The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-06-28

fTlVdl6 L.. v. AtSSp
cavalry.
Private John Damatt, Troop L, First
volunteer cavalry.
Captain James H. McC1intock, First
volunteer avalry
Lieutenant j. r. Thomas, Jr., First
volunteer cavalry.
Private T. w. Virgins, Troop B,
First volunteer cavalry.
Private Robert z. Bailey, Troop F,
First volunteer cavalry.
Private r. w. Reid, Troop G, First
volunteer cavalry.
Private Gains, Troop B, Tenth cav
airy.
Private Reilly, Troop B, First cav
airy.
MISSING.
Private Merriam Camp, Troop G,
First volunteer cavalry.
Sergeant D. w. Bell, First volunteer
cavalry.
T. r. Mcdonald, First
volunteer cavalry.
Private N. H. C~Ochrane, First VOL
unteer val
Private Fred. Chilcot, First volun-
teer cavalry.
Private ]. S.. Miller, First volunteer
cavalry.
Private w. S. Sharp, First volunteer
cavalry.
IlNdl u. L. u FoitAA
teer cavalry.
Private D. C. Deniss, First volunteer
cavalry.
Captain Mccormick and Captain
Luna, of the First volunteer cavalry,
who were reported yesterday as among
the lei or wounded, were unframed,
as was also Colonel Wood, whom Ad-
jutant Hall reported as mortally
wounded.
DEEP LAID PLOT.
That the Spaniards were thoroughly
posted as to the route to be taken by
the Americans in their movement to-
ware Sevilla was evident, as shown by
the careful preparations they had
made. The main body of Spaniards
was posted on a hill, the heavily wood
ed slopes on which had been erected
two blockhouses, thanked by irregular
entertainments of stone and fallen
trees. AT the bottom of these hills run
two Oad along which Lieutenant
Colonel Roosevelt's men and eight
troops of the First and Tenth cavalry,
with a battery of four howitzers, ad-
vanced. These roads are but little
more than gullies, rough and narrow.
n at places almost impossible. In
these trails the fight occurred.
Nearly half a mile separated ROOse-
velt'S men from the regulars, and be-
tween them and On both sides of the
road in the thick underbrush was con
cealed a force of Spaniards that must
have been large, judging from the
terrific and constant fire they poured
in On the Americans.
HOW THE BATTLE BEGAN.
The fight was opened by the First
and Tenth cavalry under General
Young. A force of Spaniards was
known to be in the vicinity of La Qua
sina and early in the morning Lieuten-
ant Colonel ROOsevelt'S men started off
up the precipitiOus bluff back of ST.
bony to attack the Spaniards on their
right flank, General Young at the same
time taking the road at the foot of the
hill. About two and a half miles out
from Siboney, some Cubans, ~breathless
and excited, rushed into camp with the
announcement h a the S~paniards were
but a little way in front and were
strongly e~ntrenched. Quickly the
Hotchkiss guns out in the front were
brought to the rear, while a strong
scouting line was thrown out. Then
cautiously n in silence the troops
moved forward until a bend in the
road disclosed a hill where the Span
iards were located. TIE guns were
again brought to the front n placed
in position, while the men crouched
down in the road, waiting impatiently
" give INOOScNclt > HleH, Wiz "cIC
toiling over the little trail along the
crest of the ridge, time to get mp .
At 1880 o'clock a. m. General Young
gave the command to the men at the
HOtchkiss guns to open fire. The COM
mand was the signal for a fight that
for StubbOrnness has seldom been
equalled. A instant the Hotchkiss
guns were fired from the hillsides COM
manding the road came volley after
volley from the Mausers OF the Span
iards.
Don't shoot until you see something
to shoot at" yelled General Young,
and the men, with set jaws and gleam-
ing eyes, obeyed the order. Crawling
along the edge Of the road and protec-
ting themselves as much as possible
from the fearful fire of the Spaniards,
the troopers, some of them stripped to
the waist, watched the base of the hill
and when any part of a Spaniard be-
came visible. they fired. Never for an
instant did they falter. One husky
warrior of the Tenth cavalry, with a
ragged wound in his thigh, coolly knelt
behind a rock loading and firing. and
when told by one of his comrades that
he was wounded. laughed and said:
ON. that's all right. That's been there
for sometime"
In the meantime, away off TO the left
could be heard the crack of the rifles
of Colonel Woods men and the regu-
lar, deeper-toned volley firing of the
Spanish.
OVER there the American losses were
the greatest. Colonel Woods men,
witt, an advance guard we'll out in
front, and two Cuban guides before
them, bit apparently with no fankers,
n1x srfn