Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-07-09
BATTLE BEFORE SANTIAGO
A DESPERATE ENCOUNTER
Spaniards Fight Furiously to Hold Their En-
trenchments but Are Gradually
Driven Back.
SHAFTER'S FORCES ARE NEAR THE CITY
American Soldiers, Driven to Desperation by
the Persistency of the Spaniards,
Fight Valorously.
THE BATTLE RESUMED AT DAYLIGHT TODAY
American Loss Exceeds Four Hundred in
Killed and Wounded but Americans
Won at All Points.

New York, July "A dispatch TO
lbe Herald from the headquarters Of
the American army before Santiago,
dated July /. via Playa del Este, says:
General Shafter this morning began
the war with great yigor i'm an attack
on the outer d~efenses Ct Santiago.
From three directions the American
forces advanced toward h doomed
city, while Lawton and Wheeler was
attacking Caney, northeast of SAINT
ago and Kent was advancing toward
Aguadores. General Garcia, with his
Cuban troops at the same time APP
preached Caney from the southeast,
and other divisions OF the American
army pressed toward Santiago from
the east, our forces thus presenting a
solid front from the coast TO General
Linares' northern defenses.
Four members Of the Twenty-first
regiment of regulars were killed in
fighting between Sevilla and Aqua
dores, while sixteen other Americans,
all members of the Twenty-first, were
wounded.
Both the American and Spanish
fleets effectively joined in the battle.
While Sampson and his men were re-
ducing the recently raised batteries
at Aguadores, Cervera's fleet was
throwing shells in the direction OF the
American and Cuban lines.
Two batteries of light artillery, act
ing under orders from General Shat
ter, who went to the front at the head
of the troops, began the battle OF San
tiago by attacking Caney. From this
village the direct road leads into San
tiago, and the advance of our forces
was irresistible when they gained pos
session OF this road.
General Joe Wheeler with II de-
tachment of his cavarly command and
Garcia with his Cuban troops quickly
Joined Lawton's men In the advance
upon Caney.
The Spaniards for n time fought des-
perately TO prevent Caney from falling
into the hands of our forces. 1t was n
vain effort. Before the fighting had
been long under way the Americans
and Cubans gained advanced ground
foot by foot and the enemy was driven
back into the village.
IL was evident after the first hours
fighting hat Shafter had accurately
gagged the strength of the enemy and
he would be able 10 drive the Span
iards into Santiago at his pleasure.
Ii was with difficulty that the com
manding officers restrained the ardor
of our troops until the hour for be-
ginning the attack. The enthusiasm
among the forces was intense and
their spirit quickly spread to the Gu
ban troops. All shared in the BELIEF
OF Shafter that Santiago could b
taken by n sharp and persistent at
tack, and they have been impatient to
advance.
Kent, who commanded the center
general line of the attack, started the
Twenty-first regiment of regulars to-
ward A~guadores at the same hour that
Lawton's men advanced toward Caney.
Upon those troops fell the brunt of the
battle to the southeast of Santiago
during the early hours Of the day.
There was desperate fighting about
Aguadores. Acting under orders from
Linares, the Spaniards at that point re-
turned the American fire with n fury
that aroused our men TO the ~fiercest
determination. They boldly faced the
enemy's fire, holding the ground tcna-
ciously and pressing forward whenever
an opportunity to gain advanced foot
ing presented itself. In their attack
on Aguadores the Americans were
greatly encouraged by the work of the
feet, which poured a heavy fire into
the lines of the Spaniards.
Sampson ordered the New York, the
Gloucester and the Suwanee to attack
the batteries recently placed TO the
east of MORO. The vessels engaged