The western recorder., 1898-07-07
ATTACKING SANTIAGO
rnE FIERCE sTRuooLE BEGUN.
Americans Ciosins In ON the city-ssvsrs
Fighting Results In Loss of Life ON
Both Sides.

uIy. WHICH iuHttu lTUiu . u VII
sundown. We have carried their out
works and IRE now In possession
There are now about three-quarters Of
mile OF open space between my lines
and the city. By morning troops will
be entrenched and considerable mug
mentation Of forces win be there. Gen
eral Lawton's division and General
Bates brigade, which have been en-
gagged all day in carrying HI Caney,
which was accomplished at 4 y. m,
will be in line and In front Of Santa
go during the night.
| regret to say that our casualties will
be above four hundred. OF these. not
many killed.
(Signed) SHAFTER.
Denver. July IA New York dis
patch 20 the Republican gives the fol-
lowing from the Herald correspondent
Mt Siboney. Cuba:
A general attack on the city Of San
tingo was commenced this morning
and ragged all day. The enemy was
driven into the city. Our loss was
heavy. -Four hundred Americans were
killed and wounded. One entire com
pany was annihIlaied by Spanish
shells. Onr advance has been checked.
hut we are holding the position gnined.
Itelnforcemenis are being hurried so
the front
General Skaters troops gained n
complete victory all along the line.
They drove the enemy from Caney, de
sfroyed the Spanish fort nt TINT place
and occupied the village. driving the
Spanlards back into the city.
Another division of the American
army attacked the heights Of San Juan,
disabling the Spanish battery there and
taking possession OF the enemy's
works.
The advance OF General Shnfter's
forces was checked only at the inner
line Of the city's. defenscs. II was dark
when the fighting ccased for the day.
AT sunset our troops were In possession
of the ground they had gained.
The battle will be resumed ut day
break.
Admiral sampson's fleet silenced
nearly nli OF the shore batteries.
General Shafter began this morn
ing with great vlgor the attack upon
the outer defcnses of Santiago. From
three directions the American forces
advanced toward the doomed city.
While General Lawton and General
Wheeler were attacking Caney, north
east of Santiago, General Kent was
ioNblu otntiNt
Garcia, with his Cuban troops. at the
same time approached Caney from
the southeast. and the other divisions
of the American army pressed toward
Santiago from the east. our forces
presenting solid front from the
const to General Linarcs' northern de-
fcnses.
-Four members of the Twenty-first
regiment of regulars were killed in
the fighting between Seville and
Agundores. while sixteen other Amer
leans, all members of the Twenty
first, were wounded.
Both the American and Spanish
fleets early joined in the battle.
While Admiral Simpsons men were
reducing the recently emplaced bat
tories at Aguadores. Admiral ccrve-
rn's fleet was hurllng shells In tho di-
rection of the American and Cuban
lines.
General Joe Wheeler. with de
tnchment of his cavalry command
md General Garcia. with his Cuban
troops. quickly Joined General Law
toms men In the advance upon Caney.
The Spaniards for n time fought
desperately to prevent Caney from
falling Into the hands of our forces
1t was a vain effort.
Before the fighting Ind been long
under way the American and Cuban
forces gained advanced ground. Foot
by foot the enemy was driven back
into the village. 1t was evident after
the first hours fighting that General
Shafter accurately gnuged the strength
of the enemy. and that he would be
able to drive the Spaniards into San
tingo at his pleasure.
Il 4 n fl..,t ia
manding officers restrained the ardor
of our troops until the hour for begin
ming the attack came. The cnthusi-
asm of the American forces was in
tense and their spirit quickly spread
to the Cuban troops. All have not
shared the belief OF General Shafter
that Santiago could he taken by one
sharp, persistent attack. and they have
been impatient to advance.
Brigadier General Kent, who COM
mands the center of the general line
of attack, started the Twenty-first
regiment of regulars towards Aqua
dores nt the same hour General Law
tons men advanced toward Caney
Upon these troops fell the brunt of the
battle to the southeast of Santiago
during the early hours of the day.
As l write this dispatch this division
of Kent's forces has sustained the
heaviest loss of the engagement thus
| far.
There was desperate fighting about
Aguadores. Acting under orders from
General Linares. the Sppniards Mt that
point returned the American fire with
n fury that aroused In our men the
fiercest determination. They boldly
faced the enemy's fire. holding their
ground tenaciously and pressing for
ward whenever an opportunity to gain
an advanced footing presented itself.
In their operations about Aguadores
the Americans We're greatly encour-
aged by the work of the fleet which
poured n heavy fire into the lines of
the Spanlards.
After considerable effort General
Shafter's men have succeeded In shut
ting Off the water supply of the city.
They have been working on the prob
lem for several days. but It was diff
ficult one. The main water supply
was obtained from another side of The
city than that occupied by our troops.
After General Skaters success In
practically surrounding the city, how.
ever. II was possible to locate the wa
ter supply and to shut II Off. This
achievement by the American has
added much TO the desperation of the
Spaniards. who have been short of
! food for some time. They are row
threatened with all the horrors of n
food and water famine.