The San Francisco call., 1898-08-06
SURVIVORc, FALL EXHAUSTED
FIGHTING BY DAY AND WORK.
 ING AT NIGHT.
General Wheeler Tells of the Great Battle - Praises His Troops and Reports the Casual
 ties to Officers.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

l w Heeief on the operations DeIOre OdL-
 tiago de Cuba has been made public:
 BEFORE SANTIAGO DE CUBA, July
 '. 1SsS1To the Adjutant General, Fifth
 Army Corps-Sir: After the engagement
 of June A I pushed forward my. com
 mand through the valley, Lawton's and | the vicinity of that place. After two
 days rest, Lawton was ordered forward,
 were givena by Major General Shafter to | this office to attack Caney while the cav
 airy division and Rents division were
 ordered to move forward on the regular Santiago road. The movement com
 menced on the morning of July 1. The
 cavalry division advanced and formed in l line with its left near the Santiago road,
 while Kents division formed its line with
 the. right joining the left of the cavalry
 Colonel McClernand of General Shaf- | ter's staff directed me to give instruc-
 tions to General Kent, which l complied
 with in person, at the same time per l sonally directing General Summer to
 move. forward. The men were all com ' pelled to wade the San Juan River to
 get into line This was done under very 1 heavy fire of both infantry and artillery. l Our balloon, having been sent right by
 the enemy. It was evident that we. were l as much under fire in forming the line as
 we would be by an advance, and l there 1 fore pressed the command forward from ! the covering under which 1t was formed; It emerged into open space in full view or
 the enemy, who occupied breastWorkHisi ls rHii
 which overlooks Santiago, officers and
 men falling at every step.
 | The troops advanced gallantly, soon
 reached the foot of the hill and ascended, driving the enemy from their works and ! occupying them on the crest of the hill To accomplish this required courage and determination on the part of officers and
 men of high order. and the losses were
 very severe. Too much credit cannot be given to General Summer and General Kent and their gallant brigade com
 manders.. Colonel Wood and Colonel S. Hawkins, commanding the First Bri-
 gade, Rents division, and Colonel Pear | son, commanding the Second Brigade Colonel Carroll and Major Vessels were enabled to return and resume command General Wyckoff, commanding Kent s
 Third Brigade, was killed at 12:lO; Lieu, | tenant Colonel Worth took command and
 was wounded at 12:15; Lieutenant Colo
 nel I.iscum then took command and was l wounded at 1920, and the command then
 devolved upon Lieutenant Colonel Ewers, | Ninth Infantry.
 Upon reaching the crest I ordered
 breastworks to be constructed and sent | to the rear for shovels, picks, spades and | axes The enemys retreat from the
 ridge was precipitate. but our men were
 so thoroughly exhausted that 1t was lm- possible for them to follow. Their shoes | were soaked with water by wading the | San Juan River. They had become
 drenched with rain, and when they | reached the crest they were absolutely
 unable to proceed further. Notwithstand- l ing this condition these exhausted men | labored during the night to erect breast
 works and furnished details to bury the 1 dead and carry the wounded back in i'm | provised filters. l sent word along the
 fine that endorsements would soon reach 1 US and that Lawton would join our right | and that General Bates would come up | and strengthen our left.
 After reaching the crest Of the ridge General Kent sent the Thirteenth Regu- lars to assist in strengthening our right At midnight General Bates reported and I placed him in strong position on the | H. vol OK on hQ6 n r. tempted to join us from Caney, but when very near our lines he was fired upon | by the Spaniards and turned back, but Joined us next day at noon by circu1touS route During all the day on July the cavalry division, Kent's division and Bates brigade were engaged with the enemy being subjected to fierce fire and incurring many casualties: and later In the day Lawton's division also became engaged.
 During the entire engagement my staff
 ment and ability. Special credit is due to Lieutenant Colonel J. Il. Dorst. Ma1or w A. Beach. Captain Joseph E. Dick
 man and Lieutenant M; F.: Steel: 1 ues H. Reeves and Joseph Wheeler Jr., cap tain William Astor Chanler, Major B. A.
 Darlington, Aurelius Mestre ana Corporai John Landmark also deserve high com mendation for courage and good conduct
 Major West, my quartermaster, oe-
 serves special commendailon Iot ms en- ergy and good conduct during the cam
 Daign, and Major Valerey Harvard and Leonard Wilson have also done thelr
 full duty. Captain Hardy ana flTst S Llel5 Mleu7 Cavalry, were detailed with headquaT- ters and conducted themselves hand
 somely under fire The superp courage n, especially mentioned in the reports of subordinate commanders.
 Our losses were as follows:
 First Rrigade-Third Cavalry-killed, cd officers strength, officers p, men APO. Sixth Cavalry
 Killed men; wounded, 4 officers; 3O
 Cavalry-Killed, 2 officers, men; wound ed, ? officers, II men; strength, l2 of1cers'
 Second Brigade-Ffrst Cavalry-Killed. 1 officer. 12 men; wounded, 1 officer, 47 men; missing, 1 man: strength 21 officers 5Ol
 men Tenth Cavalry-Killed, officers, men; wounded; officers 6S men; me @ missing, E1r Volunteer Cavalry.killed, ofhcer. H
 men; wounded, 5 officers, 12 men; miss ing 1 man; strength, 70 officers, 5If men:
 Following is a list of the officers killed and wounded in the cavalry division:
 officers killed = Lieutenant Colonel
 James A. Hamilton, Ninth Cavalry; Ma
 jor Albert G. TSrTe rst Frst nted stafes @ae Volunteer Cavalry; First Lieutenant Will liam B. Shipp, Tenth Cavalry; First Leu tenant W, H. smith, Ienfh GaVa1ry; &1s np,tb Ae1- ing Assistant Surgeon h. w. Dan1orth, Ninth Cavalry.
 officers wounded Lieutenant Colonel Henry Carroll, Sixth Cavalry, command ing First Brigade; Major Henry E. Wes- sels Jr Third GavalEEy Ea,or MajSr aJ9 T
 ant Surgeon H. la Motte, First United
 States Volunteer Cavalry; Major w c. Hayes, First Ohio Volunteer Cavalry; Captain J. B. Kerr, Sixth Cavalry; Cap tain George A. Dodd, Third Cavalry; Cap tain George F. Hunter. Third Cavalry; Captain G. w. Taylor. Ninth Cavalry; Captain A. P. Blocksom, Sixth Cavalry; Captain John Bigelow Jr.. Tenth Cavalry; Captain M T. Henry. First United States Volunteer Cavalry; Nirst Lieutenant A
 Fl Barnum. Tenth Cavalry; First Liee- tenant Arthur Thayer. Third Cavalry: First Lieutenant o. P. Mayer. Third Cavalry: First Lieutenant w S. Wood. Ninth Cavalry, First Lieutenant A. c. Murrillat, Third Cavalry; First Lieuten- ant K. D. Anderson, Tenth Cavalry; First Lieutenant R; c. Ldvermore, Tenth Cav States Volunteer Cavalry; Second Lieu tenants Willard Tenth Cavalry; Walter Tenth Cavalry: T. Roberts. Tenth Cav airy; H. K. Devereaux, First United ~