The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-07-06

General Lawton; the second artillery
Grimes battery-was posted on hill nearly
opposite the hill forts Of San Juan. Captain
Capron's battery was stationed on cliff OPP
posite FL Caney.
At sunset on Friday night, after twelve
hours Of hard fighting, General Skaters
forces had taken the fortified town Of Ell
Caney on the extreme right Of the line, and
cut off and virtually captured Agusdores
on the extreme left about two and half
miles east of MORO Castle. In the center
the Spanish forts on San Juan hill were
captured. and the Spanish outposts all
along the line driven back upon the city it
self and their outworks taken by the Amer
leans. In view Of the heavy fire which was
sustained throughout the day the losses are
necessarily considerable. 1t is believed
that the number OF casualties on the Amer
lean side would exceed 1000, but Of this
number only small proportion is killed.
The most glorious achievement OF the day
was the charge up the hill at the Spanish
center by Woods rough riders The Span
ish shells were pouring down upon them,
but they never wavered. Men fell on every
side, but they kept steadily on until they
captured the Spanish position OF San Juan.
The Spaniards were strongly intrenched,
with heavy artillery back OF them and an
open field between them and the Ameri-
cans.
The only movement OF the day which did
not meet with success was General Duf-
fields attempt to occupy the sea village Of
q A tIe Gu, !,
and the Gloucester sbelled the old fort and
the rifle pits during the forenoon, drove all
the Spaniards from the vicinity and bowled
| over the parapet from which flew the Span.
ish flag; but, owing to the broken railroad
bridge, General Dufield's troops were un-
able to get across the river which separated
them from the little town. and were com
PEELED to go back to Juragua.
Many dramatic incidents occurred during
the day, with numerous evidences Of splen
did personal bravery Of the American Of
fcers and men in their work of continuous
and intense physical strain under the fierce
| tropical sun which beat down upon them
the greater part of the day.
The Cubans behaved with skill and valor
and rendered valuable aid. General Gar
cha and other Cuban generals led the troops
in person.
The Spaniards fought stubbornly through.
out, and their retreat, though steady, was
slowly and coolly conducted. They con-
tested every inch of the way, and fought
with unexpected skill, their officers handl.
ing the troops with bravery and good judg.
ment. AS in all of their fighting, so far
| however, they did most of their work un
der cover, rarely showing themselves in
| large bodies in the open.
All the retreats were toward Santiago
and it is probable that by nightfall the en-
tire force of Spaniards in the province Of
| Santiago de Cuba was within the city's
wall, with the exception Of four thousand
men under General Pando, whose attempt
to reinforce Santiago is believed to have
been frustrated.
At the signal from the shore the New
York, the Suwanee, Newark and the
| Gloucester bombarded the forts and de-
lenses Of the Spanish right wing at Aqua
dores, on the coast. An old fort on one o.
the hills was a target for their guns. All
eight-inch shell from the Newark dropped
/ in the massive old fort, and clouds of white
dust and huge stones filed the air. When
the small shells hit its battlements, almost
hidden by green creepers, fragments Of
masonry came tumbling down. A sho
from the Suwanee hit the eastern psrapet
and it crumbled away. Amid the smoke
and debris the flag staff was seen to fall
forward. 1.-THE flag has been shot DOWN.
shouted the ships crews, but when the
| smoke cleared away the emblem of Spair
was seen to be still flying and blazing bril-
| liantly in the sun, though the Flagstaff was
bending toward the earth. Apparently
the Flagstaff had been caught firmly in the
wreckage of the fort. A few more shots
levelled the battlements until the old
castle was pitiful sight.
When the firing ceased Lieutenant Dele
hanty, Of the Suwanee. was anxious to fin
ish his work, 30 he signalled to the New
York, asking permission to knock down the
| Spanish flag.
eyes" replied Admiral Sampson, "if you
can do it in three Shots"
The Suwanee then lay about sixteen hun
| dred yards from the old fort. She took hel
| time. Lieutenant Blue carefully aimed the
four-inch gun. and the crews of all the
ships watched the incident amid intense
excitement. When the smoke OF the
Suwanee's first shot cleared away, only two
red streamers Of the flag were left. The
shell had gone through the center Of the
bunting. A delighted yell broke from the
crew Of the Suwanee. Two or three min.
utes later the Suwsnee fred again, and a
huge cloud of debris rose from the base OF
the flagstaff. For few seconds 1t was i'm.
possible to tell what had been the effect OF
the shot. Then 1t was seen that the shell
had only added to the ruin Of the fort.
The Flagstaff seemed to have charmed
existence, and the Suwsnee had only one
chance left. 1t seemed hardly possible fol-
her to achieve her object with the big gun
such distance and such tiny target
There was breathless silence among the
watching crews. They crowded on the
ships decks, and all eyes were on that tat
tered rag, bending toward the earth from
the top Of what once had been grand old
aatIa n,t a