said that the
reported occupation of Santiago was
jtt most a rumor based on the earlier
advices of the rapid advance of the
Americans on the city. The same
-advices were to the effect that all of
the American army had not been
brought to bear in the action.
TIIK AMERICAN LOSS HEAVY.
Playa del Este, Guantanamo Bay,
July 1, Evening. The fighting con
tinued until dark. Our forces carried
the enemy's outer works and have oc
cupied them this evening. The battle
will probably be resumed at day
break. The American loss is heavy.
Some estimates place it at 500 killed
..and wounded.
(Copyright by Associated Press.)
I'laya del Este, Frovince of Santiago
le Cuba., July 1, 11:20 a. m. A gen
eral assault on the city of Santiago
de Cuba by the land and sea forces of
the United States began at 7 o'clock
this morning.
General Lawton advanced and took
possession of Cabona, a suburb of
Santiago.
Mono castle and the other forts at
the entrance of the harbor were bom
barded by our fleet. The Vesuvius
used her dynamite guns with good ef
fect. The Spanish fleet in the harbor
fired on the American troops who
were very close to the city.
Hard fighting
all along the Ameri-
can line was in
progress at ll o clock.
Cubans have been
Nine wounded
brought in.
MANZANILLO BG3IRARDED.
Madrid, July 1. The Jrryparcial, of
this city, today publishes a dispatch
from Santiago de Cuba., raying- .that
four American warships at 4 o'clock
this morning opened fire upon Man
zanillo, province of Santiago de Cu
ba. The dispatch adds that the firing,
which lasted .in hour, was answered
by the Spanish gunboats in the har
bor and,- t is further said. "thc,Amef
icans retired with one vessel seriouely
injured, she was towed aw.y vwiih
.her fires -extinguished.
Continuing, the dispatch to The
Impareial asserts that only . me Span-;
i.h peasani was wounded .tijuring the,
-bombardmtvit.
From the. same source it k; asserted
that the Americans used captive
. balloon yes-.rday in taking observa-
"tions of the fortifications d Santiago
de Cuba.
In conclusion, the Santiago -dispatch
-fays a foragitr party of Americans
tfell into an amuoish yesterday .and that
ue of them v killed and the others
'v'uped.
I SPANISH AVOI1KS CAPTURED.
Washington, Jiiy 1. The war de
partment has -.received the following
from General Shatter, dated at Jt&uon
ey: "vNV had a very Jeavy engagement
today, which lasted rr'rom 8 o'clock a.
m. until sundown. We have carried
their ovitworks and at,v now inposes.
sion of them. There s now about
three-quarters of a mil of open be
tween tny lines and tbe city. By
morning vroops will be entrenched and
considerable augmentation of forces
will be thTC. Genera! Lawton's divis
ion and General Bates' brigade have
r-sen engager' J all day in carrying El
mey, which was accomplished at 4
oW'ock p. m. Will be in line and in
froX't of Santiago during the night. I
regi't to say that our casualties will
be atx ve 400. X these not many were
killed.
DANGERS OF THE SITUATION.
(Copyn?ht by Associated Press.)
Off Santiffo de Cuba, June 30, 2 p.
m., by the .Associated Press Dispatch
Boat Wanda, Piled at Port Antonio.
Ja., July 1, 8 a. n. A two days visit
to the Cuban lines and outpost by
a correspondent of th Appelated
Press has developed a situation which
if not broken by a vigorous and suc
cessful! attack on Santiago, may re
sult in causing much more serious
work than has been anticipated with
the Spanish forces that have retired
from the vicinity of Azerraderes, on
the west and Baiquiri on the east, to
join General Linares.
The forces in Santiago and within
the fortified defences of the city now
llimber 11,0007,000 regulars and 4,000
volunteers. Concerning the latter, the
Cubans allege that they will not fight
: with any heart, but will lay down
their arms. According to Spanish sol
' diers captured yesterday and held in
the . camp of General Perez, near
i Guantanamo, half of the force of men
I on the Spanish warships had been
! landed with all the rapid fire guns.
! This would make a total force in the
city of 12,500 men in addition to tne
protection from the earthworks and
forts and the assistance of the ships
in the harbor.
