The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-07-04

TWO THOUSAND.
Copyright, 1895, by the Associated Presso
HEADQUARTERS of General Shafter,
Friday, July Evening", by the Asso-
uisted Press dispatch boat Cynthia, via
Port Antonio. Saturday. and Kingston
runday, July 3.--(2.30 a. m.)-Hemmed
in on ali sides by Gen. Lawton GiVi-
sion the Spanish troops in the town OF
Cancy are tonight practically prisoners
of war, and by daybreak tomorrow
Saturday Spain will have lost 1000 OF
her best soldiers. killed. wounded and
taken prisoners In and around the
town, whfc1t aSas" s.practca in the
hands of sthsp~.Afrerfcan forces at
o'clock tonight This result was not
obtained, however. without severe fight
ing on the part OF the American forces
ana although it is impossible at this
time to give a list Of the dead or
wounded, 1t is safe TO say that the loss
in General Lawtons division alone will
be $50 killed or wounded. Among the
wounded are:
Colonel Carpenter, commanding the
Seventh infantry.
Lieutenant Colonel Patterson, COM
mandng the Twenty-second infantry, will
probably recover.
Lieutenant Besard. adjutant of the Sew
enth, Infantry. wounded twice.
.NIaier corlish, of the Seventh infantry.
Captain Jackson, OF Company G, Sew
enth infantrs,. shat in the left breast.
Lieutenant Charles +. Field, Second
Massachusetts, shot through the fore
head.
4 lii 1Al
under him.
In General Lawton's division the
Second Massachusetts had up to the
middle of the day sustained the heav-
lest loss although other regiments
were actively engaged. During the af-
ternoon the fight for the possession of
Caney was most obstinate and the. ul-
innate victory reflects great credit up
on the American troops. 1t was
glory, too. for Spain, though she new
er had chance to win at any time
during the day. Her men fought in en-
trenchments, covered ways and block
houses. while the American forces were
in the open front from first to last
The Spanish soldiers stuck to their
work like men. and this. the first land
fight of the war, my well cause Spain
The American soldiers attacked the
entrenchments through open ground.
and. from the firing of the first shot
until they were on the hills above
Caney, they fought their way forward
and the Spanish were driven back
wards General Chaffee's brigade
held their right of the line with the
town of Caney, General Ludlow's di-
vision was in the centre, and Colonel
Miles held the left.
PLAN OF BATTLE. '....
The plan of battle was for Captain
Allyn Capron's' battery of the First
artillery which held a position in the
centre, above General Ludlow, to
shell the fort near the town, for Cen
eral Chaffee to close in as soon as the
the artillery had reduced the fort and
driven the Spaniards towards Santa
go. General Ludlow to lay in the road
below the hill on which Captain Cap
ron's battery was stationed and swing
in on General Chaffee's left, while Col
onel Miles brigade was to keep close
TO General Ludlow's right and, by a
simultaneous movement, sweep the
Spaniards in toward Caney.
General Lawton, who personally di-
rected the operations of his division,
left his camp, on the road from Sib-
oney to Santiago at a. m, and at .
O'Clock was with Captain Capron's
battery on the hill above Caney.
Orders were given that the battle
should begin from the centre, unless
General Chaffee, who was nearest 10
the enemy, should find himself attack
ed first.
The action opened at 6:45 with a shot
from the second section of Captain
Capron's battery, 1t struck close to
the stone fort near Caney. Another
shot hit the fort fairly The Span
iards gave up the idea of holding the
stone fort proper after it was struck
the first time and the entire garrison
ran down the hill toward the town.
The covered way in front of the fort
however, was held by the Spanish
troops, who maintained an obstinate
fire upon our men, who were advancing
slowly through the bush and groves
only firing an occasional shot.
Captain Capron's battery opened on
the enemy at once and tore the ground
up with shells, sending clouds of dirt
high into the air, The battery also
sent a number of shells entirely
through the fort, tearing down large
sections of the walls. This fine marks
manship was repeated several times,
the battery stopping the fire of the
Spanish soldiers, who had opened re-
peatedly from the covered way pits.
BY o'clock General Chaffee's bri-
gade was pressing in toward the town
and; the firing at intervals was very
warm.'
IL was very difficult 10 see anything
OF the battle owing to the rolling ma
ture OF the ground, and the dense veg
citation that obscured the view in al
most every direction made 1t impos.
sible to see far.
CAPTAIN CAPRoN's WORK.
The firing at times was very heavy
during the morning, but the Spaniards
in the covered way made a most OBJ
stinate defence 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 II again.
Despite the heavy firing of the Amer.
lean troops they were able to make bu,
little apparent progress during the
morning, although eventually they
steadily drew in and enclosed the towr
on all sides
AZ noon II became evident that tht
fire from the covered way could moi
be stopped by the artillery alone anc
that no permanent advance could b,
made until the place was taken, ant
General Lawton decided TO capture Il
by assault, Accordingly he sent &
messenger to General chaffse with in