The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-24
FIRST BATTLE IN CUBA.
(COncluded from First Pace)

transports impatient to get ashore and in
acton, and every move OF the war ships was
closely watched by the soldiers. little tie
cefore 8 o'clock the bombardment of the
batteries of Jaragua was begun by the ships
of Rear Admiral SIMPSONS fleet. This was
evidently feint to. cover the real point, OF
attack Jaragua being about half way be-
tween Baiquiri and Santiago de Cuba The
commandment lasted about twenty minutes.
The scene was quickly shifted back again
to the great semi-circle of the transport
fleet before Baiquiri.
At $40 o'clock the New Orleans opened
fire with gun that sent a smell rumpllng
and crashing against the hillside. The De-
troit. Wasp, Machias and Suwanee followed
suit, and soon the hillsides and the valleys
swift succession amid the wild and excited
cheering of the soldiers on the transports.
In five minutes the sea was alive with hQtll-
las of small boats, headed by Launches,
speeding for Baiquiri dock. Some of the
boats were manned by crews OF sailors,
while others Were rowed by the soldiers
themselves. Each boat contained sixteen
men, every one in fighting trim and carry
ing three days rations, shelter tent a
gun and 200 cartridges, ready 70 take the
field on touching the shore should they be
called on to do so. The firing of the war
ships, however, proved to be needless pre-
caution as their shots were not returned
and no SpanaIds were visible.
LAWTON LED THE WAY.
Two correspondents of the Associated
Press, in a small boat, joined the first flo
tilla that went ashore and witnessed the
inspiring sight of the landing. General SHAFT
ter. on board the Seguranca, closely
watched the landing of the troops. Brigadler
General Lawton, who had been detailed to
command the landing party, led the way in
launch, accompanied by his staff and di-
rected the formation of line of operation.
The Eighth regular infantry was the first
regiment to land, followed by General SHAFT
ter's old regiment, the First Infantry. Then
came the Fifteenth Infantry, the Twenty
second Infantry, the Tenth Infantry, the
Fiftieth Infantry. the Seventeenth lnfan-
try and the Twelfth Infantry, the Second
Massachusetts Regiment and detachment
of the Ninth Cavalry. The boats rushed
forward simultaneously from every quar-
ter in good-natured rivalry to be first, and
their occupants scrambled over one another
to leap ashore
AS the boats tossed about in the surf
breaking against the pier getting ashore
was no easy matter and the soldiers had to
throw their rifles on the dock before they
could climb up themselves. and some hard
tumbleS resulted, but nobody was hurt. AT
the end of the pier the companies and regi-
ments quickly lined up and were marched
away
/ General Lawton tationed a strong de-
tachment for about six miles west on the
road to Santiago and another detachment
was posted to the north of the town. among
tered in the town, some of them being
housed in the buildings of the iron COM
pany. Others of the troops We're quartered
in deserted houses. while others still pre-
ferred the shelter of their tents in the ad-
joining fields. The mornings fire, it was
SEEN had destroyed the roundhouses, the re-
pair shops and several small dwellings. The
town was deserted when the troops landed,
but women and children soon appeared from
the surrounding thickets and returned to
their homes.
The sun-bronzed soldiers in their SLOUGH
hats and service uniforms, quickly searched
the buildings and beat up the thickets after
landing in search of lurking foes and
\ marched into the unknown country beyond
at nightfaIl. with long. swinging stride and
the alert bearing of the old frontier army
men, ready to fight the Spaniards Sioux
fashion. or in the open wherever they could
be found. The cheers of their comrades
stu waiting on the transports and of the
blue Jackets, and the strains of Yankee
Doodle" from the bands on the troop ships
saluted them as they disappeared from view
over the hills of Baiquiri
The landing was accomplished without
loss OF life. the only casualty being the
Woundlng of an insurgent on the hills by a
smell from one Of cur war ships He will
lose his arm. The nsurgent troops at Bal
qulr1 are commanded by General Castillo
men.