The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1898-07-15
HAVE THE DONS SKIPPED
Belief That the Spaniards Have
Stolen Away From Santiago.
Theory Strongly Supported by Weak Re-
turn Fire During the Preliminary
ROmba rdment.

via HOrG antonio, Jdlndlcd. July IL
Maj j.-Gen. Shafter believes that the
main body of the Spanish army has
abandoned Santiago, and that it is now
| deeing to the westward.
1t is the expectation. as l write this
dispatch, that the American army will
be in full possession of the city by noon
tomorrow.
| \ joint attack by the army and navy
was made upon the city late this after
noon. To this attack the Spaniards
made only a feeble reply. Our loss was
insignificant.
No really earnest attempt to reduce
Santiago was made today. 1t was the
plan merely to give the Spaniards an
| idea of what they might expect when
| the American land and sea forces make
their final attack in the morning. Dur
| ing todayS firing, however, the dyna-
mite gun did great damage in the city,
! as did the shells fred from the fleet
from position off Aguadores.
There is little question in the minds
of the American officers that Gen.
| ToraIs troops have evacuated the city
while the Spanish commander has been
parleying with Gen. Shafter over terms
of surrender. This belief is strength
ened by the reports from Aeuadores,
| which place has been abandoned by
the Spaniards Bands of Cuban soldiers
| report that the enemy, before evacuat-
ing the coast town, placed timbers over
| their intrenchments to represent the
guns.
An Empty Prize in Sight.
The belief is general that the evacua-
tion of the city and the escape of the
Spanish army would be the most nat
ural tactics for Gen. Toral to adopt. 1t
has been evident for several days that
the Spanish commander realized the
hopelessness of his position, and the
contention of many is that he could
make no shrewder move than to cover
the retreat of his army by prolonged
negotiations for the city's surrender.
Gen. Shafter sent word to Commo-
dore Schley, who wos temporarily in
command of the American fleet, to
lombard Santiago from off Aguadores
today. Admiral Sampson had gone to
with the Brooklyn, the Massachusetts,
and the Indiana, took position off
Aguadores. These three vessels fred
thirty shells into the Spanish defenses
and did some damage in the city. Com
modore Schley used the big guns of the
fleet in this work. The American gun
ners readily found the range, and their
Of, ;orI1f
witness.
While the fleet was bombarding the
city Commodore Schley signaled to
Gen. Shafter, asking if he should con-
tinue the work.
The answer signaled back was to
wait until tomorrow.
The American commander has mott
fed Gen. Toral that the city will be de-
stroyed tomorrow, when the fleet will
renew it's ombardment. All the
American reinforcements are now at
the front, as are all the artillery.
Sundays "Rcminder" Work.
1t was a quarter to 5 o'clock this after
noon when the land forces made a feint
on the city. Kinds Battery, from its
position at the extreme right of the
American line, sent the first shell into
the Spanish intrenchments. This was
the signal for the other batteries. and
Immediately thin line of smoke swept
along the rife-pits and across the
ravine. Capron's Battery. on the right,
with Grimes and Best's batteries on the
left, chimed in.
For some time the Spanish batteries
made no reply to our fire. Presently
one battery on the extreme right of the
enemy's position began to throw shrap-
mel in the direction of Kinds and
Caprons batteries, but most of their
shells went too high. This fire made
pretty sight for half an hour, but the
men in our trenches kept up steady
and accurate fire, to which the Span
iards finally replied but feebly. They
seemed to keep close within their in
trenchments, and their volleys came
only at irregular intervals and from
various positions.
One of the Spanish batteries was
quickly siIenced by a shell from Sergt.
BurrOwe's dynamite gun. This shell
sped with deadly accuracy to the point
where one of the enemy's batteries was
located. The range had been obtained
from a study of the enemys firing,
which appeared to be heavy at that
particular point. Our men can only
conjecture as to the damage this shell
did, but the battery fred no more after
ward. After our land firing had been
under way for an hour the reply of the
enemy was SO feeble that the order was
given to cease firing.
1t was dusk by this time. Supper
was served, and soon afterward hun
dreds OF camp-fres flashed along the
ridge. Our men chatted about the
fight and made themselves as comfort
able as possible. Our loss in the after
moons fighting had been insignificant,
and all of the American troops were in
good spirits.
Puzzled by Spanish Firing.
Gen. Shafter was at the front during
the firing. As the fight progressed the
American commander, with Gems.
Wheeler, Kent and Sumner. were puz-
zled by the feeble reply of the Span
iards. They had expected that the en-
emy would return hot fire. and failure
to do SO seemed to confirm the growing
belief of the American officers that
Gen. Toral had withdrawn the greater
part of his garrison.
During the early hours of the day the
army had lain impatient in the trenches.
waiting for word to renew the attack.