Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-18
Mr.. Peppers Description of the Open
ing Attack on Santiago.
THE WORK OF THE ARTILLERY
Charge of the Infantry Finally
Won the Victory.
INCIDENTS OF THE DAY
Copyright, 1898, by Charles NJ. Pepper)


SANTIAGO CUTWoRKS, July 3, 1898
Fighting the first day has given a fair
idea of what Spanish defensive tactics are
in an almost impregnable natural position.
The mountains and the thick woods are to
the Spaniards resisting the American army
of occupation what they have been to the
Cuban insurgents in resisting the Spanish
attempts to conquer them. Campaigning
in Cuba is going to be more valuable to
the army In the military lessons it teaches
than was at first imagined. The siege Of
Santiago is likely to sacrifice as many lives
as the taking of Havana would have cost.
Nobody can pretend to see all of a battle.
At the best one sees very little. I shall on
ly attempt to tell of what came within my
individual experience during two days at
the front. A word about the approaches
to the city will help explain the fighting.
TIE American troops are pushing into It
from thu east and are therefore moving in
westerly direction. They were landed at
Daiquiri and Siboney, and Siboney was
made the base of operations. The Michigan
troops, under Gen. Duffield, were sent west
to Aguadores by railroad. and made feint
to distract attention They also saw some
fighting, but 1t was not in the main attack
The outlying Gefenses of Santiago are the
village of Caney, five miles north a little
by east, and Poso. the remains of a strag-
Cling village, three and half miles north
east. This makes the formation of the out
lying defenses something like a fat cres-
cent. From Caney to Santiago runs
canino real, or highway. In the first en-
gagement the plan was to distract atten-
ton Of the Santiago batteries and forces
by feint from Poso as well as Aguadores,
and the troops were to come together at q
place known as Casa du Crore, where a
fine house stands
Arrangement of the Troops.
The troops engaged were Lawton's divi-
SIGN, Kent's division and the cavalry divi-
sion under Gen. Joe Wheeler Gen. Calixto
Garcia's Cuban soldiers were distributed in
columns among the various commands. The
total number of troops engaged is variously
estimated at eight to twelve thousand 1t
is impossible yet to give exact information.
Lawton's division had the right flank, which
covered Caney; Whaeler's the center and
Kents the extreme left looking from Poso
almost up to the intrenchments of Santi-
ago. OF Lawton's division Gen. Ludlow had
in his brigade the Sth, 22d and I'd Massa-
chusetts; Gen. Chaffee the 18th, 9TH and
18th, and Col. Miles the 1st, 4th and 25th.
Besides the regular cavalry Gen. Wheeler
had the Roosevelt regiment of rough riders.
or mounted rif1emen. Practically all the
cavalry was dismounted. OF Kent's divi-
sion Gen. Hawkins brigade was composed
of the 9Th. 10th and list New York; Col.
Parsons brigade Of the ID 10th and 21st,
and Col. Wykof's brigade of the 9th, 18th
and 24th. OF the artillery Grimes batteries
A and K were planted beyond Poso Bat
terry E was placed southeast Of Caney, and
was in direct command of Lieut.. Hamilton
In the advance on Caney Gen. Chafee
was on the right and Gen. Ludlow on the
left' with Miles in reserve, subsequently
reinforcing Ludlow. Caney lies in hollow
or basin; forts or block houses command
every approach. Cross 1ires can be main
tanned at dozen angles, while there are
numberless concealed places for sharp
shooters. To get in invading troops must
climb hills, cross ridges, pass down long
slopes, move across level spaces and clam
ber up gullies and ravines, at every mo-
ment exposed to the enemy's fire Coming
from Santiago there are also the brush and
the thick woods. The Spaniards knew these
advantages and improved them at the
bloody expense OF the American troops
The final station of Battery Z was at
y
stone fort which was the main defense of
Caney. That fort was a genuine fortress
Earthworks and inrrenchments were
thrown around it in semicircular form
while the rife pits gave perfect protection.
Until that fort was taken uothing could be
done toward silencing the outlying defenses
o. Santiago.
Gen. Ludlew's brigade passed down The
road to the left of the hill on which Bat
terry e was located early in the morning.
ChaHees command had previously gone to
the right. This was Friday, July l. The
battery opened fire on the stone fort at els
o clock The Spanish flag was flying, but
none Of the garrison could be seen. The
shots from the battery were at intervals of
minute apart. They fell close to the
carthworks, but it was not until the ff-
teenth shot that the fort was hit Then a
hole was torn through the wall, and a cheer
went up from the men who manned the
battery, as well as from the troops who
could see the effect at nearer range. In
to this time the Spaniards had not replied.
but now they opened UP, and the puffs of
white smoke were seen coming from the
sides of the fort. This gunnery was not
very effective. 1t was the rifles in the
hands of the skilled marksmen that later
III tue Qdy OlU SucQ damage to the Ameri- |
can troops.
Watching the Infantry.
After watching the artillery fire for an
hour, with two companions sought a post
of observation which would enable us TO
see what the infantry was doing. Cuban |
practice, or guide, had been detailed
from Col. Miles headquarters with the as
surance that he knew every path and could
take us close enough to Caney to see the
operations on both sides. The assurance
was correct. After taking us through the
gullies and swamps our guide brought us /
up the slope of a hill where the bullets
from the Spaniards were cutting the leaves |
of the trees and whistling an uninterrupted |
chorus. quick. lodging run and we gain
ed the summit, which was our objective
point. From IT the scene of all the military
operations could be viewed. The hill was |
between 500 and 600 yards from the stone |
fort, a little too far out for the Spaniards
to occupy 1t, and trif1e too far in for Gen.
Chaffee's advance guard to utilize 1t for a /
firing squad. Some loose rocks on the |
Continued on Third Pagel