To meet this force or at least to
invade its stronghold, the American
commanders now have 17,500 men and
4,000 Cubans the latter to prevent, if
possible, flank movements at the ex
pense of the Americans. Now here is
the dangerous and most significant
feature of the situation. Marching
from Manzanillo, 120 miles west of
Santiago, and having been on the road
for six days, quite well advanced now
in his progress is General Pando with
seven batallions, aggregating 8,400
men. To oppose him is General Jesus
Babi with a force of 2,200 Cubans, ly
ing wait seventeen miles from Santi
ago and on two roads.
Of course it would be perfectly pos
sible for General Pando to take his
column far to the north' and make a
juncture with the Spanish troops sup
posed to be on the way from Holguin
and numbering, it is said, 9,000 men.
This advance from the north is being
held in check by about 1,500 Cubans,
under General Castillo, who claims to
hold the passes.
General Castillo admitted in camp
yesterday, as he smoked his cigar and
sipped his coffee, that his method was
to do Indian fighting in the mountain
passes. When he was asked wrhat his
forces would do if flanked, he gravely
said he had not thought of that, but
he supposed he would have to retire.
The object of the Spanish advancing
to Manzanillo may be to elude Rabi
and effecting a junction with the
Spanish from the north to form an
army of 17,400 men. As a flank on the
west end of the American army, facing
the city, General Rabi's forces combin
ed with those of General Castillo
would only give a combating force of
3,700 Cubans, and the Cubans do not
hesitate to run before overwhelming
numbers.
Nor is that all the menaces. Leaving
Guantanamo camp of marines and
plunging into the wood to the west,
the Associated Press correspondent
found a force of 800 Cubans under
command of Colonel Perez. This force
had variously been estimated at from
1,800 to 2,500 Cubans, but there were
certainly not more than 800, as Colonel
Perez admitted in the course of con
versation, although he had distinctly
claimed to have about 2,000 men. This
force of 800 is supposed to be keeping
at bay 3,400 Spanish troops who are
in the town of Guantanamo. The ma
rines are near this camp, but to the
east of it, so that they could do noth
ing to prevent the Spaniards from
moving to the west on the flank of the
American army. In other words, there
are to the northeast and west of the
army of invasion flanking forces of
Spaniards, comprising over 20,000
troops, held at bay by less than 5,000
Cubans whose fighting qualities are as
yet rather enigmatical.
In an interview with General Garcia
the correspondent called attention to
this situation. General Garcia replied:
"I believe that we should be left to
the west and nortTi to nrpvpnt "Pnnrin
can do that."
If. spite of this warning General Gar
cia and his force were taken to the
east and landed with the army, only
to bt transported In part back again
to prevent the very movement which
GarcVa had predicted. The solution of
the doficulty evidently lies in a bril
liant and quick attack.
The unreliability of the Cuban state
ments j to force may be better un
derstood when it is known that 1,200
men Peivz promised to send to help
the marines numbered exacts 82. of
whom matty were on the sick list from
over-eating.
(Copyright by Associated Press.)
Off Santisfco de Cuba, July 1, via
Kingston, .Ta July 2, 8 a. m. Before
5 o'clock this morning the crew of
the flagship wre astir, eating a hur
ried breakfast and at 5:50 o'clock
"general quarters" was sounded and
the flagship headed in toward Agua
dores, about three tniles east of Morro
castle. T'e other ships retained their
blockading stations. Along the surf
beaten shore the smoke of an ap
proaching trin from Altares was
seen. It was composed of open cars
full of General 2)uffield's troops. At
the cut, a mile east of Aguadores, the
train stopped and t.e Cubari scouts
proceeded along the railroad track.
The troops got out of the cars and
soon formed in a long, thin line stand
ing ptit vividly against the yellow
rocks that rose perpendicularly above,
shutting them off from the main body
of the army, which is on the east side
of the hill, several miles north.
SIGNALS BETWEEN FLEET AND
ARMY.
