The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-07-04

was pressing in toward the town and
the firing at intervals was very warm
1t was difficult to see anything of the
battle owing to the rolling nature of
the ground and the dense vegetation
that obscured the view in almost every
direction made it impossible to see far.
The firing, at times, was very heavy
during the morning, but the Spaniards
in the covered way made a most obsti-
nate defense and refused to yield an
inch. Time and again the shells from
Captain Capron's battery drove them to
cover, but as soon as his fire ceased
they were up and at it again.
Despite the heavy firing of the Amer
lean troops they were able to make but
morning, although eventually they
steadily drew in and enclosed the town
on all sides.
At noon it became evident that the
fire from the covered way could not be
stopped by the artillery alone, and that
no permanent advance could be made
until the place was taken, and General
Lawton decided TO capture it by as
sault.
Accordingly he sent a messenger to
General Chaffee with instructions to
take the position by charge. General
Chaffee thereupon closed in with his
men rapidly from the north, while Cap
tain Capron maintained heavy fire on
that fort, keeping the Spaniards in the
covered ways and putting hole after
hole into the stone walls of the fort.
Shortly afterwards he threw a shot
from the battery which tore away the
Flagstaff, bringing the Spanish flag to
the ground. From that time no ban
ner waved above it.
AT 3 O'Clock the advance line of Cen
eral Chaffee's skirmishers, the Seventh
Infantry, began to appear at the edge
of the woods, below the fort and by
rapid PUSHES advanced up the hill to
the fort No shot was fired as they
swept forward. 1t was evident that the
covered way had been abandoned and in
a few minutes the American troops
were thick around the fort which COM
mands the north side of the town The
Spaniards were completely surrounded
The main part of the army was be-
tween them on the other three Sides
They retired to buildings in the town
and made gallant defense, but from
stone fort they We're lost troops to
Spain. Rather than take the town by
a general assault, without the aid Of
artillery, which must certainly result
in great loss of life, General Lawton
decided to order forward artillery to
shell the town at close range. AL
though the road from the hill to the
edge OF the town was nearly impossible
for artillery, Captain Capron made the
effort and by 5 O'Clock had his guns in
position ready to open the town. For
some time General Chaffee's brigade
held its position behind the stone fort
and then began the descent toward the
town, firing rapid volleys as they adj
vanced
General Ludlow and Colonel Miles
pressed closely on the other sides and
at nightfall the town is practically in
the hands of the Americans To-mor-
row morning at daybreak General Law
tons division will sweep past Caney on
the direct road 10 Santiago.
The country in which General Law
toms division fought offered great adj
vantages both to the attacking party
and to the defenders. 1t is a broad
valley, f1anked on the west by towering
mountains, and on the east by a ridge
about 200 feet high At one time it was
under cultivation, but has been neglect
ed since the opening of the war. 1t
still retains, however, signs of its for
mer prosperity in groves of cocoanut
and mangrOve trees and broad fields
of waving grass, in most cases waist
high. Several ridges intersect it, but
none of them is over fifty feet high
The valleys between these ridges and
groves were points of vantage to the
American regulars who used them to
the fullest extent. The open spaces
were of great benefit to the Spaniards
who were given a clear site of the
American soldiers as they advanced.
1t was the crossing of the open places
that caused the severest American loss.
The bridges of Colonel Miles and Cen
eral Ludlow had more of this work to
perform than had General Chaffee's,
and they, moreover, were compelled to
make their final charges on the town
across an open space through which the
Spanish fire swept with deadly effect.
No finer work has ever been done by
soldiers than was done by the brigades
of General Ludlow and Colonel Miles
as they closed in on the town. The
Sraniards blazed at them with Mausers
and machine guns, but without effect.
Nothing could stop them, and they
pushed in closer and closer during the
afternoon and by the time General
Chaffee's men We're in form Colonel
Miles and General Ludlow were on the
outskirts of the town and preventing
the Spaniards from retreating toward
Santiago, while Chaffee closed in on
the right.
The fighting for hours in front of
Colonel Miles line at hacienda known
as Duoco House, was very fierce The
Spanish defense was exceedingly OBJ
stinate The house was guarded by
rifle pits, and as the Spaniards were
driven from one to the other they con-
tinued their fire. 1t was entirely a
fight with rifles and the Americans had
only Captain Capron's battery of ar
tillery and the Spaniards had none at
ALL
In this part of the fight Captain Cap
ron's battery was unable to fire for fear
of hitting our own men. The place was
finally taken with rush about :
o'clock, the Spanish fleeing, part to the
hills, and part to the Caney, where
they were rounded up with the other
Spanish troops which had been driven
there by General Chaffee.
To- morrow Saturday morning at
daybreak General Lawtons division
will sweep past Caney on the direct
read to Santiago, connecting with Cen
eral Kent's and General Wheelers divi-
sion and forming the right of the line