Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-07-07
GEN. LAWTON'S FORCES FOUGHT
siI.&, WITH VIM. ,5E.
Attack Upon tho Town OF El Caney was
Desperate WOrk-Tho SpaniardJ
g" .-.....s Nayar 1uaile1. y, st."'.

httaCh OpOH tuo IONu VI I'll CRuey WIS
Desperate, Work--Tho Spaniardy
st.' Never Quailed.
! Headquarters of Gen. Shaftor, Friday,
July !, by tlfe Associated Press Dispatch
Boat Cynthia, via Port Antonio, Satur-
day, and Kingston, Sunday, July 8, $50
A. M.--Hemmed in all sides by Gen.
Lawton's division, the Spanish troops in
tho town of El Can6y arc tonight prac-
tically prisoners OF war, and by day
break tomorrow Spain will have lost
two thousand of hor best soldiers, killed,
wounded and takon prisoners in and
around tho town. which was practically
O'Clock Tonight. This result was not
obtained, howovor, without severe fight
ing on tho part of tho American forcos,
and although 1t is impossible ut this time
to givo list of tho doad or wounded, it
is safe to say tho loss of Gen. Lawton's
division alone will DO 100 killed or
wounded. Among tho officers wounded
| arc:
Col. Carpenter, commanding tho Sow
onth infantry.
Lieut.. Col. PattcYRon, commanding the
Twcnty-sccond infantry; will probably
recover.
Lieut.. Bcsard, adjutant of tho Seventh
infantry; wounded twice.
Major Cornish, of tho Seventh infantry.
| W.
infantry; shot in tho left breast.
IIout Charles l.. Field, Second Massa-
chusotts; shot through tho forehead.
Con. Ludlow's horse was killed under
him.
In General Lawton's division tho Soc
ond massachusetts had, up to tho mid
die Of tho day, sustained tho heaviest
loss, although Othor regiments wore
moro actively engaged. During tho af-
tcrnoon tho fight for tho possession Of
El Cancy was most obstinate, and the
ultimate victory reflects great credit
upon tho American troops. 1t was u
glory, too, for Spain, though sho novor
had chance to win at any timo during
tho day. IIcr mon fought in intrench-
whilo tho American forces wero in tho
open from tho first to last. Tho Span
ish soldiers stuck to thoir work like
men, and this, tho first land fight of the
war, may well cause Spain to feel proud
of her SONS.
| AMERICANS FOUGHT THEIR WAY.
The American soldiers attacked tho
intrcnchmcnts through opcn ground,
and from tho firing Of tho first shot until
fought their way forward and tho Span
isl were driven backward. Genera,
Challoo's brigade held tho right of tho
| line, With tho town of Cancy. General
1mdlow's divisions was in tho center and
Colonel Mills hchtrtho loft.
The plan of battle was for Captain
Allyn Hapron's battery, of tho First Ar
ftillcry, which hold position in tho CEN
ter, above General Ludlow, to sholl tho
fort near tho town. for General Chafrce
to close in rs soon as tho artillery had
reduced tic fort and driven tho Span
iardS toward Santiago, General Ludlow
to lay in tho road below the hill on which
Captain CaprOn's battery was stationed
and swing in on General Chaffce's left,
while Colonel Mills's brigade was to
keep close to General I.udl0w's right and
by simultaneous movement sweep
the Spaniartls in toward Cancy.
| General lawton, who personally dl
rcctch tho operations of his division, left
his camp on the road from Siboncy to
SantiaGo at p. M. and at s o. clock was
with Captain Capron's battery on the
| hill above Cancy.
Orders were given that tho battle
should begin from the center, unless
General Cha!!on, who was nearest to tho
enemy, should find himself attacked
| first.
The action opened at GI5, with shot
from the Second section Of Captain Ca
pron'S battery. It struck close to tho
stone fort near Cancy. Another shot
hit the fort fairly. The Spaniards gave
proper after it was struck tho first time
and the entire garrison ran down the
| hill toward tho town. Tho covered way
in front of the fort, however, was hold
by the Spanish troops, who maintained
an obstinate fire upon our men, who
were advancing slowly through tho bush
and groves, only firing an occasional
shot.
CArRoN'S nATrEHY'S GooD WORK.
| ('nntnin ('anrcnt,, Lnt
the enemy at once and tore the ground
up with shells, sending clouds of dirt
high into the air. The battery also sent
Il number of shells entirely through tho
fort, tearing down large sections of the
walls. This fine Workmanship was re-
pcatcd several times, the battery stop
| ping the fire Of the Spanish soldiers who
had opened repeatedly from the covered
way pits.
l'y s o'clock Gen. Chaffces brigade
was pressing in toward tho town and the
iIing ut intervals was very warm. 1t
WAS very difficult to see anything of tho
baltic, owing to the rolling nature of the
ground and the dense vegetation that
nhsciTot' tiio view in almost ovory dircc-
tion made it impossible to sec far.
Tho firing at times was very heavy
during the morning, hut the Spaniards
IN the covered way made most obsti-
nate defence and refused to yield an inch.
Time and again the shells from Capt.
| Capron'S battery drove them to cover,
but as soon as his fire ceased they were
up and at it, again.
Despite the heavy firing of tho Amori-
can troops, they were able to make but
little apparent progress during the morn
ing, although eventually thoy steadily
drew in and enclosed tho town on all
sides. At noon it became evident that
the fire from the covered way could not
he stopped by tho artillery alone and that
| no permanent advance could be made
until the place was taken, and Con. Law
ton decided to capture it by assault. Ac-
cordingly he sent Il messenger to Con.
Chalfcn with instructions to tako the no.
SitiOn by charge. Gen. Chaifco thGre-
upon closed in with his mon rapidly from
the north, while Capt. Capron maintained
n heavy fire on that fort, keeping the
Spaninrds in tho covered way and putting
hole after hole into tho stone walls Of
the fort. Shortly aftcrward he throw a
shot from tho battery whichtorc away tho
lagstaif, bringing tho Spanish flag to
the ground.
From that time no banner waved above
! it..
| UP HIII. 70 TIE FORT.
At3 o'clock the advance limo Of Gen.
| Chatieo and skirmshors, tho Seventh
infantry, began to appear on tho edge of
tho woods below the fort, and by rapid
ruShcs advanced up the hill TO tho fort
No shot was fired as thcy swept forward,
as IL was evident that tho covered way had
been abandoned, and in Il fow minutes tho
American troops wcro thick around tho
fort which commands tho north side of
tho town. Tho Spaniards wcro COM