From the quarter of the flagship
there was a signal by a vigorously
wig-wagged letter, and a few minutes
later, from a clump of green at the 1
water's edge came an answer from , damage naa oeen done to the s-pan-the
army. This was the first co-opera- ish rifle pits by the shells from the
tion for offensive purposes between ships, and Admiral Sampson told him
the army and the navy. With the flag they had been hit several times, but
in his hand the soldier ashore looked there was no one in the pits. How
lik a butterfly. evr the Suwanee was ordered to fire
"a vw, u-dtinir frT- nc in beirin?" a few more shots in their direction.
was the signal made by Rear Ad
oa Kn cirrnol m o I a Vxr Tf AflT Ad-
miral Sampson to the army.
"General Duffield is ahead with the
scouts," came the answer from the
shore to the flagship.
By this time it was 7 o'clock and
the admiral ran the flagship's bow
within three-quarters of a mile of the
beach. She remained most as near
during the forenoon and the daring
way she was handled by Captain
Chadwick within sound of the break
ers made the Cuban pilot on board
stare with astonishment.
The Suwanee was in company with
the flagship, still closer in shore, end
the Gloucester was to the westward,
near Morro castle. From the south
ward the Newark came up and took
a position to the westward. Her decks
were black with 1,600 or more troops.
She went along side of the flagship
and was told to disembark the troops
at Altares.
Then Admiral Sampson signaled to
General Duffield: "When do you want
us to commence firing?"
In a little while a white flag on
shore sent back the answer: "When
the rest of the command arrives. Then
I will signal you."
It was a long and tedious wait for
the ships before the second fifty car
loads of troops came puffing along
from Altares.
By 9:30 o'clock the last of the sol
diers had left the open railroad
tracks, disappearing in the thick
brush that covered the eastern side
of Aguadores inlet. The water in the
sponge tubs under the breeches of : among the rocks,
the big guns was growing hot in the . At 2:40 o'clock p. m. Admiral Samp
burning sun. Ashore there was no j scn hoisted the signal to cease firing
sign of the enemy. They were be- i an dthe flagship returned to the block
lieved to be on the western bluff. ading station.
Between the bluffs runs a rocky i .On the railroad a train load of troops
gully leading into Santiago city. On j had already left for Altares.
the extremity of the western arm was
an old castellated fort from which
the Spanish flag was flying and on the
parapet on the eastern hill command
ing the gully, two stretches of red
earth could easily be seen against the
brush. These were the rifle pits.
THE FLEET BEGINS FIRING.
At 10:15 o'clock a signal flag ashore
wig-wagged to Admiral Sampson to
commence firing, and a minute later
the New York's guns blazed away at
the rifle pits and at the old fort.
The Suwanee and the Gloucester
joined in the echoes which tumbled
around and filled the gully. All the
stored up thunder of the clouds seem
ed to have broken loose, and smoke
soon rose over the hills and the gttilyt
was shut out from view. Then the'
firing became more deliberate.
THE INFANTRY AT WORK.
Of our troops ashore in the brush
nothing could be seen, but the "ping,"
"ping" of the small arms of the army
floated out to sea during the occa
sional lull in the firing of the big
guns which peppered the rifle pits
until clouds of red eath rose above
them.
LEVELING SPANISH FORTS.
An 8-inch shell from the Newark
dropped in the massive old fort and
clouds of white dust and huge stones
filled the air. When the small shells
hit its battlements, almost hidden by
green creepers, fragments of masonry
came tumbling down. A shot from
the Suwanee hit the eastern parapet
and it crumbled away like a mummy
exposed to the air after long years.
Amid the smoke and debris the flag
staff was seen to fall forward. "The
flag has been shot down," shouted the
ship's crew, but when the smoke
cleared away the emblem of Spain
was seen to be still flying and blaz
ing brilliantly in the sun, though the
flagstaff was bending toward the
earth. Apparently the flagstaff had
been caught firmly in the wreckage
of the fort.
FINE SHOTS BY THE SUWANEE.
A few more shots leveled the bat
tlements until the old castle was a
pitiful sight. When the firing ceased,
Lieutenant Delhanty, of the Suwanee,
was anxious to finish his work, so he
signalled to the New York asking
permission to knock down the Span
ish flag.
'Yes," replied Admiral Sampson, "if
you can do it in three shots." The
Suwanee then lay about 1,600 yards
from the old fort. She took her time.
