The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-04
Spanish flag to the ground From that
time no banner waved above it.
SPANIARDS SJRROTTNDED

SPANIARDS SURROUNDED.
At o'clock the advance line of Gen
eral Chaffee's skirmishers, the Seventh
infantry, began to appear on the edge
of the woods below the fort, and by
rapid rushes advanced up the hill to
the fort. No shot was fired as they
swept forward, and the covered ways
had evidently been abandoned, and in a.
few moments the Americans were
the north side of the town. The Span
iards were completely surrounded. The
main part of the army was between
them on the other three sides. They re-
tired to buildings behind the town and
made gallant defense, but from the
time General Chaffee.s men took the
stone fort they were lost troops to
Spain. Rather than take the town by
an assault, without the aid of artillery,
which must certainly result in great
loss of life, General IawtOn decided to
order forward artillery to shell the
town at close range Although the
road from the hill to. the edge of the
town was nearly impossible for artil-
lery, Captain Capron made the effort,
and by 5 o'clock had his guns in posi-
ton ready to open on the town. For
some time General Chaffee's brigade
held its position in the stone fort, and
then began the descent towards the
town. firing rapid volleys as they adj
vanced.
General Ludlow and Colonel Miles
pressed closely on the other sides. and
at nightfall the town is practically in
the hands of the Americans. Tomor-
row morning at daybreak General Law
toms division viii sweep past Caney on
the direct road to Santiago.
FINE BATTLEFIELD.
The country in which General Law
toms division fought offered great adj
VantaSeS, both to the attacking party
and TO the defenders. 1t is a broad val
ley, thanked on the west by towering
mountains, and on the east by a ridge
about 200 feet high. AT one time it was
under cultivation, but has been neg
lected since the opening of the war. 1t
still retains, however, signs of it's for
mer prosperity in groves of cocoanut
ana mangrove trees and broad fields of
waving grass, in most cases waist high
Several ridges intersect it, but none of
them is over so feet high. The valleys
between these ridges and the groves
were points of vantage to the American
regulars, who used them to the fullest
extent The open spaces were of great
benefit to the Spaniards, who were
given clear sight of the American
soldiers as they advanced. It was the
crossing of the open places that caused
the heaviest American loss.
The brigadeS of Colonel Miles and
General Ludlow had more Of this work
to perform than had General Chaffee's.
ana they, moreover, We're compelled to
make their final charges on the town
across an open space through which
the Spanish fire swept with deadly eff
feet.
No finer work has ever been done by
soldiers than was done by the brigades
or General Ludlow and Colonel Miles,
as they closed in on the town. The
Spanish blazed at them with Mausers
and machine guns, but without effect
Nothing could stop them, and they
pushed in closer during the afternoon.
and by the time General Chaffee's men
were in form, Colonel Miles and General
Ludlow were on the outskirts of the
town. and preventing the Spaniards
from retreating towards Santiago.
While Chaffee closed in on the right
FIERCE FIGHTING.
The fighting for hours in front of Col
onel Miles line at. "a hacienda known
as Duero House, was very fierce The
Spanish defense was exceedingly obsti-
nate. The house was guarded by rifle
pits, and. as the Spaniards were driven
iron one to the other, they continued
their fire. 1t was entirely a fight with
rlies, as the Americans had only Cap
tain Capron's battery of artillery, and
the Spaniards had none at ALL
In this part Of the fight Captain Cap
ron's battery was unable to fire, for
fear of hitting our own men. The place
was finally taken with a rush about
o'clock, the Spanish fleeing, part 10 the
hills, and part to Caney, where they
were rounded up with the other Span
ish troops which had been driven there
by General Chaffee.
Tomorrow Saturday morning. at
daybreak, General Lawton's division
will sweep past Caney on the direct
road to Santiago, connecting with Gen.
eral Kent and General Wheeler's di-
vision, and forming the right of the
line.
When the final closing in movement
was begun, at 6 p. m.,s-the town of
Caney was taken, and large number
of prisoners were captured. The Span
ish loss is 1900 in ALL
a