Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-12-29

I|CN'NT%"a- ono,nr ,haro -,
the 23d of June, but the Spaniards told
the Americans that General Escarrio
was in command of them during the
action with the cavalry on the gath.
Tho French officer before quoted said
that Linarcs instructed his men on San
Juan ridge to hold ON as long rs they
could and then fall back, command
which is tho next thing to ordering
retreat. The conduct of the Spaniards
all through indicated that they intended
to let the Americans come up to the
main defenses of the city if they would.
| Linares was wounded at a critical time
! for counter attack on San Juan ridge
and seems to have been preparing for it
| when hit. What transpired shortly aft
er his fall-tbat is on the evening of
July 2-indicated that he hoped to turn
| Skaters left flank and cut him off from
his base. In point of fact the right flank
of the American limo was its weakest
! spot just at that time. 1t was "in the
| air, " as soldiers say, owing to the fail
urc Of Lawton to get into position on
| the heights ON the Ell Caney road.
"Strong position, but weak line to
hold it," is the way the cavalrymen
spoke of the north part of the ridge
which they carried and intrenched, re-
| ferring to the situation the evening of
July l and the day following
Mention has been made of the Ninth
cavalry calling for help on the after
noon of the LIST. This regiment, consist
ing of one battalion, occupied the eS-
treme right, narrow ridge extending
| toward the FL Caney road, with Span
ish blockhouse and fort only 900 yards
| away. To that point the machine guns
were hurried. Kent also sent the Thir.
teenth infantry.
\ proposition to retreat from its posi-
ton was discussed in the cavalry di-
| stood that Colonel Roosevelt, whose
rank made him senior on the front line,
favored it, Captain Morton, then COM
manding tho Third cavalry, opposed it,
saying the place would have to be Won
again. Captain Boughton of the same
regiment observed TO Roosevelt, 1--WE
can hold it against all hell - But sup
| ports were needed, and after repeated
calls by Morton they came up at 10 p
III. The last call for help was referred
| TO General Wheeler, as commander of
the division, the first heard of him by
the officers on the front line that day.
The Third cavalry occupied and in
trenched salient on the ridge looking
toward Santiago, the point nearest the
Spanish trenches and less than 500
| yards from them. At midnight the
| Spaniards opened on that point with a
| sharp fusillade. Meanwhile the battal-
ions left as reserve on kettle" hill
| had moved to the crest, making seven
battalions, or less than four regiments,
to hold the ridge from the San Juan
road to that from FL Caney. A most
important part of the line, this was us
things stood Had Lawton taken posi-
ton on the Ell Caney road, with Kent
holding on at the blockhouse and south
of it, the ridge taken by the cavalry
would have been useless to the Span
iards.
There are some grounds for the claim
that the cavalry division took the ridge
without orders from headquarters No
positive orders like those to Kent can
be traced. General Sumner, who com.
manded the cavalry, says he charged the
hill in order to avoid retreat and casual
ties. The position which the cavalry oc-
cupied i'll the morning of July | along
the streams was one to enable it to sup
port Kent in the attack assigned him at
San Juan or to help Lawton in the at
tack at the Ell Caney road, The conduct
of General Wheeler on the LIST of July
supports the inference that the cavalry
division had no orders to attack in the
morning. There is n slight contradic-
ton in the statements of Wheeler and
Shafter as to Wheeler work that day.
Wheeler says he was able to act early
in the morning; that he conveyed SHAFT
ter's orders to Kent to move forward,
and also personally told Sumner to do
the same, statement which places
Sumner in command of the cavalry and
makes Wheeler an acting corps COM
mander. Shafter, ON the other hand,
says that Wheeler, the permanent COM
nander of the cavalry division, who had
been i'll, came forward during the morn
ing and later returned to duty" Among
all the orders that day which traced l
found no allusion to Wheeler. until
along in the evening, when he establish
ed his headquarters at the base of the
hill in rear of his own division. Wheel
er says that he sent for intrenching
tools and ordered his men to intrench
and sent word to them that Lawton
would come up on the right, and Gen
eral Bates troops from FL Caney would
strengthen tho left ON San Juan ridge
This shows that Wheeler was perfectly
sA'~i'i"- with ideas ut headquarters, f.