Lieutenant Blue carefully aimed the
4-inch gun and the crews of all the
ships watched the incident amid in
tense excitement. When the smoke
of the Suwanee's first shot cleared
away, only two red streamers of the
flag were left. The shells had gone
through the centre of the bunting. A
delighted yell broke from the crew of
the Suwanee. Two or three minutes
later the Suwanee fired again. A huge
cloud of debris rose from the base of
the flagstaff. For a few seconds it
was impossible to tell what had been
the effect of the shot. Then it was
seen the shell had only added to the
ruin of the fort.
The flagstaff seemed to have a
charmed existence and the Suwanee
had only one chance left. It seemed i , ua"sn 7,ne? ineFe was
hardly possible for her to achieve her eneril1 m??n??1nt a11 alng ,tne line
object with the big gun at such a ?frder f bat"e the ,rste..and
distance ai3 such a tiny target. J1 cavalry, the Third, the Sixth
i and Twenty-first infantry, one squad-
There was Breathless silence among ron of the Ninth cavalry under Gen
the watching erews. They crowded on eral Lawton. with the rough-riders
the ships' decks and all eyes were on ; massed on the left. The plateau was
mii Kiiitrtru rag., illume iowru lue
earth from the top of what once had
been a grand old castle. But it was
only bending, not y?t down. Lieuten
ant Commander Delhanty and Lieu
tenant Blue took their time. The Su
wanee changed her position slightly.
Then a puff of smoke shot out from
her side, and up went a spv"uting cloud
of debris from the parapet and down
fell the banner of Spain.
Such yells from the flagship "win
probably never be heard again. There
was more excitement than It witness
ed at tbe finish of a college boat rac-
or a popular race between first-class
thorough-breds cn some big track.
Th? Suwanee's last shot had struck
right at the base of the flagstaff and
had blown it clear of the wreckage
which had held it.
"Well done." signaled Admiral
Sampson to Lieutnant Commander
Delhanty.
At 11:30 o'clock General Duffield slg-
naled that his scouts reported that no
SENDING SHELLS INTO SANTI
AGO. At 12:1$ o'clock p. m. the New York,
having discontinued firing at Agui-
dores, commenced firing S-inch shells I
clear over tne guny inio me cuy oi
Santiago de Cuba. Every five minutes
the shells went roaring over the hill
side. What destruction they wrought
it was impossible to tell, as the bluffs
hid everything.
In reply to General Duffield's ques
tion: "What is the news?" Admiral
Sampson replied: "There is not a
Spaniard left in the rifle pits." Later
General Duffield signaled that his
scouts thought reinforcements were
marching to the battered old fort and
Admiral Sampson wig-wagged him:
"There is no Spaniard left there. If
any- come, the Gloucester will take
care of them."
A little later the Oregon joined the
New York in sending S-inch shells into
the city of Santiago. This was kept
up until 1:40 o'clock p. m. By that
time General Duffield had sent a mes
sage saying his troops could not cross
the stream and would return to Al
tares. On the report that some Spanish
troops were still in the gully the New
York and the Gloucester shelled it
once more and the Newark, which had
not fired, signaled: "Can I fire for
target practice? Have had no previ
ous opportunity." Permission for her
to do so was signaled and she blazed
away, shooting well, her 6-inch shells
exploding with remarkable force
OUR LOSSES ARE HEAVY.
(Copyright by Associated Press.)
Sibony, Province of Santiago de
Cuba, July 1, 8 p. m., via Playa del
Este (delayed in transmission.) At
this hour the fighting still continues.
The entire reserves of the American
army have been ordered to the front
at once, apparently with the intention
of forcing our way into Santiago de
Cuba. The troops have advanced near
ly to the city, but the fortifications
are very strong. Our losses are heavy,
An officer from the field estimates our
killed and wounded, at 1,000 men.
Shells, supposedly from the Spanish
fleet, did heavy execution among our
troops,During a lull in the-6htinR
an impressive coincident occurred
The Twenty-first infantry was out in
front and suffering loss from the
Spanish fire, but the men sang "The
Star Spangled Banner," even the
wounded joining in the singing.
