The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-07-06

26.-10 a. m.-The initial ngnt Oh
Col. Woods Rough Riders and the
troopers of the First and Tenth regu-
lar cavalry will be known in history
as the battle Of La Auasina. That it
did not end in the complete slaughter
of the Americans was not due to any
miscaloulation in the plans of the
Spaniards, for as perfect an ambuscade
as was ever formed in the brain of an
Apache Indian was prepared, and
Lieut.. Col. Roosevelt and his men
walked squarely into it. For an hour
and a half they held their ground un-
der a perfect storm of bullets from
the front and sides, and then Colonel
Wood at the right and Lieut.. Col.
Roosevelt at the left led charge
which turned the tide Of battle and
sent the enemy flying overthe hills
toward Santiago.
It is now definitely known that six
teen men Of the American side were
killed, while sixty were wounded or
are reported to be missing. 1t is i'm
possible TO calculate the Spanish
losses, but tits known that they were
far. heavier than those of the Ameri-
cans-at least as regards actual loss Of
life. Already thirty seven dead Span
ish soldiers have been found and bur-
led, while many others are undoubted-
II lying in the thick underbrush on
the side Of The gully and on the slope
Of the hill, where the main body Of
the enemy was located. The wounded
were all removed.
That the Spaniards were thoroughly
posted as Co tue route to be taken by
the Americans in their movement to-
ward Sayilla was evident, as shown BY
the careful preparations they had
made. The main body of the Span
iards was posted on hill. on the
heavily wooded slopes on which had
been erected two blockhouses, fanked
BY irregular entrenchments Of stones
and fallen trees. At the bottom Of
these hills run two roads, along which
Lieut.. Col: Roosevelt's s men and eight
troops Of the First and Tenth Caval-
~, with battery Of four mountain
howitzers, advanced. These roads arc
but little more than gullies, rough and
narrow, and at places almost impassa-
Bile. In these trails the 6ghtoccurred.
Nearly half mile separated Roose-
,velt' s men from the regulars, and be-
tween them and on both sides Of the
road in the thick underbrush was con-
cealed a force Of Spaniards that must
have been large, judging from the ter
rife and constant FIRE they poured in
ON the Americans.
The fight was opened by the First
and Tenth Cavalry under General
Young. A force Of Spaniarcs was
known to be in the vicinity Of La
Quasina, and early in the morning
Lieut.. Col. Roosevelt's men started
OFF up the precipitous bluff back Of ST.
honey to attack the Spaniards on their
right flank. General Young at the
same time took the road at the foot Of
the hill.
About two and half miles out from
Siboney, some Cubans, breathless and
excited, rushed into camp with the
announcement that the Spaniards were
but a little way in front and were
strongly entrenched. Quickly the
Hotchkiss guns out in front we're
brought to the front, while strong
scouting line was thrown out. Then,
cautiously and in silence, the troops
moved forward until a bend in the
road disclosed hill while the Span
iards were located. The guns were
again brought to the front and placed
in position, while the men crouched
down in the road, waiting impatiently
to give Roosevelt's men, who were
toiling over the little trail along the
crest Of the ridge, time to get up.
At 7.3O a. m. General Young gave
the command to the men at the Hotch-
kiss guns to open FIRE. The command
was the signal for fight that for
stubbornness has seldom been equall-
ed. The instant the Hotchkiss guns
we're fed, from the hillsides COM
manding the road came volley after
volley from the Mausers of the Span
iards.
ssDon't shoot until you see some
thing to shoot at,'' yelled General
Young, and the men, with set jaws
and cleaning eyes. obeyed the order.
Crawling along the edge Of the road
.ad protecting themselves as much as