The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-04
THE CAPTURE OF cANEY.
Fridays All-Day Fight, and 1000
Standards Lost or Prisoners.

Copyright, $685. by the Associated Press.)
HEADQUARTERS OF GEN. SKATER,
Friday, July l (evening), by the Associated
Press dispatch boat Cynthia, via Port An
tonic Saturday. and Kingston, Sunday, July
8, 2:30 a. m.-Hemmed in on all sides by
General Lawtons division, the Spanish
troops in the town of Caney are tonight
practically prisoners of war; and by day
break tomorrow Saturday Spain will have
lost two thousand of her best soldiers,
killed, wounded and taken prisoners, in and
around the town, which was practically in
the hands of the American forces at 8
o'clock tonight. This result was not OBJ
tained however. without severe fighting on
the part of the American forces, and, al
though it is impossible at this time to give
a list of the dead or wounded, it is safe
to say that the loss in General Lawton's d.
vision alone will be $50 killed or wounded.
Among the officers wounded are:
COLONEL CARPENTER, commanding
the Seventh Infantry
LIEUTENANT COLONEL PATTER-
SON, commanding the Twenty-second In
fantry; will probably recover
LIEUTENANT BESARD, adjutant of the
Seventh Infantry; wounded twice
MAJOR CORLISH. of the Seventh In
fantry.
CAPTAIN JACKSON, of Company G,
Seventh Infantry; shot in the left breast
LIEUT.. CHAS. E. FIELD, Second Massa-
chusetts; shot through the forehead.
General Ludlow's horse was killed under
him.
In General Lawtons division the Second
massachusetts, had, up to the middle of the
day, sustained the heaviest loss. although
other regiments were more actively en-
gagged. During the afternoon the fight for
the possession of Caney was most obstinate.
and the ultimate victory reflects great
credit on the American troops It was a
glory, too, for Spain, though she never had
chance to win at any time during the
day. Her men fought in intrenchments.
covered ways and blockhouses, while the
american forces were in the open from first
10 last. The Spanish soldiers stuck to their
work like men. and this, the first land fight
or the war, may well cause Spain to feel
proud of her men.
me American soldiers attacked the in
trenchments through open ground and. from
the firing of the first shot until they were
on the hills above Caney, they fought their
way forward and the Spanish were driven
backwards. General Chaffee's brigade held
the right of therline with the town of
Caney. General Ludlows division was in
the center and Colonel Miles held the left.
The plan of battle was for Captain Allyn
Caprons battery of the First Artillery
Whlch held position in the center, above
General Ludlow, to shell the fort near the
town, for General Chaffee to close in as
soon as the artillery had reduced the fort
and driven the Spaniards towards Santiago;
nral
the hill on which Captain Capron's battery
was stationed and swing in on General
Chaffee's left, while Colonel Miles's brigade
was to keep close to General Ludlow S
right and, by a simultaneous movement,
sweep the Spaniards in toward Caney
General Lawton, who personally directed
the operations of his division, left his camp
on the road from Siboney to Santiago at
a. m. and at O'clock was with Captain
Capron's battery on the hill above Caney.
Orders were given that the battle should
begin from the center unless General Chat
fee, who was nearest the enemy, should find
himself attacked first. The action opened
at 6:4o o'clock with shot from the second
section of Captain Capron's battery 1t
struck close to the stone fort near Caney.
Another shot hit the fort fairly. The Span
iards gave up the idea of holding the stone
fort proper after it was struck the first
time and the entire garrison ran down the
hill towards the town. The covered way in
front of the fort, however, was held by
the Spanish troops, who maintained an OBJ
stinate fire upon our men who were ad-
vancing slowly through the bush and
groves, only firing an occasional shot.
Captain Capron's battery opened on the
enemy at once and tore the ground up with
shells, sending clouds of dust high into the
air. The battery also sent a number OF
shells entirely through the fort, tearing
down large sections Of the walls. This fine
craftsmanship was repeated several times
the battery stopping the fire of the Spanish
soldiers. who had opened repeatedly from
the covered way pits.
BY o'clock General Chaffees brigad,
was pressing in toward the town, and tn,
firing at intervals was very hot 1t wa.
very difficult to see anything OF the batrl,
owing to the rolling nature or the ground
and the dense vegetation that obscured tn,
view in almost every direction made it i'm
possible to see far. The firing at times wa
very heavy during the morning, but tn,
! Spaniards in the covered way made a mos
obstinate defense and refused to yield al
inch. Time and again the shells from Capt
Capron's battery drove them to cover blu
as soon as his tire ceased they we're up ant