New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-13
FIGHTING BEFORE SANTIAGO
TERRIBLE STRAIN ON THE MEN AT Ell
CANEY.
rpoops ORDERED BACK AND FORTH
THROUGH UNDERs-D1FFIcULTIEs

,~uov A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRiBuNE'I
headquarters Fifth Army Corps. near Guiana
River east of Santiago de Cuba, July Zine
taking Of FL Caney yesterday. aithough AT ter
rh,e cost. made II possible to-day to concentrate
oil the fighting on the breastworks east OF SAN
,aso. General Jacob F. Kents DIVISION the
First. accomplished an important Forward move
ment Yesterday and the night was spent In IN
trenching the positions gained In the DAY. SnoV-
els and picks were sent to the front AFTER dark
and the soldiers dug industriousy until dawn.
Their pits were usually about three feet deep.
The commissary worked hard. and by means OF
mack and wagon trains managed to get large
Quantities of beef, bacon. bareback and coffee to
the front.
About Il: 80 O'Clock this morning the artillery
that yesterday was stationed on a hill to the
,sf, was moved to the valley road and forward
7, had been thought that sufficient Roadway had
he.n made by the infantry to warrant placing
tho cannon we'll to the front. At daybreak 1t
was found that a serious mscaculation had
hoo, made. The Spanish intrenchments were
only five hundred or six hundred yards away
I'D tho rife fire was so effective that the posi-
ton Of the artlerymen was untenable. Several
mon were killed and wounded and there was
no,hing TO do but to hitch up the horses ana re-
tire This was done under a constant rattle OF
,nusketry The tired horses were started PACK
Cor the heights from which the cannonading had
been conducted yesterday. On the lnoiHereht
road this was a hard task. and little was hearo
from the American artillery all day Inc span
,erds we're more active with their field pieces
hut apparently not so effective as on the DAY
before
NIGHT WITHOUT SLEEP.
In shape
,or the almost continuous firing that they hao
- keep I'D. Thursday night they had little
sleep. last night none at ALL Even worse was
che condition Of the regiments which took part
IN the battle Of Ell Caney yesterday, and were
ordered to march back six or seven miles to the
rooa On which the divisions Of Generals Wheeler
and Kent had moved yesterday. and then for
ward Thursday night most Of the regiments
IN the Second Division had tramped until AFTER
dark only to be set going again at o:3O
o'clock in the morning. They had no hot 1000.
not being allowed to light fires. Then came the
long battle, the fighting through the WOODS IN
the heat, and. in many cases. without "a'er
for hours BY dark the men felt that they were
entitled to a nights rest, at least but they were
not to have 1t. General Kent ana Geherai
Wheeler we,e in situation where II was OF
prime Importance that they be reinforced peiore
the next days fighting should begin So there
could be no delay and the pitiless march began
The afternoon raia had left the roads In hor-
rible state, mud ankle-deep. To make matters
worse some commands lost their way, and after
eight or nine hours Of tramping with brief In
tervals Of rest. found that they were only
few miles from the point where they had started
at dusk. Fortunately, a good many came upon
wagon and pack trains loaded with provisions
and thus got rations.
The LIST and Sth Infantry. with Captain Cap
ron's battery. had moved toward Santiago on
,the Ell Caney road last night. About 8 o'clock
they were warned by some Cubans that they
wers within half mile Of the Spanish trenches.
The Cubans had moved forward until they were
= fred This place for two regiments
sof infantry and one battery. in the night
the forces moved back. This morning they got
ofo the scene Of yesterdays battle. to the east
of Santiago. 1t had been planned that at
tack be made on the city from the direction Of
Ell Caney by General Lawton's division yester-
day. The idea that by II o'clock his nine
regiments and Captain Capron's battery would
have polished off Ell Caney and would be ready
for movement Of some kind Santiago
proper. The Casa Ducrot. north Of the city.
was to be the rendezvous. But the battle was
far more serious than had been imagined pos
elUlc tOoh HluCii I1OIc 1Hls, tOSctHeT
with the unexpected strength of the fortifca-
lions that side of Santiago. led to the con-
centration of the forces the San Juan side.
ANXIOUS TO GO TO THE FRONT.
The march to the firing line full Of in
terest to the 9th Massachusetts and the 34th
Michigan which reached Siboney only last night
on the Harvard They marched out in the early
hours Of morning. The soldiers who had been
In yesterdays fghting were pleased to give
them the fullest possible particulars Of what had
been going on. going into all possible details
Of wounds and death. Even the recruits lorded
II over the newcomers. But the volunteers
anxious to get to the front.
The road had dried fairly we'll a few hours
after the sun came up. and the marching was
not bad. There was constant stream Of the
wounded returning to the rear. These had had
their hurts dressed at the first aid station, and
were going to the hospitals in the rear. Some
had only slight wounds, and were able to walk
alone. Some were carried the shoulders of
two men. Big Army wagons with four six
mules were used to transport some On the
casional rough parts Of the road the joting in
the great. rude wagons terrible. few
Red Cross wagons were in use, but not
many Some officers were carried on filters. This
was the most comfortable method but 1t was
exceedingly hard on the litter bearers. Half
dozen field hospitals or dressing stations were
scattered along the road but the chief hospital
was four or five miles from the intrenchments.
The number Of ltterb bearers was far too few.
In addition to the regular divisional corps the
musicians were called into service. Even for
-FOUR bearers IT was hard task to carry
wounded man In The hot sun for several miles.
Every soldier whose injuries did not positively
forbid It was made to walk 10 the rear. In some
instances this was cruel, especially when the
wound was twenty-four hours OLD and serious
II not mortal. But It was choice Of evils. and
the filters and wagons were kept for those shot
In the legs or in some vital part.