The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-03

Many dramatic incidents occurred dur
ing the day. with numerous evidences Of
splendid personal bravery of the Ameri-
can officers and men in their work Of
continuous and intense physical strain.
owing to the hills and swamps and the
fierce tropical sun which hammered down
upon them the greater part Of the day.
The Cubans behaved with skill and
valor and rendered valuable aid. Cen
eraI Garcia and the other Cuban gener-
ais led the troops in person and showed
! great GOODNESS in tight places.
The Spanish fought stubhorniy through
out, and the retreat, though steady. was
slowly and coolly conducted. They con-
tested every inch of the way and fought
with unexpected skill, their officers hand
ling the troops with bravery and good
judgment. AS in all of their fighting so
far however, they did most Of their work
under cover, rarely showing themselves
in large bodies in the open. All the re-
treats were toward Santiago and it is
! probable that by nightfall the entire force
OF Spaniards in the province Of Santiago
de Cuba viii be Within the cttys walls,
! with the exception of 1900 me nunder
General Pando, whose attempt to rein
! force Santiago is believed to have been
frustrated.
( Copyrighted, 1893 by Associated Press)
At General Skaters Headquarters. Fri
/ day, July l. 4 p. m, by the Associated
! Press Dispatch Boat Cynthia to Port An
tonic, July 2, g. m. via Kingston July
La IF
ton during Thursday night, although
! General Bates reserves did not come up
! until morning. General Lawton's division
on the extreme right supported by Cap
! tain Caprons battery, General Kent's di-
vision in the center and General Wheel
er's division on the left, supported by Cap
tain Grimes battery, planted on hill,
formed a line which stretched across the
whole width of the basin in which San
tiago lies, distance of fully five minles.
Immediately in front of General Lawton
/ lay Caney, surrounded by blockhouses and
! entertainments, and against this were the
! operations directed. Beyond the San Juan
/ river, 1900 yards. before the center and
/ left, lay, q line of entertainments, mile
west of the city. These two divisions were
powered by a heavy tangled underground
between the San Juan and the Rio Guiana.
| On the extreme left, on the heights be-
yond Captain Grimes battery, behind
which, in the shelter Of an old sugar house,
the rear cavalry division was massed,
were General Duffields Michigan volun-
teers, VINO moved out at daylight over the
line Of railroad from Siboney.
The Americans mad the advantage of
the sun in the morning, which shone di-
rectly in the enemys face.
The engagement opened when the feet
lying outside the entrance to the harbor
began dropping shells into the lower end
of the Spanish earthworks. This firing,
which was entirely by bearings, vas not
effective.
At 1920 the land engagement opened with
firing from Captain Capron's battery on
the extreme right upon the blockhouses
and entrenchments before Caney. This
was followed quickly by simultaneous at.
tacks by General Chaffee and Colonel
Ludlow, who occupied a fianking position
to the north. The Spanish. replied with
great spirit and nerve, when our shells
burst directly over their trenches. A few
minutes before 8 O'Clock Captain Grimes
opened with his batteries on the heights
to the right of the main redoubt. situated
in the center of the Spanish line of en-
trenchments, directly before the city.
The Spanish reply was immediate and
wonderfully accurate. The second or third
of their shells broke over one of Captain
Grimes guns. killink two men and wound
ing four Both the Spanish and American
batteries used shrapnel. The next Span
ish shell burst just beyond the battery
HI.
Colonel Woods Rough Riders were wait
ing a forward movement. It was from
this elevation that the English, German
and Japanese military attaches viewed the
engagement.
Captain Grimes shells set for range OF
1850 yards slightly overshot the mark. It
was difficult TO locate the Spanish guns,
as the yused smokeless powder, and In the
artillery duel we had the worst of it. Up
20 this time there had been no infantry
fire. except on the extreme right, where
the Spaniards were being hard prssed by
General Chaffee and General Lawton.
About $50 a balloon was sent up In front
of the cavalry division. This drew the
first volley from the Spanish entrench-
ments. Though volley followed volley the
daring officer made a reconnaissance and
/ got down safely after having obtained
complete details of the disposition Of the
enemy. The advance Of the cavalry and
General Ket's division Immediately began
along the line of the main road to San
/ tiago. Il was about two hours later be-
fore our advance began breaking through
( the cover in front of the Spanish trenches.
/ II was met with hail from Mauser rifles
which temporarily stayed the forward
movement. The Spaniards had the range
ana their practice was good. Our men
lay on their breasts and poured voiley
after volley into them az 4 range SO close
that the opposing lines could see the
whites Of each others eyes.
/ Captain Grimes then re-opened with his
! battery. and in The second duel with me
Spanish artillery he did much better ex-
ecuaon. planting shell after shell in the
. first main redoubt and sile7cing two guns.
: The Spanish gunners then turned their at
;ention to our infantry and began drop
ping shells in the advence guard.
few minutes afterwards Clark's brig
+ ade and the rsght OF Kent's division made
/ a gallant charge upon the knoll 20 the ex-
IRENE Left Of the Spanish line and took
. possession OF the hacienda II the shelter
OF an orange grove.
This marked The beginning Of a mag
nifcent charge through ras first Iile OF en-
trencisnenJs. The cavalry division and
General Hawkins brigade charged Up TIE
slope against q storm q death
L was n this awful charge TIA; our
men were 50 badly cut up They started
or a double aaick bat 10 troops could
<acs such terrible fire without ann:hi-