The San Francisco call., 1898-06-26

siderable quantity at Baiqulr1.
 Unless his progress is considerably checked General Shafter will have San tiago completely invested by Sunday He has intimated that he will smash the city's defenses without delay and Admiral Sampson has prepared to CO., operate.
 The engagement in which the Ameri- cans suffered such severe loss was preceded by sharp fighting on the day before. It was apparently part of the Spanish tactics to make the Amer jeans believe that the enemy had en- tirely abandoned the country leading toward Santiago. Dozens of dark col umns of smoke rose early Thursday morning from the hilltops lying be tween the American camp at Altares and the city of Santiago. From this it was thought by many of our troops that the Spaniards had sought safety in.the outer defenses of the beleagured city. It had been a night full of anx- lety for the men on the picket lines.
 General Lawton late on Wednesday afternoon had pushed the Twenty-sec- ond Twenty-fifth and part of the Sec ond Massachusetts Infantry to a point three miles to the westward of Baiquiri This he succeeded in doing without opposition from the Spanish
 The American picket line during the night had been thrown to point mile beyond that contemplated in General LaWton'S instructions.
 All or our men were very alert, and every preparation to repel a night at tack was made. It was thought likely that the enemy would resort to the same tactics they had adopted when the marines from the Marblehead were landed at the entrance to Guantanamo Bay. In this they were mistaken, how ever, as no attempt was made to dis
 
 Above the apex of the hill a quarter mile beyond our advance pickets a tongue of flame leaped into the air just at dawn. This was quickly followed by another and another flash above the adjacent hilltops until at least dozen fires were burning fiercely within a radius of five miles. Columns of smoke in other directions indi- cated that many more fires, shut out of view by the surrounding noun tains, had been started by the Span iards.
 As the sun rose higher it revealed a blazing blockhouse on the nearest hill. The flames here and at other points worked the complete destruction of the Spanish line of defense outside the regular earthworks.
 General LinareS became convinced during the night that the United States force was too strong to be resisted and had ordered all the blockhouses to be filled with combustibles and fired when the Spanish retreat began. The little village of Altares on the coast four miles west of Baiquiri, which so tena- ciously held out Wednesday under the whitening fire of the American gun boats, was evacuated by the garrison of 300 Spanish infantry at the same time.
 These troops began to retreat toward Santiago, being compelled to travel through almost impossible mountain defileS, the entrances to which were 1it- tie known by any but the Cuban scouts. No other route for the retreat was pos sible for the Spaniards however, and they struggled toward the city as best they could. It looked at one time as if this retreat would be successful, but it finally terminated in severe repulse for the Spaniar1s through the vigilance of General Castillo and his Cubans.
 General Castillo, to guard against be- ing surprised by the enemy, had gone forward Wednesday afternoon with a detachment o4 mounted CubanS. When they arrived at a point two miles in- land from Altares General Castillo was informed by the scouts of the retreat of the Spanish infantry. He immediately took steps to intercept the Spaniards and succeeded in cutting off a part of the Spanish column.
 There was furious skirmishing when the Spaniardss found. they had been ambushed. As soon as they had recov- cred from their surprise they returned the Cuban fire with vigor. They were halted at once and soon afterward were compelled to fall back, and before the engagement had been under way half an hour they were completely put to rout. They fled in such haste that their baggage and much of their am- intuition were captured by Castillo's men and several soldiers and teamsters were taken prisoners.
 In this. engagement one Cuban was killed and several were wounded. I could not learn how many Spaniards ferior in numbers to the Spanish, pur- sued them for several miles, keeping up a vigorous fire.
 General Castillo suddenly was given a surprise, as the enemy turned about and renewed their fire upon his men. In their first flight they had encoun- tered a detachment of Spanish soldiers, ment, they made another show of re- sistance.
 This looked like the turning point in the skirmish for the combined Span ish forces opposed the Cubans with such force that Castillo was compelled 10 OrQer ms men DaCk. The tide or pat tie then ran in favor of the Spaniards for time, and the Cuban success gave promise of turning into defeat. But just as matters were becoming desper- ate for Castillo's men they had the same good luck as had come to the Spaniards a few minutes earlier. They were joined by a detachment of Gu bans who had heard the firing and has tened to the scene.
 With his plucky little band thus re- inforced, General Castillo quickly turn ed against the enemy again The fight became more vigorous than at any time during the skirmish. The Spaniards fought desperately to hold the advantage they had just gained, but the attempt was complete fail ure. Slowly and sullenly the enemy was again forced to retreat, and finally they were put to flight.
 Information brought later in the day showed the Spaniards had at least four men killed. This fight, as observed from the hills two miles to the rear, was most picturesque.
 Not single blockhouse was left standing by the Spaniards
 It is evident from this skirmish that General Garcia is carrying out his part zf 4r @,~-