The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-15

them losses which re now known 10 be
engagement took place near a ruined
sugar mill called Guasimas. by which
name II viii undoubtedly be known.
Coming over the battlefield this morn
ing I witnessed the burial of eight of
the dead of the Rough Riders regiment:
Captain Caprons body was sent 10 Sio-
oney, in the hope that II may be sent
thence to the United States. The ser
vice was most impressive On the bottom
Of a deep trench. palm leaves were laid,
and on these the bodies Of the soldiers.
including that Of Sergeant Hamilton Fish.
were placed one after the other. a record
Of their positions being kept 50 that
they may be identified in the future. Il
necessary. At the end palms were laid
over the bodies. and while they were be-
ing covered with earth the soldiers sang
Nearer My God TO Thee This was not
the final episode of the battle OF Quasi
mas. for the dead Spaniards remained
10 be buried This duty was performed
today by the Rough Riders.
This engagement was remarkable ex-
hibition of American valor. Three news
paper. CORES pondents. Mr.. Richard Hard
ing Davis. Nj Stephen Crane. and M
Edward Marshall. took part in It. Nj
Marshall was shot in the groin. and. 5
We now suppose was fatally wounded.
The fact that he wore a shirt almost
exactly Ike that word by Colonel Wood.
led TO the early mistaken report that
Colonel Wood had been shot. Lieutenant
Colonel Roosevelt declared that Mr.. Rich
ard Harding Davis service him in the
fight were as valuable as those OF any
one of the officers. Mr. Davis picked up
the carbine OF a fallen soldier and used
it with excellent effect. eli also located
with his glass and reported the position
of the Spanish line.
The Rough Riders give a rather IN
favora Bile account OF the working of their
Krak-J orfiensen carbines; but L am in
clined to accept the assuranceof some OF
the more expert men. that the carbines
became damned" simply on account OF
the inexperinece of these volunteers. The
guns certainly gave a good account of
themselves in the number OF the Spanish
slain. All about the battlefield and es-
pecially on the spot where the Spaniards
made their best stand, Mauser cartridge
shells are scattered thickly. The Span
ISL weapons also gave a good account of
themselves.
The engagement at Guasimas, whether
or not it might have been avoided GER
tainly seems to have resulted in clearing
the road as far as the Spaniards de-
fensive works near Santiago. The ad-
vance is being pushed with more cution
but not with less energy. since the troops
last landed are being pushed up. the
country reconnoitered and the road pre-
pared for the passage of artiller by de-
tails of axemen and shovels from the
regiments along the way. General SHAFT
ter is understood to be back at Siboney,
he has not yet been out over the road.
General Wheeler, on the other hand,
passes up or down quite frequently.
Every one of these general officers is ac-
companied by a Cuban staff officer, not
of the inurgent force. but brought from
the United States. This officer enables
the American staff to keep in constant
touch with Cuban people, who swarm
through the woods
The road from Baiquiri up is much less
mountainous than would be supposed
from the general appearance of the coun-
try. A bride path at first, it has now
been beaten by the advance of thousands
of troops and widened by axes, until it
is for a part of the way a very respect
able highway. Elsewhere it is quilted so
badly that it could be made passable for
artillery only by a great deal of labor.
Artillery is low on the way. and it's ar
rival at the front Will undoubtedly be
followed by very active operations.
j. E c.