Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-08-04
KENT REPORTS THE BATTLE.
Heroic Work Performed by the Troops In
the racoof withcring rirc-A
Great Triumph.

Headquarters u the First Division u
the Firth Army Corps. near Santiago
de cuba. July 2.-tCopyrIEhtod. 1895.
by the Associated Pr,u) MAI cen.
shaftor having authorized the publlc1-
ton Of the official rcpor, OF
Brig. Cen. J. Ford Kent OF the
battle of July ist gnd and ord. a cer-
unod copy OF the report la now fur
nlahcd 90 the Associated Press by Mai.
4. q. sharpe. assistant adjutant gene
oral. First division. Fifth army corps.
In this report. which L. dated July 5th.
Gen Kent. after retailing thg move
ments which brought ON tho battle OF
Juiy list. gives the nrat official state
mont covering certain incidents ~ that
T6s commander of the Firm corps
had directed gcn. Kent - make
rrsen hin in the distance the objective
point OF his LETT. and TO Keep The fiFht
af his division on ihc main road leading
i1 Santiago. The advance WAS begun
after the onemy'H artillery had opened
in rspiy boz Grimes battery inHiruc-
lions had been given 90 allow the cav.
AIRY tho right ~ way. but they moved
very H1wly. the report HuyH, caualnk
delay Of fully forty minutes ~ the
general advance.
During the advance Cen. Kent ~
ports. thr division suffered heavy
i0sarn. caused hy the balloon near ny
attracting ihe rncmyH IRE and dltclon-
! Ing the position nf The division,
Describing the nRhtlng In the vicinity
tf Tho main ford of She San Juan river,
the rrpnrt says; "ThH curmy'H imam
Try nrc. steadily Increasing in intcn.
atty. now came from all directions, not
only from the front ana the dense tI"p-
| lcni thlckptH on our Ranks hut from
ihnrp shooters thickly posted In trees
in oar rear aud from Hhrapncl aprtr-
emily aimed nt the balloon. ilHut. Col
I Derby 81 Skaters stan met mo about
| ihlH time and Informed me that a trail
lr narrow way had been discovered
l from the balloon short distance a.
,hc lcft of the ford, lower down ihe
| stream.
u FASTENED 20 the forks made by this
I rnHd. aud soon after the Seventy frHi
Sew York regiment, Of HAWKING hrl'
rade came up. I turned thcm Into tn
hy.nlih Indicated by Lieut. Cot Derby
leading Co the lower ford. hcndlnH
word 90 Gen. Hawkins ~ this move
mrnt This would have speedily de-
] Iyrrrd Thorn In their proper place or
| me- lrfi ~ their brigade but under lh'
sailing nrr ~ the enemy, the luadlnf
battalion NJ this regiment was ihruWf
Into confusion ana rucnllpd ln disorder
on the troops IN tho rear
az this critical moment ih' ufiicer'
NJ ms stan practically formed cor
H1n behind The p1nlcsFirlckrn men on.
urged them 90 again 50 forward.
nnlliy ord r0d them 90 llo down IN IN
thIckct and clear the way Tor other
10 their own regiment who were COM
Iug up h.hlHi. This many NJ ihsu
ana, and tho second and third hHf
lli6ns came forward ln better ord0l
and moved along The road toward th'
| ford one ~ my stan Hinn'rH rli
hack, waving hla hat 60 hurry f1rWAr,
the Third brigade. who. on approach
Ing the forks. found the way hlnrkf,
hy men ~ the seventy hrHi Now York
There were other men ~ this regimen
cr1uchlnF IN the bushes, many o
whom were encouraged by the advance
M the approaching column 90 arise anl
30 forward,
"AH already stated. had receive,
orders some time before q keep IN M
roar OF the cavalry division. Thol
advance was much slower resulting II
frequent halls, presumably % dr1l
ihrlr blanket rolls ana due 10 the nat
! urli delay ln fnrdInr stream.
These delays under a CALLING m
| grew exceedingly lrkslme, ana Thorn
| fore pushed the head NJ my division al
quickly As I could toward the river h
column or ME NJ tw1s, plraliolsd On M
narrow way by tho cavalry TIL
qulckoncd the following movement AM
enabled me 90 get into position "a