The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1898-07-09
BEFORE SANTIAGO
A DESPERATE ENCOUNTER
Spaniards Fight Furiously to Hold Their En-
trenehments but Are Gradually
Driven Back.
SKATERS FORCES ARE NEAR THE CITY
American Soldiers, Driven to Desperation by
the Presidency Of the Spaniards,
Fight Valorously.
The BATTLE RESUMED AT DAYLIGHT TODAY
American Loss Exceeds Four Hundred in
Killed and Wounded but Americans
Won at All Points.

New York, July "A dispatch to
the Herald from the headquarters of
the American army before Santiago,
dated July /, via Playa del Este, says:
General Shafter this morning began
the war with great vigor in an attack
on the outer dcfenses of Santiago.
From three directions the American
forces advanced toward the doomed
city, while Lawton and Wheeler was
attacking Caney, northeast of Santi-
ago and Kent was advancing toward
A%guadores. General Garcia, with his
Cuban troops at the same time APP
preached Caney from the southeast,
and other divisions of tho American
army pressed toward Santiago from
the east, our forces thus presenting a
solid front from the coast to General
Linares' northern defenses.
Four members of the Twenty-lrst
regiment of regulars were killed in
fighting between Sevilla and Aqua
dores, while sixteen other Americans,
all members of the Twenty-first,
wounded.
Both the American ana Spanish
fleets effectively Joined In the battle.
While Sampson and his men were re-
ducing the recently raised batteries
OF Aguadorcs, Cervcra's fleet was
throwing shells in the direction of the
American and Cuban lines.
Two batteries OF light artillery, net
ing under orders from General Shat
ter, who went to the front at the head
of the troops, began the battle Of San
tiago by attacking Caney. From this
village the direct road leads into San
tiago, nnd the advance of II forces
was irresistible when they gained pos
session of this road.
General Joe" Wheeler with q de-
tachment of his cavarly command and
Garcia with his Cuban troops quickly
Joined Lawton's men In the advance
upon Caney.
The Spaninrds for a time fought dcs
perately to prevent Caney from falling
into the hands of u forces. 1t was u
vain effort Before the fighting had
been long under way the Americans
and Cubans gained advanced ground
foot by foot and the enemy was driven
back into the village.
1t was evident utter the first hours
fighting lint Shafter had accurately
gagged the strength OF the enemy and
he would be able to drive the Span
iards into Santiago ut his pleasure,
It was with difficulty that the COM
manding officers restrained the ardor
of our troops until the hour for be-
ginning the attack. The enthusiasm
among the forces was intense and
their spirit quickly spread to the Gu
ban troops. All shared in the belief
of Shafter that Santiago could b
taken by n sharp and persistent at
tack, and they have been impatient to
advance.
Kent, who commanded tho center
general line of the attack, started the
T~wenty-first regiment of regulars to-
ward Aguadorcs at the same hour that
Lawton's men advanced toward Caney.
Upon those troops fell the brunt of the
battle to the southeast of Santiago
during the early hours of the day.
There was desperate fighting about
Aguadores. Acting under orders from
Linares, the Spaniards at that point re-
turned the American fire with a fury
that aroused our men to the f~ierccst
determination. They boldly faced the
enemy's fire, holding the ground tena-
ciously and pressing forward whenever
nm opportunity to gain advanced foot
ing presented itself. In their attack
on Aguadores the Americans were
greatly encouraged by the work of the
fleet, which poured a heavy fire into
the lines of the Spnniards.
Sampson ordered the New York, the
Gloucester and the Suwance to attack
the batteries recently placed to the
cast of Moro. The vessels engaged
the batteries ut short range and left
only the SCARED hillsides to show
where the batteries have been located.
The Massachusetts and New York
then opened with their big guns,
plunging a heavy fire into the encmy's
lines. Common shells of reduced
charges were used for the purpose, and
they demoralized the enemy's ranks.
The shells We're fred so as to clear the
towering coast line ridge.
The Newark joined the fleet this
morning and at noon the Iowa steamed
within q thousand yards of MORO cas-
tie. Sampson had signalled from the
flagship for the Iowa to engage Moro,