The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-07-21
BATTLE OF SAN JUAN.
STEPHEN CRANES VIVID STORY OF
OUR INFANTRY'S CALAMITY.
Victory Gained Not by the Ofcers, but
by the Audacious Bravery of the Men.
Misinformed as to Spanish Strength.
GuerrilIas Who Deserved Hanging.

L
Misinformed as to Spanish Strength
Guerrillas Who Deserved Hanging.
The New York Worlds staff CORE
spondent, Stephen Crane, writing unde
the date Of July from the front a
Santiago, describes the battle of Sai
Juan as follows:
The action at San Juan ON July
was particularly speaking, soldiers
battle. 1t was like Inkerman. wher'
the English fought half leaderless al
day in fog. Only the Cuban fores
was worse than any fog.
A line of intrenched hills held by mer
armed with weapon like the Mausei
is not to be taken by front attack OF
infantry unless the trenches have first
been heavily shaken by artillery fire.
ANY theorist will say that it is impos-
sible and prove it to be impossible.
But it was done, and we owe the sue
cess to the splendid gallantry of the
American private soldier.
AS near as one can learn, headquar-
tiers expected little or no fighting ON the
lst Lawton's division was to 90 by the
Caney road, chase the Spaniards out of
that interesting village, and then,
wheeling half to the left march down
to join the other divisions in some kind
of attack on San Juan at daybreak on
the 2d. But somebody had been entire
ly misinformed as to the strength and
disposition of the Spanish forces at Ca
ney, and instead of taking Lawton six
minutes to capture the town it took him
nearly all day, as we'll it might.
Lawton was we'll out toward Caney
soon after daybreak, and by 2 o'clock
we could hear the boom of Capron's
guns in support of the infantry. The re-
manning divisions-Kent's and Wheel
er's-were trudging slowly along the
muddy trail through the forest.
When the first gun was fired, grim
murmur passed along the lean column.
They're off" somebody said. Sudden
ly there was roar of guns just ahead
and little to the left. This was
Grimes battery going into action on the
hill which is called Ell Paso. Then, all
In moment, the quiet column moving
forward was opposed by men carrying
terrible burdens. Wounded Cubans were
being carried to therear. Most of them
were horribly mangled.
The second brigade Of dismounted
American cavalry had been in support
Of the battery, its position being direct
ly to the rear. Some Cubans had Joined
there The Spanish shrapnel fired at the
battery was often cut too long, and,
passing over, burst amid the supports
and the Cubans. The loss of the bat
terry, the cavalry and the Cubans from
this fire was 40 men in killed and
wounded, the First regular cavalry
probably suffering most grievously.
Presently there was lull in the ar.
tillery fire, and down through spaces in
the trees we could see the infantry still
ploddlng with its pack steadily toward
he front In the meantime Lawton's
ilvision, some three miles away. was
making plenty of noise. At about 2, 500
Yards in front of Grimes position ON
81 Paso arose the gentle green hills of
San Juan. At the principal position of
'he enemy were u flag, a redoubt, q
)lockhouse and some sort of pagoda. At
ii 20 our artillery reopened on the CEN
raj blockhouse and intrenchments. The
Spanish fire had been remarkably fine.
nut 1T was our turn now. Grimes had /,
lis ranges to nicely. IL must have |
'een about 2 O'Clock when the enemy's !
battery again retorted.
Then one saw thin line of black |
igures moving across o field. They dis
IN the forest. The enemy was |
leeplng up terrific fire. Then sudden |
somebody yelled, by God there 90 |
'ur boys up the hillp' There is many
good American who would give an !
rln to get the thrill of patriotic insani-
y that coursed through us when we !
leard that yell. Yes, they were going
lp the hill, up the hill. 1t was the best
moment OF anybody's life. An officer
ald to me afterward, eff we had been
n that position and the Spaniards had
ONE at us, we would have piled them
p SO high the last man couldn't have
iinpeu over. But up went the regi-
lents, with no music save that cease.
ess, fierce crashing of rifles
The road from El Paso to San Jnan
7as now terrible road. 1t should have
tragic fame like the sunken road mt
Waterloo. Why we did not later hang
ome OF the gentry who contributed
rom the trees to the terror of this road
not known. The wounded were
ringing back from the front, hundreds
them. Some walked unaided, an arm
shoulder having been dressed at a
cid station. Others hobbled or chung TO
friends shoulders. Their slit trousers
xposed red bandages. A few were shot
orribly in the face and were led. bleed.
lg and blind, by their mates. And then
lere were the slow pacing stretcher
carers with the dying or the insensi.
70, the badly wounded, still fieures
ith blood often drying brick color ON
leir hot bandages.
Prostrate at the roadside were MANY
hers who had made their way TINS
II