The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-07

1 hoon0 ouO WcKo 0utcIiuB INC Ulf00J8 q
the town. The artillery had not SAINT 4
half dozen shots from the new positiou
| before The muskstry firing oeassd and
| the span1ards, broken INTO small
bunohes. fed from HI Caney in the di-
rection Of Santiago.
Laine and myself hurried up to the
stone forts and found that Mr.. Creel-
man, The Journals correspondent with
the infantry columns, had been serious
ly wounded and was lying in the
Twelfth infantry hospital. / found him
bloody and bandaged. lying on his back
ON a blanket ON the ground, but all the
care and attention that kind and skill
ful surgeons could give him were shown
TO him, and his first words to me were
that he was afraid he could not write
much OF story. as he was pretty we'll
dazed. but IL / would write for him no
would dictate the best he could. sat
down among the wounded, and Mr..
Crcelman told me his story Of the fight.
think 1t is a good one. Here it is:
The extraordinary thing in this
night OF all the fights I have seen is the
enormous amount of ammunition fired.
There was continuous roar of mus
kerry from 4 o'clock in the morning
until o'clock In the afternoon. Gen.
eral A. Il. Chaffee's brigade began the
fight by moving along the extreme
right, Ludlow's command being down
in the low country, to the left of Ell
Oaney. General Chaffee's brigade con-
sisted of the Seventeenth, Seventh and
Twelfth infantry, and was without
artillery. 1t occupied the extreme right.
The formation was like the two sides Of
an equilateral triangle. Lieutenant
Colonel Ludlow was to the south and
General Chaffee to the east. Lieutenant
Colonel Ludlow began firing through
the brush, and we could see through the
palm trees and tangle Of bushes the
brown and blue figures of our soldiers
In line a mile long. stealing from tree
to tree and from bush to bush, firing as
they went up the heights.
General Chaffee. facing FL Caney,
moved his troops very early in the
morning. The battle opened by Ludlow's
artillery firing on the fort and knocking
several holes in it. The artillery kept
up steady fire on the fort and town
and finally demolished the fort. Several
times the Spaniards were driven from
1t. Each time they returned before the
infantry could approach it. Our artil-
lery had but four small guns, though
they fired with great accuracy. It was
ten hours before the artillery reduced
the stone fort ON the hill and enabled
our infantry to take possession. The
Twelfth infantry occupied the left, the
Seventeenth the right, and the Seventh,
made up Of many recruits, occupied the
center. The Spanish fired from loop
holes in the stone house, and, further
more, were on the east side of the fort
in trenches. They fought like devils.
From all the ridges round about the
scream Of firing was kept up. General
Chaffee's men were wondering how
they were being wounded. For q time
they thought that Ludlow's men were
Oh the opposite side Of the fort and were
firing over 1t. The fact was that the
tire came from heeYy breastworks ON the
northwest corner of FL Caney, where
the principal Spanish force lay with |
heir hats on sticks to deceive. The en-
smy poured in fearful fire. The II regi.
nents had to lie down fat Even then |
he boys were killed. General Chaffee |
dashed about with his hat on the back
If his head, like magnificent cowboy, |
Urging the men and crying to them to |
ret in and help their country win VIC
ory. The smokeless powder made it
to locate the enemy. You
wonder where the fire comes from.
When you stand up to see, you get
,ullet.
1--WE finally located the trenches.
The enemy was making a turning
movement to the right. To turn the left
4 the Spanish position was necessary
o get the blockhouse. General ChafYee
etailed Captain Clarke when the artil-
cry had reduced the blockhouse, to ap-
roach and occupy it. Clarke and Cap
ain Haskell started up. had been ON
he ridge and knew the condition of
fairs and could show them the way.
We got the wire cutters cut to cut the
1ire in front Of the Spanish trench.
nmped over the strands and got in the
rench. 1t was horrible, blood splashed
hing, an inferno Of agony. Men lay
cad, while others with teeth cleaning
nd hands olutched at their throat were
rawling there alive. shouted to them
, surrender. They held up their hands.
ran into the fort and found there a
panish officer and four men alive.
even lay dead in one room. The whole
oor ran with blood. The walls were
FLASHED with blood. Three poor
retches put their hands together in
DUPLICATION. One had white handker-
lief tied on stick which he lifted and
owed toward me. 1t was perfect hog
IN Of butchery. The officer held his
ands up. The others began to pray and
cad. l took the guns from all and
rev them outside the fort. called
me of our men to put them in charge
the prisoners then got out of the
rt, ran around to the other side, Sc
red the Spanish flag and displayed it .
our troops, who cheered Justify. Just
turned to speak to Captain Haskell
was sfruck with N huIiot fro,,, al. |