A GLORIOUS VICTORY DEARLY
PURCHASED.
New York, July 2. A copyright dis
patch to The Evening World dated
"In the field two miles from Santia
go, July 1st," and cabled from Playa
del Este, says:
San Juan Heights have fallen, and
the way is now opened for an advance
on Morro castle. It was a glorious
victory, but very dearly purchased.
The place was the strongest Span
ish outpost, well fortified and vali
antly defended. The position was an
excellent one. San Juan hill is steep,
and an artillery battery was located
on it. It was also occupied by bar
racks and other buildings. But the
American troops stormed the heights
and Spanish valor had to yield to the
bull dog tenacity and courage of the
Anglo-Saxon.
As I write our troops are swarm
ing up the hill and covering it like
ants. The Spaniards are demoralized.
The fighting has been of the hardest
kind and our troops have suffered
severely, but the enemy's works are
in their hands, and they do not count
their cost. El Caney is also ours. The
general advance, which began at 3
o'clock p. m., has been successful all
along the line.
After driving the enemy out of El
Caney, the troops took possession of
the village and destroyed the Span
ish fort by which it had been defend
ed. The Spaniards fled into the city
of Santiago, where they .are now. The
losses on both sides were heavy. A
bursting Spanish shell almost annihi
lated an entire company of our troops.
BARBED WIRE FENCES.
(Copyright by Associated Press.)
Siboney, Province of Santiago de
Cuba, July l, 2 p. m., via Playa del
Este (delayed in transmission.) At
this hour, 9 p. m., the fighting has
practically stopped. It will be resumed
in the morning. Our troops have gain
ed several breastworks. They en
countered a barbed wire fence eight
feet high.
ATTACK BY LAND AND SEA.
(Copyright by Associated Press.)
Juragua, Friday, July 1, Noon, via
Guantanamo, delayed in transmission.
The forward movement of the
American troops on Santiago was
j neia py rour pieces of artillery and
siege guns. A movement toward San.
tiago from the northeast was made
with the intention of clearing the val
ley for a general engagement later.
The telegraph line is following up the
advance In fine style.
While the troops were making their
advance the Newport, Suwanee and
the Gloucester ran close Into Augul
dores and knocked the Spanish fort
to pieces. The fort, a large itone
structure, and ihe surrounding wails
withstood the bombardment for over
an hour, bat a .shell finally tore
through the southeast corner and the
tower, bearing the Spanish flag, fell
with a crash. Several shells were
thrown into the rifle pita to the right,
of the fort, but the Spanish apparent
ly fled at the first fire. No shot was
fired from the shore.
THE BATTLE OF SANTIAGO.
(Copyright by Associated Press.)
On Board the Associated Press Dis
patch Boat Dandy, Off Juragua, Fri
day, July 1, 4 p. m., via Porto Rico,
Ja., Saturday July 2, 5 a. m., and
Kingston, Ja.. 7:11 a. m. The battle
of Santiago has raged all day and at
4 o'clock this afternoon ltCX Amer
ican troops-are thundering at the out
er fortifications of the doomed city.
Since daybreak General Shatter?
army has fought Its way across two
and a half miles of bitterly contest
ed and strongly foritfied county and
the entire line from left to right is
within gunshot of Santiago town.
The American loss thus far is es
timated at hospital corps headquar
ters at twenty killed and fifty wound
ed, but it will be hours before the
death roll can be accurately given,
lieutenant Coloned Patterson, of the
Twenty-second infantry, is the only
officer known to have been wounded,
and he is not fatally hurt.
The Spanish killed and wounded are
undoubtedly numbered by hundreds.
SPANISH STRONGHOLDS CAP
TURED.
The Spanish strongholds of Caney
and El Paso have fallen and the fort
at Aguidores, just east of Morro cas
tle, on the coast, has been blow'n to
ruins by the guns of the fleet. With
the exception of about 1,000 troops
who are guarding Daiquiri and Jur
agua, the entire army is engaged, to
gether with 4,000 of General Garcia's
Cuban troops. The men fought glori
ously and if the same measure of
success which attended today's en
gagement follows the fighting of the
next twenty-four hours the American
flag will fly from Santiago's wall on
Sunday. Officers and men are fully
convinced that the city will be the'rs
tomorrow night.
