Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-07-02

into the bushes where the Spaniards
lay. 1t was al open fight for the next
fifteen minutes or so. The fire OF the
| Spanish then fell off n bit. They
seemed to be falling or retreating.
Lighter and lighter became the fire
from the underbrush, until finally only
an occasional shot whiZZed toward
the Americans position.
This evidence that the enemy was on
the run quickly inspired the Amer
lean troops. They charged forward,
presently gaining a position from
which they could see the Spaniards.
They renewed their fire with great
vigoT, driving the enemy foot by foot
toward Sevilla. The Spaniards re-
sisted the American advance with
great stubbornness. But the tide of
battle had turned against them. Dur
ing the next two hours they devoted
themselves less and less to shooting,
and finally fed precipitately toward
Sevilla.
While the rough riders were giving
and taking hard knocks on the high
ground the firing became general in
the valley to the north, where General
Layton, the Cuban skirmish line hav-
ing been driven back, checked the adj
vance Of a strong Spanish force and
eventually compelled them to retreat.
General Lawton succeeded in bringing
n section of u mountain battery into
action. This kept the road clear Of
Spaniards, while our troops quickly
formed and moved forward.
Crematcd Dead Spaninrds.
Many dead Spaniards lay about the
block house, where the enemy had its
final rally. After the structure had
been set on fire the bodies of these sol
diers were crepated, and il is believed
that hundreds died.
The heat was intense during the day
and a great many fallen troops were
Frustrated. This nervous excitement
attendant upon the first battle was a
heavy strain upon the men.
General Luwton, in obtaining a posi-
ton across Juiaguasito creek, is en-
camped only six miles from the Santi-
ago cathedral. and two miles from Sc
villa. To the westward General Gar
ella is making splendid progress. While
our troops were engaged about Sevilla
General Garcia attacked Hcrmitano,
five miles west of Socapa castle, and
only a mile from Santiago. There is "A
small Spanish fort at Hermitano, with
some field guns, supported by "A garri-
son. General Garcia sent 1000 CubanS
against this fort, the attack being de-
signed TO prevent General Linares
from sending troops to check the adj
vance OF the main army. The Cubans
attacked so spiritcdly, however, that
they are reported to have taken a part
of the Entertainments. The Spanish
are preparing to fall back to Caimones,
which is inside the regular defenses of
Santiago.
Cobre was abandoned by General
Linarcs during the night, and the gar
rison was withdrawn to Caimonos.
The Road TO Santiago.
Standing on the hill at Sevilla you
can look across this fiat land and see
in the distance the large stone bar
racks Of the Spanish army, immcdi-
ately back of Santiago and overlooking
the city, which from that point slopes
gradually down to the Bay of Santiago.
This fiat country between the ridge
Sevilla stands on and the one Santiago
is on is alluyial, and in the rainy sea-
son the roads are simply quagmires.
Before YOU reach the base of Santi-
ago ridge you cross Two rivers. The
last one is San Juan, being about a
thousand feet from the base OF the
ridge. Until you reach SCvilla on your
right YOU have the foothills of the
mountains and then the mountains
themselves. On the left you have Il
broken country coming out to h sea
i'm palisades of from 200 10 300 feet
high.
II is almost entirely uninhabited; in
fact, - vCritablc wilderness.
The name road in the province of
Santiago is simply a comparative term.
There are no vehicles of any kind used
in the country. and therefore the roads
are simply paths broad enough for per-
sons TO ride single file. What might
be called the right of way is possibly
cleared ten feet, but the constant pass
ing Of animals makes a beaten path.
An army marching over this road
would have To 60 single file, or those
not walking in the path would have to
travel over the extremely rough sur
face lining the road, which in a short
time would tire any man.
On the high rolling ridge, or a mile
to the eastward Of Sevilla, the road is
c~omparativcly broad, and also in the
low land between Sevilla and Santiago
il /. the same. II has been ~brOadcncd
there in the attempts for centuries to
pass around quagmircs. Otherwise 1t
is what would be called in the noun
tains of Tennessee n bride path. 1t rs
lined by dense masses of foliage, i'll
tcrspersed with a few trees, the bushes
i'm the main being about twenty feet
high. This chapparaI is filled with
| thorny shrubs and interlaced with run
ming vines. An army could pass within
twcntv feet of any number of men in
these bushes and never suspect their
presence.
Was n Perfect Ambush.
The initial fight of Colonel Woods
rough riders and the troopers of the
FIRST and Tenth regular cavalry Will
he known in history as the battle Of
Tn Ouasina. That it did not end in n
complete slaughter of the Americans
wa not due TO any miscalculation in
the plan Of The Spaniards. for as per,
feet an ambuscade as was ever formed
in the brain Of the Apache Indian was
prepared. and Lieutenant Colonel
Roosevelt and his men walked square
" into it. For an hour and Il half
they held their ground under a per-
feet storm Of bullets from the front
and sides. Then Colonel Wood at the
| right and Colonel Roosevelt at the left
led a charge which turned the tide OF
battle and sent the enemy flying over
| the hills toward Santiago.
1t is now definitely known that SIX
teen men ON the American side were
killed, while sixty were wounded or
reported to he missing. 1t is impossi-
bic to calculate the Spanish losses, but
it is known that they were far heavier
than those of the Americans, at least