The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-27
PRIVATE J. E. srEApMAN. First Vol


unteer Cavalry.
PRIVATE d. c. DENNIS. First volun-
teer Cavalry.
Captain Mccormick and Captain Luna,
of the volunteer cavalry, who were reported
| yesterday as among the dead or wounded
were unframed, as was also Colonel Wood
| whom Adjutant Hall reported as mortally
wounded
SPANIARDS WE'RE POSTED.
| That the Spaniards were thoroughly
posted as to the route to be taken by the
| Americans in their movement towards
| Sevilla was evident as shown by the care
| full preparations they had made. The main
| body of the Spaniards was posted on a hill,
on the heavily wooded slopes of which had
been erected two block houses. flanked by
| irregular intrenchments of stone and fallen
| trees. At the bottom of these hills run two
roads along which Lieutenant Colonel
Roosevelt's men and eight troops of the
First and Tenth Cavalry, with a battery of
| four howitzers, advanced. hese roads are
but little more than gullies, rough and mar
| row, and at places almost impossible. In
| these trails the fight occurred Nearly half
a mile separated Roosevelt's men from the
regulars, and between them and on both
sides of the road in the thick underbrush
must have been large, judging from the
| terrific and constant fire they poured in on
| the Americans
| The fight was opened by the First and
Tenth Cavalry, under General Young 4
force of Spaniards was known to be in the
vicinity of La Quasina, and early in the
morning Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt's
men started off up the precipitous bluff
back of Siboney to attack the Spaniards
on their right flank, General Young at the
same time taking the road at the foot of
| the hill. About two and half miles out
| from Siboney some Cubans. breathess and
| excited, rushed into camp with the an
nouncement that the Spaniards were but a
little way in front and were strongly en-
trenched. Quickly the Hotchkiss guns out
In 'front.' were brought to the rear, while a
strong scouting, line was thrown out Then
cautiously and in silence the troops moved
forward until bend in the road disclosed
hill where the Spaniards were located
The guns were again brought to the front
and placed in position. while the men
crouched down in the road, waiting impa-
| tiently to give Roosevelt's men, who were
toiling over the little trail along the crest
of the ridge time to get up.
STUBBORN FIGHT
| At 1870 a. m. General Young gave the COM
| mand to the men at the Hotchkiss guns 10
| open fire. The command was the signal for
fight that for stubbornness has seldom
| been equaled. The instant the Hotchkiss
guns were fired the hillsides commanding
the road gave forth volley after volley from
| the Mausers of the Spaniards
Don't shoot until you see something to
| shoot at" yelled General Young and the
| men, with set jaws and cleaning eyes,
| obeyed the order. Crawling along the edge
of the road and protecting themselves as
much as possible from the fearful fire of the
Spaniards the troopers, some of them
stripped to the waist, watched the base of
the HILL and when any part of a Spanard
became visible they fired. Never for an in
slant did they falter.
| One husky warrior of the Tenth Cavalry
with ragged wound in his thigh, coolly
| knelt behind rock loading and firing and
| when told by one of his comrades that he
was wounded, laughed and said "Oh, that's
| all right That's been there for some
time"
In the meantime away off to the left could
be heard the crack of the rifles of Colonel
! Woods men and the regular, deeper-toned
Volley firing of the Spanish. Over there the
American losses were the greatest. Colonel
| Woods men, with advance guard we'll
| out in front, and two Cuban guides before
them. but apparently with no fiankers, went
| squarely into the trap. set for them by the
| Spaniards, and only. the unfaltering courage
of the men in the face of fire that would
| even make veteran quail prevented what
might easily have been disaster. AS it
was Troop l., the advance guard under the
unfortunate Captain Capron was almost
|
burriedy sent forward every man would
| probably have been killed or wounded.
| There must have been nearly 1,500 Span
| iards in front and to the sides of u.s." said
Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt to-day when
discussing the fight. They held the ridges
| with rifle pits and machine guns, and had
| a body of men in ambush in the thick jungle
| at the sides of the road over which we were
advancing Our advance guard struck the
| men in ambush and drove them out. But
| they lost Captain Capron, Lieutenant
Thomas and about fifteen men killed and
wounded. The Spanish firing was accurate
So accurate, indeed that it surprised me
and their firing was fearfully heavy. l want
! to say word for our own men," continued
Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt. Every Of
fcer and man did his duty up to the handle
| Not a man flinched."
ROOSEVELT YELLED AND CHEERED.
| From another officer who took a promi-
nent part in the fighting more details were
obtained. when the firing began" said he,
| Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt took the
| right wing, with Troops G and K, under
| Captains Llewelyn and Jenkins and moved
to the support of Captain Capron, who was
getting it hard. At the same time, Colonel
| Wood and Major Brodie took the left wing
| and advanced in open order on the Spanish
| right wing. Major Brodie was wounded be-
| fore the troops had advanced one hundred
| yards. Colonel Wood then took the right
| wing and shifted Colonel Roosevelt to the
| left. In the meantime the fire of the Span
| iards had increased in volume, but, not
| withstanding this, an order for a general
| charge was given, and, with yell, the men
| sprang forward. Colonel Roosevelt, in front
| of his men, snatched rifle and ammunition
| belt from wounded soldier. and, cheering
and yelling with his men, led the advance.
| For moment the bullets were singing like
| a swarm of bees all around them, and every
| instant some poor fellow went down. On
| the right wing Captain McClintock had his
| leg broken by a bullet from a machine gun,
while four of his men went down. At the
! same time Captain Luna, of Troop F, lost
| nine of his men. Then the reserves, Troops
| K and E, were ordered up. Colonel Wood
with the right wing, charged straight at a
| blockhouse. eight hundred yards away and
1 colo on left oh at