The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-07-07


against Spain began on last Friday
morning at santiago de Cuba. 1t was
n desperate fight with great loss on
both sides. At the same time the heat
was inteLse, the thermometer regis
tering about 10 degrees. The loss on
our side was, in the first days battle,
about two hundred killed and seven or
eight hundred wounded, while many
hundreds sank To the earth under the
whitening heat. The loss on the Span
ish side il reported to be- about two
thousand.
There were about eighteen thou
sand soldiers in each army, but the
spanish had the advantage OF a
fortified town and strong entrench-
ments, while our soldiers had to charge
in the open against these terrible odds.
At the same time the Spanish fleet
was lying in the harbor and throwing
shells from their battleships into the
ranks Of the army, while our fleet was
lying outside the harbOr, but too far
of to be OF much advantage.
IL nov seems clear that the sinking
Of the Merrimsc in the mouth OF the
channel to the bay was not only q
mistake but n failure; but it is fOrtu-
nate that it was n failure. It was
sunk at n spot in the channel that is
wide enough for two battleships to
pass around the wreck. 1t seems GER
tain that our fleet must go into the
harbor and attack the Spanish fleet
and destroy it before we can take San
tiago and occupy it. Why this has
not been done before it is hard to tell.
There was little fighting on Satur-
day, for the Spaniards withdrew
within their Notifications and awaited
further attack. Our army is scarcely
able to take their Notifications with
out reinforcements. On last Sunday
General Shafter wired the Secretary
Of War admitting his inability to
storm the city without more force.
The War Department 10 exersing
every effort to send reinfOrcements at
once, but it will take five or six days
for the reinforcements to reach Gen.
eral Skaters army; and, besides, it is
doubtful il the reinfOrcements can be
properly armed to attack the city on
even terms. The fact is we have but
few more soldiers who are equipped
for service with modern guns.
The Spanish soldiers are armed with
the Mauser rifle, one Of the finest mod
ern rifles, which will kill at the dis
lance of n mile. The only other rifle
known that is equal to the Mauser
rifle is the krag-J orgensen rifle. But
there is but one small factory in the
United States making these rifles. At
the beginning of the war it seems that
none or very few of our soldiers were
furnished with this modern rifle. The
factory is working Gay and night max
ing these rifles, but their greatest pos
sible capacity is only one hundred and
hfty per day. SO up to this time Gen.
Skaters army, which is now in Cuba,
are about all the soldiers that have
been furnished with this modern rifle,
which is equal to the Spanish rifle. The
remainder Of our two hundred thou
sand soldiers now in camp are equip
ped with the old Springfield rifle,
which is very good rifle of its kind,
but will not kill at a greater distance
than four hundred yards. Therefore,
it is almost criminal folly to send our
soldiers with such guns to face an enc.
my armed with rifle that will kill at
more than twice the distance.
Whether Gen. Shafter will be able to
proceed on the aggressive, or whether
he will be forced to stand on the de-
fensive until recruits can be equipped
and sent to him is not yet known. OF
course ultimately our army will tri-
umph and We will drive the last Span
ish soldier from the Western Hemis-
phere.
No Drawer and more gallant fighting
was ever done by any soldiers than was
done by ours on last Friday, when
they charged in the open against the
Spaniards behind their strong fOrtifi-
cations and armed with their deadly
rifles. Ii our soldiers he'd met the
Spaniards in the open field they would
have whipped double their number.
z. Son last Sunday (since the
above was written,) q naval engage
ment occurred between our fleet and
the Spanish fleet at Santiago, outside
of the harbor. Every vessel of the
Spanish fleet was captured or DESTROY
ed. Admiral Sampson will now 70 in
to the harb0r and assist our army un.
der Gen. Shafter to take the city. This
will enable Shafter to capture the city
without further re Inducements.
sHAFTER REPORTS To. WASHINGTON.
From the heat and carnage of the
battlefield of Santiago, where for the
last three days the American forces
have pressed for ward against an in
trenched enemy, General Shafter sent
the following dispatch summarizing
the situation:
CAMP NFAaSxvILLA, Cuba, July 3.
To Secretary War, Washington.
We have the town well invested on
the north and east, but with q very
thin line. Upon approaching it We
Ind it Of such character and the de-
lenses 90 strong that it vill be- ,mnos.