The times., 1898-07-04
I4il Pa. Ava.

| spread out. getting the protection of the
trees and bushes and firing every time
1 they saw a Spanish head. They were al
| ways advancing upon the outside line of
| the trenches. The retreat of the Span
iards prevented flank movement. Ca
pron's artillery now resumed its firing,
| its target being a stone fort in the town
| Every shot went through it. but the guns
damage. They, however. made it so hot
| for the enemy that he had to retire sew
| eral times 1t always got back, though
before our infantry reached the outside
of the town. The force was then split,
going in two directions at the same time.
Fighting before reaching the town was
nothing compared with their reception in
the town. They were fired on from all
! sides by the enemy, who were concealed
everywhere. The trenches in view were
filled with men, whose hats were visible.
The Americans shot the hats to pieces
but killed none of the Spaniards. who ahd
resorted to the old trick of placing their
hats on sticks for our men to shoot at.
The breastworks in the northesast corner
of the town did most damage. The posi-
ton was not discovered for long time.
It fired a hot. almost resistless fire upon
our men. The Americans laid down to
r.
however and killed and wounded many of
our men as they lay. The officers suf-
fered particularly.
Gen. Chaffee dashed here and there, Civ
ing orders and calling on his men TO fight
for their lives and to help their country
win a victory.
The battery was at last discovered. and
that was the end of 1t. Every Spaniard
who showed himself was picked off.
They were seen from the hill three miles
away, and the cheers from there could
be heard by the victorious troops. There
was one biockhouse let. Capt. Clark
was detailed by Gen. Chaffee 10 take
It with one company. He advanced under
an awful fire up and over the intrench-
ments. and the battle was won. The
Spaniards retreated in disorder. Every
street leading out of the town was filed
with the fleeing enemy. One hundred
and twenty-five of them were captured.
The Seventy-first New York, which had
been following Gen. Lawton toward Ell
Caney, found the road taken by the
Twenty-fourth Regiment, who were using
il as firing line.
a Rain of Shot and Shell.
The Seventy-first turned off and Joined
the Sixth and Sixteenth regiments, the
first division of the Fifth Army Corps.
Col Kent. of the Sixteenth Regiment,
had company of the Seventy-first's
stragglers put out as pickets along the
road guarded by Cpt Rafferty,, of Com
pany f, Seventy-first Regiment. who dis
tinguished himself in the lighting. A
Spanish blockhouse on hill mile away
was giving trouble. The Sixth Regiment
was sent ahead as skirmishers. The Sixth
Regiment advanced on the left and
the Seventy on the right to
support the Sixteenth. Capt Raj
ferty's company held the right of the
line of skirmishers. Half a mile of the
hill was wooded, which afforded protec-
ton to our men. but the last half mile
was open, level land. where there was
not the slightest chance to escape from
the fire of the enemy.
The skirmishers were half way across
the open space, and it looked as though
the capture of the blockhouse would be
easy, when, without any warning, the
whole hillside rained shot and shell up
on the advancing line The Spaniards
had waited until there was no chance for
our men to get back under cover before
opening fire on them. The Seventy-first
dashed out into the open, facing the fire
of shrapnel that burst in their ranks.
tearing holes four men deep. while Maus-
er bullets kept dropping the men. The
boys never wavered. They closed their
ranks as they were torn open. They
marched in the sweeping. deadly fire to
the aid of the Sixteenth Regiment.
The officers ran along the line, calling
upon their men to keep cool and to move
forward. They were in the most exposed
position. Before they were half way
over seventy men killed and wounded.
The fire grew more awful every minute.
The enemy were behind breastworks and
out of sight. Into the face of this fire
our men went. They broke into a run
and headed straight into it.
BriIlient Bnyonet Charge.
The Sixth Regiment came out after
the Seventy first, in face of the same
fire. Their ranks We're cut to pieces, but
there was no fiinching. Right into the
teeth of it. on across the open, cheering
as they ran, the whole body dashed up
the hill. the spaniards still pouring their
deadly fire into them.
Half way up the hill our men caught
sight of the enemy. and for the first time
returned their fire at close range. with
deadly effect. Capt. Rafferty's company
was then leading. They dashed up the
hill to its crest and charged on the