The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-06-29
FELL INTO ATRAP
American Cavalrymen Saw Hard
Fighting at La Quasina.
The Spaniards Had Prepared an AmbuS-
cade and Our Troopers Walked Into
It-sixteen Americans Killed and
60 WOunded-Enemy's Loss
Much Greater.

Juragua, Cuba, via Kingston, ia
maica, June 27.-The initial fight OF
Col. Woods Rough Riders and the
troopers of the First and Tenth reg
ular cavalry will be known as the bat
tie of La Quasina.' That it did not end
in the complete slaughter of the Amer
leans was not due to any miscalcula-
ton in the plan of the Spaniards, for
as perfect an ambuscade as was ever
formed in the brain of an Apache In
dian was prepared and Lieut.. Col.
Roosevelt and his men walked square.
| ly into it. For an hour and half they
held their ground under storm OF
bullets from the front and sides and
then Col. Wood at the right and Lieut..
| Col. Roosevelt at the left led charge
which turned the tide of battle and
sent the enemy flying over the hills
toward Santiago. 1t is now known
that 16 men on the American side
were killed, while 60 were wounded
or are reported to be missing.
1t is impossible to calculate the
Spanish losses, but it is known that
they were far heavier than those OF
the Americans. Already 81 dead Span
iards have been found and buried,
while many others undoubtedly are
living in the thicket on the side OF the
gully and on the slope of the hill,
where the main body of the enemy
was located. The wounded were all
removed.
That the Spaniards were thorough
Iv nosted as TO the route to be taken
by the Americans in their movement
toward Sevilla was evident, as shown
by the careful preparations they had
made. The main body OF the span
iards was posted on hill, on the heaV-
ily wooded slopes of which had been
erected two blockhouses, flanked by
irregular entertainments of stone and
fallen trees. At the bottom of these
hills run two roads, along which
Roosevelt's men and eight troops OF
the First and Tenth cavalry with a
battery of four howitzers advanced
These roads are but little more than
gullys, rough and narrow, and al
places almost impossible. In these
trails the fight occurred. Nearly hall
mile separated Roosevelt's men IRON
the regulars, and between them anc
on both sides of the road in the thicl
underbrush was concealed large
force of Spaniards.
The fight was opened by the Firs'
and Tenth cavalry under Gen. Young
A force of Spaniards was known Il
be in the vicinity of La Quasina ant
early in the morning Roosevelt's mel
started off up the precipitous bluff
back of Siboney to attack the Span
iards on their right flank, Gen Young
at the same time taking the road a
the foot of the hill. About two and
half miles out from Siboney some Gu
bans rushed into camp with the an
! nouncement that the Spaniards wer
, but little way in front and strongl,
entrenched. Quickly the Hotchkis
= guns out in front were brought to tn
= rear, while a strong scouting line wa
, thrown out. Then the troops move'
, forward until bend in the road dis
: closed hill where the Spaniards wer
t located. The guns were again brough
5 to the front and placed in position
, while the men crouched down in tn
road, waiting impatiently to Civ
Roosevelt's men, who were toilin
along the crest of the ridge, time t
e get up.
3 At 73O a. m. Young gave the con
, mand to the men at the Hotchkis
guns to open fire. The command wa
the signal for a fight that for stul
bornness has seldom been equallet
The instant the Hotchkiss guns wer
fired, the hillsides commanding tn
e road gave forth volley after volle
II from the Mausers of the Spaniards.
Don't shoot until you see SOM
r thing to shoot at" yelled Gen. YounI
q and the men obeyed the order. Craw
/. ing to the edge of the road and pr
q tecting themselves as much as poss
4 BILE from the fearful fire of the Spal
" iards, the troopers, some of the
= stripped to the waist, watched Il
: base of the hill and when any part
Il Spaniard became visible they fire
In the meantime away off to the lie
~ could be heard the crack of the riff
of Col. Woods men and the regul
Ia deeper-toned volley firing of the Spa
~ iards. Over there the Americ;
losses were the greatest.
! Col. Woods men with an advan
" guard we'll out in front and two
- ban guides before them, but appa
=. emily with no fiankers, went square
- into the trap set for them by the Spa
7 ards and only the unfaltering col
"' age of the men in the face of fl
e that would even make veteran quj
~ prevented disaster. AS it W,
NC Troop l., the advance guard und
Capt. Capron, was almost surround
We and but for the reinforcement HI
Ls riedly sent forward every man wou
cr probably have been killed or woundt
'y "There must have been nearly -,
ol Spaniards in front and to the sides
u.s." said Lieut.. Col. Roosevelt VIII
e. discussing the fight. "They held t
or ridges with rifle pits and machi
ny guns and had body of men in a
bush in the thick jungle at the sic
NJ of the road over which we were
st, vancing. Our advance guard stru
tn the men in ambush and drove tn,
he out"
rs Then the reserves, Troop X and
of were ordered up. Col. Wood, with I
right wing, charged straight at
I'VE blockhouse 300 yards away, a
ct Roosevelt on the left charged at (
or same time. Up the men went, Yell
or like fiends and never stopping to
or turn the fire of the Spaniards. II
,us charge was the end. When within
re- yards of the coveted point the Sp
abb iards broke and ran.
Are Less than Four Miles Apart
ia ,Juragua. via Kingston, June g.