The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1898-07-14
A NIGHT BATTLE.
spaniards Make . Desperate Attack
ON Our Left.

| SD2nt0T0D MAKO OOoP01os0 Ass0C1
| ON Our Left.
Santiago de Cuba, via Kingston,
July THE Spanish made desper-
ate night attack on our left shortly
before 10 O'Clock Saturday. The as
sault was directed at the position that
had been carried by General Kent's
men. The Spaniards left the trenches
and charged across the open, striking
heavily upon General Wykoff's brig
ade, consisting of the Ninth, Thir-
tenth and Twelfth infantry. They
were reinforced by heavy fire along
their line of guns and batteries, and
succeeded in driving some of our men
from the trenches, but the heavy fire
the Americans poured in sent the
Spanish lines Keeling back with heavy
loss. The Americans had advanced
| from the trenches for the first time,
and while the Spaniards were in the
open, some of our gatlings on the left
side did terrible execution. The casu-
alties along our line were not heavy.
General Hawkins was shot in the foot.
Over 200 additional wounded were
taken to the rear during the night, one
batch consisting of 1870.
Under General Skaters orders the
battle was reopened at O'Clock along
the whole line. At this writing the
sound of firing is like the long roll OF
machine gun, punctuated by the heavy
boom of the Spanish batteries.
The recruits were ordered to the front
today.
Part of the night attack was directly
opposite the Third and Sixth cavalry.
Captain Bowden, of the Third cavalry.
went with working party at l A. M.
to straighten the line of entertainments
between Chaffee's brigade on the right
and Kent's division on the left.
Whether there was an accident is not
known, but he clashed in the darkness
with the Spanish, who were advancing
in front of the working party, and was
obliged to retreat. Rollo, Of troop E,
was killed, and Poole. of troop E,
was wounded. The Spaniards did not
advance close enough to draw the fire
of the American main line. The &C.
ton lasted 10 minutes, and went on
simultaneously at other points on our
front.
One of the most horrible features Of
the war is that dozens of men have
been killed as they lay on litters, and
surgeons wearing the emblem Of the
Red Cross Society upon their arms have
been special objects OF attack.
Eally in the day man on the look
out reported that the Spanish fleet had
sailed out of the harbor of Santiago,
but it was not until late this afternoon
| that the result was known at the front.
When word of the victory flew from
sentry to sentry and was shouted to the
camps, regiments and brigades, great
cheer swept down the lines of weary
men, which gathered force as it went
until the rattle of musketry was
drowned in the roar of glad tidings.
The news was flashed back into the
underbrush, where the reserves lay,
and the men almost stampeded in their
enthusiastic desire to get to the front.
The cheering continued through the
evening, as the details of the fight
came in, and the men could not have
displayed more enthusiasm had the
victory been their instead of the navy's.
The only severe firing during the day
occurred when the Spanish feet was
leaving the harbor. The enemy evil
IDENTIFY attempted to divert the atten-
ton of our troops, but the Americans
responded so willingly that the fire
soon ceased, and was only resumed at
intervals during the remainder.