The times., 1898-07-04

y.
treme right formation and was like two
sides OF an equiiaterial triangle. Lud-
low being to the south and Chaffee TO the
east
." Ludlow began firing through the
brush and we could see through the tu-
mutt IN the palm trees and tangled Of brush
that the brown and blue figures of our SOL
diers. in a line mile long. were stealing
from tree to tree, from bush to bush, fir
ing as they went up. Here, on the heights
Gen. Chaffee, facing FL Caney, moved his
troops very early in the morning. The
batt.e opened by Ludlow's artillery firing
on the fort and knocking several holes in
it.
Demolished the Fort.
" The artillery kept up a steady fire on
the fort and town and finally demolished
the former. Several times the Spaniards
were driven from ii. but each time they
returned before the infantry could ap-
proach 1t. Oar artillery aad but four
small guns and though they fired with
great accuracy, it was ten hours before
they finally reduced the stone fort on the
HILL which enabled our infantry to take
possession. The Twelfth Infantry occu-
pied the left of the line, me Seventeenth
the right and the Seventh, made up of
many recruits occupied the center The
Spanish fired from the loopholes of a
storehouse and those on the east side of
the fort in trenches fought like devils.
From all the ridges round about the
scream of shells kept up.
Gen. chaffees men were wondering
how they were being wounded and for a
time they th2ught Gen. Ludlow's men on
the opposite side of the fort were firing
over it. IN fact the fire came from the
heavy breastworks on the northwest cor
ner OF EI Caney. where me principal
Spanish force lay with their hats on sticks
to deceive the enemy and poured in a
fearful fire.
ben- Z hnflee a E1Shter.
Seventeen OF our men had TO lie down
fat. Even then they We're killed. Chat
fee dashed about with his hat on the back
Of his head Ake a magnificent cowboy.
urging his men on. crying to them to help
their country win a victory.
'smokeless powder made it impossible
to locate the enemy. You wonder where
the fre comes from When you stand
UP to see, you get a bullet. We finally
located their trenches and could see an
officer moving about. urging on the
men.
The enemy was making a turning
movement to the right and to turn the
left of the Spanish position it was neces-
sary to get the bIockhouses which held
the right of our lines.
"'Chafee detailed Capt. Clark. when the
artillery had reduced the bIockhouse. to
approach and occupy it. Clark and Capt.
Haskett started up. ! had been on the
so 1 volunteered to show them the way
We got our wire cutters and cut the
wire in front of the trenches. I jump
ed over the strands and got in the trench
1t was a horrible blood-spilling thing an
inferno of agony.
Men lay dead. while others, with teeth
cleaning and hands clutched to their
throats were crawling there alive.
shouted to them to surrender. They held
their hands up. ran into the fort and
found there a Spanish officer and four
men alive. Seven lay dead in one room.
The whole floor ran with blood and the
walls were splashed with blood
Spanish Flag Captured.
- Three poor wretches put their hands
together in supplication. One had a white
handkerchief tied on stick. which he
lifted as he moved toward me 1t was a
perfect hog-pen Of butchery. The officer
held his hands up. The others began to
pray and plead. took the guns from
all and threw them outside the fort I
called to some of our men to take them
in charge as prisoners. I then got out of
the fort and ran around to the other side,
secured q Spanish flag and dashed it to
our troops. who cheered Justify.
Just as I turned to speak to Capt.
Haskett was struck with bullet from
the trenches on the Spanish side.
-Chafee's men moved on the breast
works and took them and FL Caney was
ours. Banks. colored sergeant of the
Twelfth Infantry. raised an American
flag. Chanee says he was much aston
ished at the number of men lost in the
siege of the town. as it did not contain
more than a thousand Spaniards. Some
twenty-five of these were killed, fifty
were wounded and $50 were taken prison
ers. The Twelfth Infantry lost heavily.
Lieut.. Churchman. of the Twelfth, was
shot through the breast. In Company C
First Sergt Miller was killed -
INTO THE JAWS OF HE'LL.
The Splendid Courage of American