The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-25
GEN. eARRETsoN's REPORT.
ACTION OFF HIS BRIGADE ON YAUCO
ROAD IN PORTO RICO.


His Troops Rallied and Fought
BraveIy and Efectively-OnIy Four
Americans Slightly Wounded i'm
the Enlargement, while the Span
tsh Lost a Lieutenant and r Cor
netist Killed, Eighteen Seriously,
and Thirty-TwO Slightly Wounded.
washington, Sept. A.-The war depart
ment tonight made public the official re-
mort of Brig. Gen. NJ. A. Garretson, on the
action on Yauco road, in Porto Rico. July
2s last, IN which his brigade was engaged.
The report is as follows;
1.-THE brigade landed at Guanica on July
25. about IL or u o'clock in the morning.
During the afternoon Of that day I made
a reconnaissance with two of my staff Of
fcers and Maj. w. C. Hayes of the First
Ohio Cavalry, of the roads and trails
leading out of the valley in which the
camp was situated. The valley runs
nearly north and south, and is about
mile wide There are mountains on either
side about 400 feet high About three miles
from camp is a low range of hills, varying
from so TO 100 feet high, running at right
angles with the valley Narrow valleys
debouche to the northeast and west. Along
the latter runs the road to Sabana Grande
and ST. Germaine. Along the northeastern
valley runs the road to Yauco.
LAS the enemy was reported at these
places by the inhabitants of the valley,
the roads were carefully reconnoitered and
the body of the enemy was discovered at
the hacienda Santa Decidera of the An
tonic Mariana at about p. m This ha-
cenda Is situated nearly in the center of
an oval plateau about one mile by one and
a half miles in diameter surrounded for
the most part by low hills and separated
by the hin above mentioned from the val
ley of Guanea.
THE distance between the two plains
mentioned measured through the base of
the mountain is about 400 yards.
"The Yuaco river runs through the plain
of hacienda, the valley of Guanica and
through the narrow valley connecting
them. This narrow valley constituting
defe, was the scene of the early action.
A banana field lies on the east side of the
roads and a hill covered with chapparel
TO the west
THE small Hill on which the house of
Ventura Quinones is situated, affords a
view of the hacienda Santa Decidera. Here
and along the road where the post con-
sisting of one company, G, Sixth Illinois,
was posted. At about s p. m. a report was
sent from the outpost that the enemy in
considerable numbers had been observed.
sent out two companies of the Sixth
Massachusetts as a reserve.
During the night the enemy opened fire
on the outposts, and their commander sent
report, which arrived at camp at 2 a.
m. July rs, that an attack on the outpost
was expected. At 8 a. m. 1. with my staff
and Maj. w. c. Hayes, First Ohio Cav
airy, and five companies of the Sixth Mas
sachusetts, left camp for the outposts on
the Yauco road. The command arrived
there shortly before daybreak, at about
4:3O o'clock.
From the reports of the outposts, the
enemy was supposed to be In the field to
the right of the road to Yauco. Packs
were thrown off, and the command form
ed for attack The company of the Sixth
Illinois remained on the hill, on which
the house of Ventura Quinones is situated,
and protected our right flank. The re-
naming companies were collected, two as
support and three as reserve. After adj
Vancing to within 200 yards of the place
of the hacienda Santa Decidera, the ad-
vance guard of our attacking force was
discovered by the enemy, who opened fire
from a position on the hill to the west
The north and east slopes of this hill in
tersect each other, forming a solid angle.
II was along this angle that the enemy
was posted. Their reserve posted in a
road leading from the hacienda to the
east, also opened a strong fire on the road.
A body of the enemy moved against the
company on our right Company G, Sixth
Illinois, stationed on the hill of Ventura
Quinones. This company had entrenched
itself during the night, and, after repuls-
ing the attacking force directed Its fire
against the enemy on the hill to the west.
The conformation of the ground was
such that the fire of the enemy's reserves
and party on the left was effective in the
seemingly hollow I'm which our reserves
were posted. The heavy volume of fire, the
noise of shots striking the trees and on
the ground, and the wounding of two men
among the reserves, caused a momentary
confusion among the troops. They were
quickly rallied and placed under cover.
Inc fire of the advance party and sup
ports was directed against the party of the
enemy on the hill and temporarily silenced
its fire from that direction.
Our advance guard of two companies,
ignoring The enemy on the hin, then de-
ployed mainly to the right of the road
and was with quick and accurate military
judgment and great personal gaEantry led
by Lieut.. Laughorne, First Cavalry,
against the reserves of the enemy. The
supports and one company of the reserve
under the direction of Capt. l.. G. Berry,
charged against the party on the west of
the hill, through the barbed wire fence
and chapparel. The reserves were deployed
along the barbed wire fence running at
right angles TO the road, conducted
through the fence and brought up in the
rear and to the left of the attacking party
conducted by Lieut.. b. Ames, of the Sixth
Massachusetts,. The enemy was driven
from the hill. and retired to the
valley, disappearing behind the
hacienda. The reserves of
tho enemy ceased firing and retired. Ii
v as supposed that they had retired to
the hacienda, as this house was surround
ed on the sides presented to our view
with top-holed walls The troops on the
hill was collected along the road A re-
serve OF three companies was established
OF the intersection of the road to Yauco
Inc two companies in advance, which de-
ployed wheeled to the left and advanced
through the cornfield to our right The
remainder of the command deployed ana
advanced to the hacienda, envelopihg it