The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03

Der.
Most Of our troops took position during
the night although Gen. Bates reserve did
not come up till morning.
Gen. Lawton's division, on the extreme
right supported by Capt. Caprons bat
terry, Gen Nents division in the center
and Gen. Wheelers division on the left,
supported by Capt. Grimes battery, plant
ed on a hill, formed line, In front of
which Santiago lies, extending a distance
of fully five miles. Immediately in front
Of Gen. Lawton lay Caney, surrounded by
book houses and entertainments. and
against this point were the operations di-
rected.
Beyond the San Juan river 1000 yards
before the center and left lay a line of en-
Jrenchments a mile west of the city. These
two divisions were covered by a heavy
tangled underground between the San
Juan and the Rio Guiana.
Capt Grimes battery planted on a hill
for<ed line which stretched across the
whole width of the basin in which San
tiago lies.
On the extreme left on the nights be-
You'd Capt. Grimes battery, behind which
in the shelter Of an old sugar house
where the rear cavalry division was
massed, were Gen. Dufield's Michigan
Volunteers, who moved out at daylight
over the line of railroad from Siboney.
The Americans had the advantage of the
sun in the morning, which shone directly
in the enemy's faces.
The engagement opened when the fleet
lying outside the entrance to the harbor
began dropping shells into the lower end
of the Spanish earthworks. This firing,
which was entirely by bearings, was not
effective.
At 7:2O the land engagement opened with
firing from Capt. Caprons battery, on the
extreme right, upon the block houses and
entertainments before Caney. This was
followed quickly by simultaneous attacks
by Gen. Chaffee and Col. Ludlow, who
occupied thanking position to the north.
The Spanish replied with great spirit and
nerve when our shells burst directly over
their trenches.
A few minutes before o'clock Cant
| Grimes opened with his battery on the
nights to the right of the main redoubt.
| situated in the center of the Spanish line
| of entertainments, directly before the city.
The Spanish reply was immediate and
| wonderfully accurate. The second or
! third of their shells broke over one of
| Capt Grimes guns, killing two men and
! wounding four Both the Spanish and
| American batteries used shrapnels
The next Spanish shell burst just be-
! yond the battery and riddled a sugar
| house behind which Col Woods Rough
| Riders were waiting a forward movement
1t was from this elevation that the Eng
| hsh, German and japanese military at
taches viewed the engagement.
Capt Grimes shells set for range of
| 1880 yards, slightly overshot the mark
1t was difficult to locate the Spanish guns,
as they used smokeless powder and In
this, the first artillery duel we had the
worst of it,
Up to this time there had been no in
fantry except on the extreme right, where
| The Spaniards We're being hard pressed by
| Gems. Chaffee and Lawton.
About $50 balloon was sent up in front
| OF the cavalry division. This drew the
first volley from the Spanish entrench-
ments Though volley followed volley, the
| daring officer made a reconnaissance and
got safely down. after having obtained
complete details of the disposition of the
enemy.
The advance of the cavalry and Gen.
kents division Immediately began along
the line of the mainsroad to Santiago
1t was about two hours later before our
advance began breaking through the cover
| in front OF the Spanish trenches
1t was met with a murderous hail from
| Mauser rifles, which temporarily STAYED
the forward movement.
TIhe Spaniards had the range and their
practice was good. Our men lay on their
| breasts and poured voiley after volIev ipto
| a y oil
lines could see the whites of each others
eyes.
Capt. Grimes then reopened with his
battery and in the second duel with the
Spanish artillerists did much better execu-
tlon' painting shell after shell in the first
| main redoubt and slencing two guns.
Inc Spanish gunners then turned their
attention 20 our infantry and began drop
| ping shells in the advance guard
h rev minutes afterWard Clark's brisad de
and the right of Kents division made a
gallant charge up the knoll to the north Of
the extreme left on the Spanish line and
took possession of the hacienda in tbe
shelter of an orange grove.
This marked the beginning Of a rnaenia-
cent charge through the first hnesof en-
| trenchments.
The cavalry division and Gen. Haw-
| klns' brigade charged up the slope against
storm of bullets. 1t was in this awfnI
that they started on a double quick: but no
troops could face such a terrible fire with
| out annihiliauon. Our men staggered
threw themselves on the ground. Again
they started, again they Frustrated them
selves; but on, on, up, up they went un-
I'll with a cheer they sprang over the
trenches dividing the sides of the hin
checkered with their fallen comrades.
There was hand 10 hand fighting here in
| which an officer of the Twentv-fourth
was macheted, but the Spaniards could
not resist the onset of our troops and
they scrambled out of the trenches end
broke over the line of knobs on which
| they were situated.
Hundreds of the enemy lay dead or
wounded in the trenches.
The main redoubt was then carried with
a rush
The two remaining Batteries We're or
dered up and with a rattle and clash
y Capt. Bates battery went tearing up the
road, numbered as it was with a stream
Of wounded going to the rear The pat
terry got in position to the right of the