"A HOT TIME IN SANTTAGO TO
MORROW." The battle began just at daylight at
a point about eight miles from Jura
gua, and four miles northeast of the
outer fortifications of Santiago. The
general order for an advance was is
sued by General Shatter at dark last
night and by daylight every man in
the army knew that a desperate strug
gle would com with the dawn. The
news put the troops in a fever of ex
citement and the night was spent in
cheering and singing, the popular
strain being "There'll be a hot time in
Santiago tomorrow."
THE BATTLE BEGUN.
At 4 o'clock this morning hundreds
of bugles rang out the reville and b
fore the sun had risen the great line
was complete. To the extreme left
was General Duffield, with the Thirty-third
Michigan, his command hav
ing reached the Aguidores bridge by
train. Next, to the northeast was
General Kent's division, a mile and a
half from the sea and held as a re
serve force. The centre of the line
was held by a cavalry division which,
until General Wheeler arrived at
noon, was commanded by General
Sumner. Owing to General Young's
illness, Colonel Wood, of the rough
riders, commanded his brigade, which
consisted of the First regulars, the
First Volunteers and the Tenth regu
lars and one battalion of the Ninth
regular cavalry , all dismounted, with
the exception of two troops on the ex
treme right under Generals Lawton
and Chaffee, fully five miles from the
sea. It had been arranged that Gen
eral Duffield should make a feint of
attacking Aguidores in order to draw
attention from the main movement,
and at 5 o'clock General Lawton's
troops moved forward, led by a bat
tery of the First artillery under com
mand of Captain Allyn Capron. Every
man in the army carried three days
rations and ammunition to match and
every one knew that he was not ex
pected to return to camp until Santia
go had fallen.
THE FIRST SHOT.
The first shot was fired from the
battery at 6:40 o'clock by Captain
Capron, whose son, Captain Allyn K.
Capron, of the rough-riders, was kill
ed in the battle at Sevilla. The shot
was directed at Caney, where the
Spaniards were in force and It fell in
the heart of the town. The firing con
tinued for twenty minutes without
response. Meantime the cavalry divi
sion had moved forward on the main
Santiago trail, headed by a light bat
tery of the second artillery under Cap
tain Grimes. The movement of this
battery was a heart breaking task,
owing to the mud in the valley and a
yteep hill. Under the musketry fire
of the cavalrymen the Spaniards in
the little town of El Paso retreated
and Captain Grimes' battery took up
a position there and began a rapid
firing into Caney. The guns of the
two batteries made the place so hot
that the enemy finally retired, hav
ing no artillery.
The town was surrounded by rough
earthworks and lines of barbed wire.
After the enemy had been driven from
El Paso, twenty-one shots were fired
by Captain Grimes and Captain Cap
ron from that position into the outer
fortifications of Santiago before a re
sponse came. When it did com, how
ever, it came with unexpected accu
racy, the shots being from three and
fiv inch rapid-fire rifles, evidently
ta- en from Admiral Cervora s war
ships and mounted behind the forti
fications. The Spanish gunners raped
the hill on .vhich El Paso stands and
which meantime had been made the
headquarters of General Sumner and
the Cuban generals, Gar.ia. Castillo,
Capote and Rabl. Une aheit struck a
large storehouse, on the rel corrugat
ed roof of which stood ten Cubans
viewing the fight. The roof fell and
all the Cubans were wounded and
three of them will die.
A detachment of 200 Cubans went
forward from El Paso and tbn Colo
nel Wood, v'th the rough riders, the
First and the Tenth cavalry, started
down the hillside straight for the en
emy's 'orlif.eatkrs.
Capia'n Grimes' battery poured a
steady "re into the Spaniards to i vo
ted Colonel Wood's advance. The
demounted cavalry paused on their
Gill
Absolutely Pure
rM. ia cta o., vc.'
way through the tangled grass atul
underbrush and half wav down the
hillside ("elected a good spot to halt,
and from there ojened and maintained
for twenty minutes a hot fire. Th
opposing batteries barged, away. Cap
tain Griiius sending a storm of lead
down into the outer 'orthb at ion and
the Spaniards pounding away at tho
hill-top with vicious porsIM noo.
