Evening star., 1898-07-05
THE JOY OF THE ARMY.



Not Until Late Sunday Was Cervera's
AnnihilatiOn known.
tCopyrsrt. 1895, by the Associated Press.l
AT the Front Headquarters of General
shafter's Army. before Santiago de Cuba,
Sunday, July 3, via Kingston, Jamaica,
July 4.-Eariy In the day a man on the
lookout had reported that the Spanish fleet,
under the command Of Admiral Cervera,
had sailed out of the harbor Of Santiago de
Cuba. but it was not until late this after
noon that the result was known at the
front.
As the word Of the magnificent victory
flew from sentry to sentry along the firing
lines, and was shouted to the companies,
| regiments and brigades, a great cheer
swept down the line of weary men, which
gathered force as 1t went, until the rattle
| of musketry was drowned in the rear from
glad American throats. Ths news was
flashed back into the underbrush. where
| the reserves lay, and the men almost
| stampeded In their enthusiastic desire to
get to the front.
Ths cheering continued throughout the
evening as the details Of the fight came in.
The men could not have displayed more en-
thusiasm had the victory been theirs In
stead Of the navy's.
Chanee Slightly Wounded.
Although the firing continued all day bs-
tween the outposts very little damage was
done on either side. Gen. Chaffee was
wounded slightly. a rifle bullet cutting
through his foot. but he will not be COM
PEELED to leave the field.
The only severe firing during the day
occurred when the Spanish fleet was leav-
t,-cr 49,
tempted to divert the attention of our
troops, but the Americans responded SO
willingly that the fire soon ceased, and
was only resumed at intervals during the
remainder of the day.
Last night Saturday the only aggres-
sive movement the Spaniards made re-
suited in their severe defeat.
At about 10 o'clock the enemy came OUT
Of the breaches about the city walls in
large force and dashed straight for the
American lines. In one or two places our
n en- fell back from their position, but
quickly rallied and drove the enemy back
pell nell into their own bitches.
The Spanish losses must have been
frightful, as they were exposed to ter
rife fire for quarter Of an hour. The
losses on the American side were very
light, as our soldiers lay in the rifle pits
| and had every advantage.
The most daring of the Spanish forces
are the sharp shooters. They take their
positions almost at the wall, and from
the dense tree tops do execution with
smokeless powder, making 1t difficult to
locate them. Several times they have shot
into Gen. Skaters tent, which is several
miles from the front, and they have in
tested the trail for ten miles between
Juragua and the outposts.
killing Our Wounded.
One of the most horrible features OF the
war is that dozens of men have been kill
ed as they lay in litters, and that surgeons,
wearing the emblem of the Red Cross So
ciety upon their arms, have been the spe-
cial object of attack.
The number of killed and wounded for
the week reaches tonight about 1850. No
effort is, apparently, being made by our
officers to expedite the listing of the
casualties, and not one-fifth of the total
names are known, even to the command
ing officers Already eight hundred cases
have been handled at the hospital here, be-
cause of the overflow from the hospitals at
the front All the wounded here are re-
covering.
There has been only one death since the
hospital was established, that of Private
Meyers of the 9Th Infantry, which occur
req today. He was shot through the body
Adjutant Wood of the 9th Cavalry who
was shot through the face, ana who was
not expected to recover, is improving rapid
iy, and will be sent to Key West next week.
There has been much conjecture today
as to whether Lieut.. NJ. A. Babon Of the
9th Cavalry, who is the acting Topographic
cal officer of the staff, made the maps OF
the trails before Fridays battle. He has
been at work ever since, most of the time
in and around the Spanish lines. He has
almost always refused an escort, and
though he has been shot at several times
he has not been wounded.
On Thursday, while out with two men, he
encountered a detachment of ten Span-
iards and an officer. and took all prisoners
Captured at Caney.
A total of 30 prisoners were captured in
battle at Caney on Friday. of whom forty
five We're regular Spanish soldiers, in uni
form; two officers. and the remainder
armed residents Of the town. Nine wound
ed men were left in the blockhouse attend
ed by native physician. The other pris-
oners were brought to Juragua today in
charge of Capt. Macarthur and two COM
panies Of the, 33d Michigan Regiment. and
camped along the railroad. The Cubans
followed them in great crowds and hurIed
epithets at the frightened capttyes.
All the soldiers belonged to the 29th
Spanish Regulars, and expected to be
killed.