The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-22
CAPTURING E GANEY
Where All Odds Were Against
the ASSaiIantS.
WHOLE DAY UNDER FIRE
Green Troops, But Never a
SkuIker Among Them.
DAY UNDER FIRE

Gen. Kent's at the extreme left. mad
an almost simultaneous attack on tn
Spanish outposts. Gen. Lawton's obtec
was 20 take Caney. Gen. Wheeler's Z
take the hill and blockhouse al San Juan
and Gen. Kent's to make a demonstra Ii o,
against the Spanish position al Aguadore
at the mouth of the San Juan river. Gen
Lawton and Gen Wheeler succeeded il
their purpose, at large cost of blood
| The attack on Aguadores was also a sue.
cess, considered solely as a demonstra
| uon, but the troops were soon withdra WIN
after being put in a very bad place, and
| after receiving support from the cruiser
| New York which was apparently wholly
| ineffective. The attack on San Juan hill
and Caney were really brilliant eneag-
| ements, in which every inch of SPACE
gained by the American troops was brave
~ fought for by them and bravelv de-
Tended by the Spaniards. The Americans
| fought with the disadvantage of a coun-
try in which il was extremely hard to
| bring up or move artillery. or renew sun
plies of ammunition. The Spaniards had
the further advantage of entrennhed
positions and carefully studied range for
their guns. Most OF the American troops
had been marched many miles over a
rough country and rocky or muddy roads
in order to make the attack early on the
morning of the LIST, and were tired and
III fed. A majority of them went under
fire for the first time, but they were stead
ily under fire all day. DecimatIng losses
were inflicted on them, but I have not
heard of any case Of f1lnching or skulk-
ing on the part of any OF our troops, vol
unteers or regulars.
/ was fortunate enough to see all of the
Caney fight from the firing line. 1 was
with the Seventeenth infantry, Of Gen.
Chaffee's brigade mad Gen Lawton's di-
vision. The brigade had been marched
on the afternoon of the Goth from their
encampment on what was then the ad-
vance line, near the Rio Seco-the neigh
borhood called Los Mangos-by a round
about route among the hills to a steep
mountain slope some three or four miles
from Caney. We bivouacked there, sleep
ing without shelter tents, and making no
rough mountain path through some of the
lOveliest Cuban slll-tops that ever were
seen. Royal palms rose to great heights
among the thickets. and mango trees.
with glossy leaves and green and yellow
fruit, were never out of sight. In all the
hollows there were running streams of
clear water, which Of course, had to be
forded The path was mere trail,
through which the regiments passed in
single file The ground became muddy
and slippery with the travel of so many
between the heat and the steepness of the
path. walking became a fearful labor.
Nevertheless, the pace was increased
rather than slackened. Many of the men
were unable to endure it, and fell out to
rest in the shade.
The Seventh Regiment took a nearer
path than the others. and arrived first on
the hills that command Caney. As we
came up, that village looked very pretty
indeed. with tile-roofed houses and
matched huts. and a little church. living
under the shelter of an old, roofTess cita-
del, on hill The light battery. which had
been brought over by a more direct wav
than we had taken. opened its fire on this
pied with its one gun, throwing a sharpneI
on the hill our guns were As 1 came
with our regiment over the hill top.
saw some fifty or hundred Spanish soldiers
apparently running away from the town
/ also saw a long line of black figures
crawling along the top of a lower hill
than ours. toward this meadow; they were
the seventh. Then we heard a rattle of
musketry, and the Spanish soldiers were
running back. I learned afterwards that |
they were not running away. for the |
work Of that day proved them all brave
men, but merely seeking 10 take up a |
position which they had no idea was oc- |
cupied.
Back into the town they went The |
sharp swapping FIRE Of the Mausers came |
IN from the valley. The similar. though |
apparently louder and less cracking. rat |
lie Of the Krag-Jorgensens rose into a |
roar from the hilltop. Our regiment !
passed on. Il seemed that We were un- |
fortunately late and the seventeenth fear
ID that the seventh would drive the Span- |
ards out Of the town before the Seven !
tenth had chance at them That was
he regiments impression of the Span
ards a, that hour in the morning. But
he Seventeenth filed rapidly down. pass
nE the packs of the seventh. near which
threw down IT'S own; crossing a stream
hat ran through guich lined on both
sides with tall palms: then up through
All Cuban grass by slippery path.then
% the top Of the hill. where We found
,our dead dead soldiers. and more who
we're not Yet dead. The Seventh had
'een sent forward to a stiU nearer hillock.
Nhere the regiment lay fiat on its face.
pouring fierce FIRE down upon che vii
age, Our commanding officer. Lieut.
'ol. J II. Haskell. had orders 10 suooor-
ne seventh. In front ~ him was an
'pen field. swept by the Spanish muske,rv
ire from hreaSt works around the village.
Il advance Of his regiment. Col Haskell !
stepped out into open space. walking erect.
Without crouchlnE or running. In an
'taer moment he fell 70 the ear.d. LIEUT..
Dickinson. who was with him. received 4
mot II his arm and came back for helm.
NE regiment crept along on hands and
Snees towards a lane thar afforded some
helier from the kiilinS fire Meantime
-e-ut- Hardaway and Ls-ut Roberts
S-.ed Tor FIVE men 20 so out and get the
.o4oae.. and five pr.vatas stepped forward
aTee ot them were shot down IN the
pen. Tie others passed on. and vi.h
ne offlcerS brought back the Colonel he
.ad three bad wounds. L.euteaan. Dick
nSon who again turned into ;hs thick Of
ne IRE, received another and fatal wound
hrousn his body The wounded men were
arr,ed into lane which ran straight to-
Yards the stone tort on the han. and W-sic,
einS depressed little Afforded some
heiier from The ram Of iead. and into tnfs
ane The whole regiment fed. lying down
T!.h faces 20 the ridge.
From this position, which looked |
traght down toward tae towa.ana which