The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-07-02
Shafter Opens the Fight 10
Capture the Town. 2:
y
DAY OF FIERCE FIGHTING
OurCasuaIticsW will Reach Above
Four Hundred.
NOT MANY WERE KILLED.
..
Our Troops Are Less Than a Mile
From the City. .
LAWTON CAPTURES Ell CANEY.
NOT MANY WERE KILLED.
LAWTON CAPTURES EL CANEY.

ln Diplomatic Circles in Washington Re-
port Is Current That Santiago I' Already
In the Hands Of Our Soldiers Dangers
Of the Situation as Developed by News
paper Correspondents Visit to the Camps
Of Cuban Insurgents Forces Of
the Cubans Left to Prevent the Alliance
Of Formidable Bodies of the Spanish
Regulars.
Washington. July 2.-Late last night
the war department received the fol-
lowing from General Shafter dated at
Eiboney:
''IIad very heavy engagement to-
day, which lasted from 3 a. IN. until
sundown. We have carried their out
works, and are now In possession of
them. There Is now about three
0uarters of mile OF open between
my lines and the city. BY morning
trOops will be entrenchcd and consId-
orable augmentation of forces Will be
there. General Lawton's division ana
General Bates brigade, which have
Caney, which was accomplished at 4
p. M, will DO In line ana in front of
Santiago during the night. regret
to say that our casualties Will be
above 400. or these not many were
killed."
Still later 1t was announced unof-
0cially that another dispatch had been
received, but not from General Shafter.
This dispatch declared that at o'clock
In the afternoon. after five hours ter
Fihc fighting, the Spanish began to
leave their entertainments and retreat
Into the city. Many Americans were
: wounded and were brought in. One
man had both arms shot off and was
: Eounderi1n the hip. but was laughing.
\ In high diplomatic quarter 1t was
stated this morning that word had
been received, indirectly, but in such
manner as to receive credit in this
quarter. that the American forces had
taken Santiago. There is, of course,
no means of verifying this statement,
but 1t Is given in view of the fact that
the sources who credit the report usu-
ally are In position to have accurate
Information. The fact that their in
formation is indirect must be further
taken into account.
Later information In the same quar-
ter was not as favorable, and left the
outcome of the engagement open to
doubt. The first dispatch came from
Havana. and in effect stated that the
American troops were advancing rap
Idly to the city, driving the Spanish
before them, The later information
raised question as to what had been
sent earlier, and 1t was said that the
reported occupation of Santiago was at
most a rumor based upon the earlier
advlces of the rapid advance of the
Americans on the city The latest ad-
vices were to the effect that all of the
american army had not been brought
to bear In action.
A dispatch received from Port An
tonic, Jamaica, filed from newspaper
dispatch boat which left the fleet off
Santiago Thursday afternoon, tells of |
o two days visit by the correspondent
to the Cuban lines and outposts. This |
visit developed situation which, If |
mot broken by vigorous and sue |
cessful attack on Santiago. may re-
suit in causing much more serious !
work than has been anticipated with |
the Spanish forces that have retired |
from the vicinity of Aserraderos, on |
the west, and Baiquiri, on the east, to
Join General Linares.
The forces in Santiago and within
the fortified defenses of the city now
number 1000, 1000 regulars and 1000 !
volunteers Concerning the latter, the
Cubans allege that they will not fight
swith any heart, but will lay down
their arms. According to Spanish SOL
diers captured and held in the camp
of General Perez, near Guantanamo,
half Of the force of men on the Span
ash warships have been landed, with
all the rapid fire guns. This would
make total force in the city of 1880
men. in addition to the protection
from the earthworks and forts and the
assistance of the ships in the harbor.
To meet this force, or at least to in
wade its stronghold, the American
have 1900 men and 1000
Cubans-the latter to prevent, If pos
sible, flank movements at the expense