:ost of the Spanish w v nt
over the hilltops and tA in a v.iine
beyond. Here several detachment of
Cuban troops were stationed as re
serves and before they ould b" mov
ed, seven insurgent: V'T ft rioufly
wounded and several slightly hurt.
At the same time two Americans
were killed and nine wounded. Th
Spaniards used smokeless powder and
shot with much more accuracy thnn
during the previous engagement. The
wonder is that many imr llvo wrrc
not lost, as the opposition batteries
were less than two miles apatt.
Colonel Wood's command behaved
with great bravery, firing steady and
deadly volleys, with the rnemy't
shells screeching and bursting over
their heads. Tv.eiity minutes of fear
fully hot work silenced the Spanish
batteries. Ten shots were pent into
them after they teased firing, but
there was no response and It is pre
sumed that the guns were dismount
ed or the gunners driven off.
CONTESTING EVERY INCH OF
GROUND.
Away to the left General Lawton's
division, with Chaffee's men and Cap
ron's battery, was meantime lighting
fiercely with the enemy entrenched In
and about Caney. The Spaniard con
tested every inch of ground bitterly
and fought with unexpected coolness
and courage, but the irresistahle on
ward movement of the Arm-ricaim
slowly forced them back upon and be
yond Caney. About 11 o'clock the ter
rible fire from Captain Capron's guns
and the muskets of the mn broke
the Spanish line and a retreat began
toward the line of outer fortifications.
The enemy took the trail known an
the main Santiago road and Captain
Grimes' battery immediately began
pitching shells in ahead of the re
treating men, while a detachment of
2.000 Cubans, headed by Garcia, start
ed to cut off the retreat.
No report has yet been received
from them. A large detachment of
General Kent's reserves was sent to
aid General Garcia in this work, and
it is probable that fierce fighting oc
curred. JOE WHEELER TO THE FRONT.
All this time General Sumner had
command of the centre, owing to Gen
eral Wheeler's illness, but about 11:30
o'clock Wheeler started on the two
miles journey to the front In an ambu
lance. About half way to the front'
he met a number of litters bearing;
wounded. The veteran, undr protent
by the surgeons, Immediately ordered
his horse, and after personally assist
ing the wounded Into the ambulance,
mounted and rode onward. The men
burst into frantic cheers, which fol
lowed the general all along the line.
By noon, .although still very ill. Gen
eral Wheeler had established head
quarters at the extreme front ami
centre of the line and still holds his
position. The hardest fighting of th
day seems to have been on the right
flank and heavy casualties are rcjort
ed from there. The advance there wan
more rapid than at other iKilnts on
the line, and General Chaffee's brigade
was the first to cross the little Fan
Juan river close to the line of outer
fortifications.
At 2 o'clock Caney had not b-en en
tered by the American troop, but
they had pushed on past It and it was
theirs at any time they chose to
march into it. At that hour General
Shafter, whose headquarters for the
day had been three miles to the rear,
went forward to assume personal com
mand of the operations. Some sur
prise is expressed that he did not wait
for the siege guns before beginning
the final attack, as these guns arc
still on the beach at Baiquiri. He
decided yesterday that thy were un
necessary and determined to Ktriko
at once.
THE ONLY REVERSE. '
The only movement of th day whichr
did not meet with success was Gen
eral Duffield's attempt to occupy the
sea village of Aguadores. The New
York. Suwanee and Gloucester shelled
the old fort and the rifle pits during;
the fornoon. drove all the Spaniards
from the vicinity and bowled over the
parapet from which flew the Spanish
Hag, but. owing to the broken rail
road bridge. General Duffield's troops
wre unable to get across th river
which separate.! them from th- little
town, and were compelled to go back
to Juragua. It is probable that an
effort will be made tomorrow to re
pair the bridge and a complete move
ment attempted.
Today It was reported at Juragufc
that General Duffield had been de-
feated, but this "is not true, as hm
did not encounter any large body oC
Spaniards.
SPLENDID BRAVERY OF OUR,
TROOPS.
Many dramatic incidents occurred
during the day, with numerous evl-
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