The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1898-12-30

Michigan. The men of this regiment
fought all day upon empty stomaohes,
having had no prepared meal since noon
the day before. They had left their
packs and haversacks behind them.
Major o Brien said that it was O mat.
ter Of surprise that tho men were SO
ready and willing, as they had been on
board tho transport 16 days before
landing in Cuba. Tho voice Of the
| gruinbler was drowned by q chorus from
his comrades "What IS the use?" they
said. 1.-The government is doing all II
can"
In the deploymcnt of the right of
Chaffee's brigade, the Seventh regiment
took the lead, marching over the ridge
up path in single file. Finally it
struck sunken road OH the crest of the
ridge 800 yards from tho Spanish block
house, northeast of EI Caney. The crest
OF tho ridge offered somo protection
from Spanish fire Looking across tho
hollow between them and the village,
tho men could sec tho enemy in their
trenches. Firing son1 - les by volleys
and sometimes at will, ,ne Seventh was
unable to silence the Spanish fire. All
day, for eight hours, the high key of
tie Mauser rife could be heard above
the pop OF tho Kras- -Jorgenscn.
The slope in front Of tho Seventh was
dense chaparral, and charge down
that across the ravine under the muzzles
of the Mausers would have annihilated
the regiment. Besides, in advancing to
the fort the Seventh would have got
ten under tho fire of Capron's guns.
They kept their colors flying all day as
markers for Capron. Tho losses were
distributed over every hour of the day
and over all the companies in tho regi-
ment. Tho officers were surprised in
tho end to learn how many had been
lost, total Of l40 out Of $50 in line.
AS it was impossible for man to show
the smallest part Of his body without
getting 1T punctured, all the firing was
done while lying down, and all the
killed wero shot in the head. Its COM
mander, q. 5. Carpenter, veteran Of the
civil war, was on the firing line all day.
When tho Twelfth regiment advanced
against the stone fort early in the morn
ing, it drew the Spanish fire from the
trenches, the loopholed fort and tho
church. Spaniards in the church belfry
first sighted the Twelfth as it moved
from tho mountain down through tho
hollow to reach high ground 700 or 500
yards from the fort.
Captain Waltzs company orept up
within $50 to 400 yards, working right
ana left and trying to get position
unswept by the Spanish fro. After tho
fort had been preached by Capron' g
guns complete regimental line was
formed and swept forward to the fort,
which was taken possession Cf by Com.
panies a, ID and L under Captain Wood.
Lieutenant Wilde and Captain Clarke.
il was then 3 o'clock. Somo of the men
Of Company l. crcpt through tho holes
which Capron's shells had made in tho
stone walls and got the Spanish flag.
private Abel CT Company a raised tho
colors of the Twelfth over the fort.
Soldiers Of the regiment wero wounded
III the fort after it had been taken. The
Spanish flag was handed first to Cap
tain Fl. l.. Haskell, commanding the
battalion to which Company l. be.
lonSed. Captain Haskell Gave it to
Crecimar, tho correspondent, who was
aft1rward wounded. Tho Twelfth men
finally got possession Of the flag again,
tore it iLto Li:a ard distributed the
pieces through tho regiment.
Tho Twelfth WIS 900 strong at Eel
Cancy, and lest 80 killed aud wounded.
Colonel Richard Comba, q war veteran,
vas wounded, and was succeeded in
command by Major Fl. A. Humphrey,
another war veteran.
After the tort fell tho Spauiards in
tho village made y weak attempt to re-
take it, They advanced with q scatter
ing limo under cover Cf tho fro from the
houses in tho village, but were driven
back. Capron's battery moved up and
opened On tho biockhonscs around tho
village. Cha!fcc's regiments also charged
forward through the hollow. For an
hour it was Il siraggliuG fight between
the dcmoralizcd Spania1ds trying to get
away, Americans heading them off, aud
sho few misguided SDauiarda whn