The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-07-14


forces on the hills overlooking San
tiago were in a position to move
against the city's outposts. The
approached from the
and their line extended
from nearly to Ell Caney on the north
east almost to Aguadores on the
south, distance of about five miles.
Gen. Lawton was on the right near
Ell Caney, Gen. Duffield on the left
near Aguadores, and Gen. Sumner
during Wheeler's illness in the fore
noon commanded the center before
the strongly fortified heights OF San
Juan. The plan of battle was to
take all three of the enemy's oppos-
ing positions. The movement com
menced shortly after midnight Fri
day morning. All our forces except
1000 to guard camp and supplies
were in battle line, the reserve just
to the rear of the advance forces.
At five o'clock General Lawton
moved against Ell Caney, Captain
Capron, whose son was killed at La
Quasina, fired the first shot into the
Spanish stronghold, defended by
about 1000 Spaniards without artil-
lery.
Two batteries played upon FL
Caney until her forces were COM
PEELED to retire. 1t was not i'm
portant to occupy the town, it being
surrounded with wire fences and
earthworks anyhow, and so Lawton
opened the batteries on the outer
Notifications of Santiago. 1t was
fully 20 twenty minutes before the
Spaniards replied, but when their
fire did come it was appallingly furi-
Gus and accurate. A shell broke
over Crimes battery, killing two men
and wounding others. A sugar ware
house near by was struck and demol-
ished and several Cubans were killed
or wounded. The smoke of batteries
made them an easy target, while the
smokeless power of the Spaniards
made it hard to find them. Kent's S
division of infantry breaking out Of
the underbrush in sight OF the
Spanish trenches was met by muir
derous hail of rifle bullets. Ameri-
cans fell right and left. 1t looked as
if they would have to fall back. But
they didn't. They went down on
their breasts and fired volley after
volley, until Grimes got his artillery
in position and then a second artil-
lery duel silenced the enemy.
But the enemy must be driven
from the trenches on top of the slope
guarded by wire fences. General
Hawkins brigade and division OF
dismounted cavalry started forward
with a shout. Met by witherin g
fire that seemed too much for human
endurance, they commenced double
quick. Men were knocked right and
left. Then the line staggered, threw
itself to the ground and commenced
firing. Up again the line sprang
and went forward to the very
trenches. There ensued fierce hand
to hand encounter. The Spaniards
could stand it no longer, but broke
and ran toward Santiago. The Ameri
can infantry and dismounted cavalry
popped it to them from behind, anC
Bates battery, which had in the
meantime gotten on the flank, sem
a murderous enfilading fire down the
entertainments The Americans hel(
the crest of the hills, Friday night
In the entertainments they fount
hundreds of Spanish dead.
A no less heroic charge was mad
at the center on the heights OF Sal
Juan. General Young was sick, AM
Colonel Wood commanded the bri
gade in his stead. The heights wer
held by 900 troops. The taking Q
the heights was one of the principa
objects of the battle. They com
manded the city of Santiago and tn
harbor. The position was we'll fort
fed with artillery from Cervera
, ships, including machine guns. L
- take them meant an uphill charge
. 600 yards over comparatively ope
ground and through wire fence
There were also in the way sewers
block houses, defended by artiller
The work of carrying the positio
fell upon the Rough Riders, the Firs
Second, Thirteenth, Sixteenth ar
Twenty-Second infantry. the Sevent
hrSt New 1OTk anu tne NluIH "a" ali
But it so happened that the last tw
organizations, together with Il
Rough Riders, had to bear the brul
of it.
Every man saw to it that his ca
fridge belt was full, and the fen
clippers were stationed in prop
~ position The advance was cor
a menced under heavy fire. The NJ
!; !, went forward shooting and cheerin
ID ID The artillery and machine gun ii
ut coming down on them from the b
he was terrific. AS the line approach
y, n the wire fence, the clipper m
m rushed forward. One man would cl
I'd the wires in the middle; two othe
ne would wrap and twist the loose en-
It It about the posts. Several brave m
T. were killed and wounded here; b
Z the Americans suffered no check.
81 81 the face of the heat and fire. t
ef soldiers fought their way on up
IS hill, to the very top. The Spaniar
n. beat hasty retreat toward the eli
Although tired and exhausted,
re Americans succeeded in shooti
- dc,anS Of tbom in tho hack