Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1898-06-30
THE BATTLE OF LA oUAslNA.
More Details of the Fight of Friday.

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via Kingston, Jamaica, June 26, 10 a. m
The initial fight of Col Woods Rougl
Riders and the troopers of the First an(
Tenth Regular Cavalry, will be known il
history as the battle of La Quasina. Tha
it did not end in the complete slaughte
of the Americans was not due to any mis-
calculation in the plan of the Spaniards
for as perfect an ambuscade as was evel
formed in the brain of an Apache Indian
was prepared and Lieut., Col. Roosevelt
and his men walked sqnarely into it. Fol
an hour an half they held their ground,
under perfect storm of bullets from the
front and sides and then Col. Wood at the
right and Lieut.. Col. Roosevelt at the
left, led charge which turned the tide ot
battle and sent the enemy flying over the
hills towards Santiago. 1t is now definite
" known that sixteen men on the Ameri'
can side were killed, while sixty were
wounded or are reported to be missing.
1t is impossible to calculate the Span
ish losses, but it is known that they were
far heavier than those of the Americans,
at least, as regards actual loss of life. AL
ready thirty seven dead Spanish soldiers
have been found and buried, while many
others are undoubtedly lying in the thick
underbrush on the side of the gully and on
the slope of the hill, where the main body
Of the enemy was located. The wound
ed were all moved.
Capt. Mccormick and Capt. Luna, OF
the First Volunteer Cavalry, who were
reported Yesterday as among the dead or
wounded, were unharmed, as was also
Col. Wood, whom Adjutant Hall report
ed as mortally wounded
That the Spaniards were thoroughly
posted as to the route to be taken by the
Americans in their movement toward
Sevilla was evident, as shown by the care
full preparations they had made. The
main body of the Spaniards was posted
on hill on the heavily wooded slopes of
which had been erected two block houses,
fanked by irregular entertainments OF
stone and fallen trees. At the bottom OF
these hills run two roads along which
Lieut.. Col. Roosevelt's men and eight
troops of the First and Tenth Cavalry,
with battery of four howitzers advanced.
These roads are but little more than gull
lies, rough and narrow and at places al
most impossible. In these trails the fight
occurred. Nearly half mile separated
Roosevelt's men from the regulars, and
between them and on both sides of the
rosd in the thick underbrush was conceal
ed force of Spaniards that must have
been large, Judging from the terrific and
constant fire they poured in on the Amer
leans.
The fire was opened by the First and
Tenth Cavalry under General Young, A
force of Spaniards was known to be in the
vicinity of La Quasina and early in the
morning Lieut.-C Roosevet's men
started off up the precipitous bluff, back
of Sibo ney, to attack the Spaniards on
their right flank, General Young at the
same time taking the road at the foot OF
the hill. About two and half miles out
from Siboney, some Cubans, breathless
and excited, rushed into camp with the
announcement that the Spaniards were
but little way in front and were strongly
entrenched. Quickly the Hotchkiss guns
in the front were brought to the rear while
a strong scouting line was thrown out
Then cautiously and in silence the troops
moved forward until bend in the road
disclosed hill where the .Spaniards were
located The guns were again brought to
the front and placed in position, while the
men crouched down in the road waiting
impatiently to give Roosevelt's men, who
were toiling over the little trail along the
crest of the ridge, time to get up.
At $50 a. m. General Young gave the
command to the men al the Hotchkiss
guns to open fire. The command was the
signal for fight that for stubbornness has
seldom been equaled. The instant the
Hotchklss guns were fired from the hill
sides commanding the road came volley
after volley from the Mausers Of the Span
iards.
Don't shoot until you see something to
shoot att" yelled Gen. Young, and the
men, with set jaws and cleaning eyes,
obeyed the order. Crawling along the
edge of the road and protecting themselves
as much as possible from the fire OF the
Spamards, the troopers, some OF them
stripped to the waist, watched the base OF
the hill, and when any part of Spanlard
became visible they fired. Never for an
instant did tney falter. One husky war
rior of the Tenth Cavalry, with a ragged
wound in his thigh, cody knelt behind
rock, loading ard firing, and when told by
one of his comrades that he was Wounded
laughed and said: "Oh, that's all right
That's been there some time" In the
meantime, away off to the left, could bf
heard the crack of the rifles of Col. Woods
men and the regular, deeper-toned volley
firing Of the Spanish.
Over there the American losses were the
greatest. Col. Woods men, with an ad
vanced guard well out i'll front and two
Cuban guides before them, but apparent
" with no hankers, went squarely into tht
trap set for them by the Spaniards, an(
only the unfaltering courage of the men
in the face of fire that would even make
a veteran quail, prevented what NIGH
easily have been disaster. AS it was
Troop L, the advance guard, under th'