The herald., 1898-09-11
HOW We BEAT THE PORTO RICO DONS
The Hot Fire of the SpaniardS Drove Back Oul
Troops at ASamdnte
Miss Ham, the Woman Correspondent, Tells Of Critical
Situation in Which the American Troops Won
by Stubborn Valor-A Close Call

COAMO, Porto Rico, Aug. 22.-I have just
arrived here after riding all about the
country, visiting plantations, small towns
and camps. Coamo looks quite dfffere MT
since its final American occupation The
troops are comparatively happy and wei!
fed. They were not as we'll treated upon
my other visit. but the arrival Of supplies
and the advancement of all the 'necessaries
Of camp life have inspired and encouraged
them considerably, and the sick list grows
less each day. You have probably had
cable accounts Of the big fight here, but
I will give you few of the incidents which
were not OF sufficient news Importance to
cable in detail at the time at SLIT per
word.
General Wilson, with General Ernsts
brigade, two batteries of United States ar
tillery and Troop G, started from Ponce
UP the military road. pushing forward to
Juana Diaz. This town having been
abandoned by the Spanish supposedly under
General Ostego, the army occupied 1t and
then moved on toward Coamo. They
found the latter place defended by what
proved to be small detachment of Span
fish troops. The artillery anu the Second
and Third Wisconsin made the main at
tack from the south. The Sixteenth Penn
sylvania meantime had been sent out to
the mountains to make a detour of the town
and surround the Spanish. While General
Wilson's forces were attacking from the
front and the batteries were destroying the
blockhouse, detachment Of mouned Span
ish engineers, numbering about It's, tore
out the center arch Of the bridge across the
stream before Coamo and the enemy re-
treated to the town.
Just about this time the first detachmen n.
of the Sixteenth Pennsylvania appeared on
the crest OF the high hill beyond them and
were vigorously fred upon by the Spanish.
The latter. now finding themselves trapped,
gathered their forces together and endea-
vored to beat hasty retreat toward Aibp-
nita. But before they could get away the
Sixteenth Pennsylvania appeared in force,
coming In from all sides. A lively fight now
took place across the deep ravine. The
other regiments were eye-witnesses Of the
dring, and the whole scene was most
tragic and dramatic. While the fight was
In progress a second battalion Of the Penn
sylvanians appearedfurther down the road,
thus effectually cutting Off the escape of
the enemy. The Spanish, seeing that the
game was up. surrendered. Their killed a nd
wounded were taken care of by our hos
pital corps. Among the killed were the
commandant and one captain.
There Is mo doubt but that the Spanish
had the better of the fight all the way up
the hills and over the roads, as they were
protected by the hills, the curves In the
road and the vegetation. The detachment
Of Spanish engineers who had caused the
trouble at Coamo bridge. although many
of them were wounded, managed to gallop
away and proceeded toward Aibonita.
Troop rapidly pursued them. They were
not overtaken, but the pursuit prevented
them from destroying many Of the small
bridges on the main road. The engineers
got five miles out of Coamo and from there
retreated into the defenses Of Aibonita.
One hundred and fifty-seven prisoners
were taken by our forces. They were
marched back to Ponce and lodged i'm the
barracks, where they are now under the
charge Of the regulars who are stationed at
this point.
On Aug. 18th General WILSON, ordered an
attack made upon the defenses of Asa
mante. This huge hill Is on one sude of the
road that guides the passage over the
mountains. On top was an earthwork in