The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-03

Spanish Rake the Lines

After the enemy had been driven from Ell
Paso twenty-one shots were fired by Capt.
Grimes and Capt. Capron from that posi-
ton into the outer Notifications Of San
tiago before response came. When 1t did
come, however, it came with unexcelled &C.
curacy, shots and shells from three-inch
rifles. evidently taken from Admiral Ger
vera's warships, and mounted behind the
Notifications. The Spanish gunners raked
the hill on which Ell Paso stands and which
meantime had been made the headquarters
of Gen. Sumner and the Cuban generals,
Garcia, Castillo, Capote and Rabi. One
shell struck large sugar storehouse on the
red corrugated roof on which stood the
Cubans viewing the fight. The roof fell
and all the Cubans were wounded and three
of them will die. A detachment Of 200 Gu
bans went forward from Ell Paso and then
Col. Wood, with the Rough Riders, the
First and Tenth cavalry, started down the
hillside straight for the enemy's fortifca-
tons.
Old Father Grimes
Capt. Grimes battery poured a steady
fire into the Spaniards to protect Col
Woods advance. The dismounted cavalry
and from there opened and maintained for
grass and underbrush and, half way up
the hillside, selected a good spot to halt,
and from hire opened and maintained for
twenty minutes hot fire. The opposing
batteries banged away, Capt. Grimes
sending storm of lead down into the outer
Notifications and the Spaniards pounding
away at the hilltop with vicious persis-
tency. Most of the Spanish shells went
over the hilltops and fell in a ravine be-
You'd. Here several detachments of Cuban
troops were stationed as reserves, and be-
fore they could be moved seven insurgents
were seriously wounded and several slight
ly hurt.
The First Killed
At the same time two Americans were
killed and nine wounded The Spaniards
used smokeless powder and shot with much
more accuracy than during the previous
engagement. The wonder is that many
more lives were not lost, as the opposing
batteries were less than two miles apart.
Col. Woods command behaved with
great bravery, firing steady and deadly vol
leys, with the enemy's shells screeching
and bursting over their heads. Twenty
minutes of fearfully hot work silenced the
Spanish batteries. Ten shots were sent
into them after they ceased firing, but there
was no response. and it is presumed that
the guns were dismounted or the gunners
driven off.
Away to the left, Gen. Lawton's division,
with Chaffee's men and Capron's battery,
was meantime fighting fiercely with the en-
trenched enemy in and about Caney.
Fought Inch by Inch
The Spaniards contended every inch of
the ground bitterly and fought with unex-
pected GOODNESS and courage, but the ire
s,stible onward movement of the Ameri-
cans slowly forced them back upon and
beyond Caney. About II o'clock the terri
BILE fire from Capt. Capron's guns and the
muskets of the men broke the Spanish line
and a retreat began towards the line Of
outer Notifications The enemy took-1he
trail known as the main Santiago road and
Capt. Grimes battery Immediately began
pitching shells In ahead of the retreating
men, while detachment of 20O0 Cubans.
headed by Garcia, were started to cut off
the retreat.
No report has yet been received from
them. A large detachment of Gen. Kents
reserves was sent to aid Gen. Garcia in