Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1898-07-07
General Wheeler Fights From
Litter.
CAPRON AYENGES HIS SONS DEATH.
Spanish Have Best Powder-RoOsevelt's
Rough Riders Again Under Fire.

Playa Del Este, July 1.-Fierce fight
ing, in which Skaters army made series
Of desperate assaults upon the Spanish
outpos: from Aguadores, on the coast, to
and beyond Ell Caney, four miles inland,
resulted in the American troops carrying
everything before them'to within mile OF
the city of Santiago by Friday night.
LAwToN's ATTACK ON Ell CANEY.
The victory has been a grand one, but
it has cost dearly in the killing and wound
ing of men on both sides. So far as the
fighting before Ell Caney is concerned,
the heavy loss on the American side was
largely due to the mistake massing the in
fantry behind the position taken by the
battery.
The attack on Ell Caney was made by
the Second Division, under General Law
ton. Last night his 5000 men bivouacked
without fires close to the Spanish lines.
The break of day found the army ready
for action. -
WHEELER FIGHTS FROM LITTER
Major General Joe Wheeier's cavalry
corps took the centre of the line before
San Juan. The General was SO sick that
he put General Sumner in command, but
as soon as the fighting began "Flghting
Joe" insisted on being carried upon the
field on litter, borne on the shoulders of
four of his men. Thus he watched and
directed the movements of his troops.
ARTILLERY SHOT a MILE AND HALE
In a slight valley near by, Grimes bat
terry of four guns took position. The Sec
ond Artillery was planted on a hill at III
Pozo Ranch, somewhat more than mile
and half from the first defenses Of San
tiago city. Captain Capron's battery was
placed on an elevation about the same
distance from I'll Caney.
Brigadier General Dufiield's brigade adj
vanced along a coast ridge to make feint,
while the brigades under Brigadier Gen
erals Chafee, Ludlow and Miller, sup
ported the advance of Lawton's troops
General Pearson's brigade took position
in the rear of General Wheeler's cavalry
and waited for orders.
cApRoN AvEYGEs HIS SONS DEATH.
The day was clear and the sun scorch'
ingly hot, but a cooling sea breeze made
the conditions a little more bearable FOL
the Americans. Before a. M, the fight
ing was opened by tue booming Of a gun
from Captain Capron's battery fired at the
Spanish block house in which battery
was strongly fortified. There was cheer
from Capron's men when they saw they
had the range, for the captain is the father
of young Capron, of Roosevelt's rough
riders, who was killed at Sevilla, and they
wanted to avenge his death.
SPANISH ADVANTAGE IN POWDER.
Without delay the Spanish guns began
to ans yer from the forts and trenches
Crimes battery soon Joined in the can'
nonading, directing its fire upon the Span
ish works on the side of the hill at San
Juan, and working its shot toward the
blockhouse, from which the enemy were
delivering terrific fire. The firing on
both sides was very accurate. The shells
burst like clockwork. The Spanish gun
ners had great advantage in that oul
forces we're using common powder, the
smoke of which enabled the Spanish gun
ners to get perfect range. Our gunnerf
only could approximate the position Of
the Spanish guns, as they were using
smokeless powder. Yet their firing was
remarkably accurate.