Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-06-30
WHEELER REPORTS FIGHT.
- Ia ouasina the Men Knew the Danger.
ana Proceeded With cooincss and
Courage 20 Victory.


right, 1885 by the Associated Pross.l-
General whccler's ofiicial report to
Major General shaftor OF what IL
known rs the battle OF siboney. Is as
follows.
In Camp Juragua. June 29.-To
the Adiutant General OF the Fifth
Army Corps
'sir;--I have the honor to report
that In obedience to the instructions
u the major general commanding,
given mo In person ON June 2grd,1 proc
ceodod to sibonoy. (Juraguaslto). The
enemy had evacuated the place at day
light that morning, taking a courcs
towards scvllla. a body OF about
100 Cubana had followed and engaged
the oncmy's rear guard. About nine
Of them were wounded
| rode out 10 this front. and found
the enemy had halted and established
themselves at point about three miles
from slboney. AZ night the Cubans
returned 10 the vicinity Of that town.
s.S o'clock that evening. the gard.
General Young reached Siboney with
eight troops or Col. Woods regiment
a. ~. II. y. q and L. 800 strong.
Troops \. ~. G and X, First cavalry,
In all 2ii men. ana troops a, u. T. and
! u the Tenth cavalry, IN all go men.
making the total force gGi men, which
Included nearly all of my command
which had marched from Balqulri. II
miles.
with the assistance OF General Cas-
tlllo, a rough map of the country was
prepared and the position OF the enemy
was fully explained. and l determined
TO make an attack at daylight ON the
2ith Col. Woods regiment was sent
BY Gen. Young, accompanied by two OF
hln stan officers. LicutH. r. X. Rivers
and W. Il. Smodhurg Jr., TO approach
the enemy on the left hand. OF more
myself aud about nifty 90 troops of
the First and Tenth cavalry. with three
Hotchkias mountain guns. approached
the enemy on the regular savilla
road
General Young and MYSELF examined
the position u tho enemy. the lines
Wero deploycd ma I directed him TO
open frc with the lIotchkiaa guns. The
enomy replied and the nflng immcd-
ntcly became general. Colonel Wood
had doploycd his right. nuarly reach
ing the loft ~ the rorularh
For an hour tho nght was very
warm, the enemy being very lavish IN
expenditure ~ ammunition. most OF
their airing being BY volloyu
Finally, the enemy gave way and
rctreatcd rapidly. our side keeping
well closed upon them. but
our men being physically ca
hausted 10y both their cxsftiona and the
great heat were incapable of maintain
ing the uurautt
cannot speak too highly Of the gal
liant and excellent conduct OF the Of
ncern and men throughout my COM
mand. ucnoraiYou uR deserves Hp.-
cial communication for his cool. dclib-
crate and Hiiilful management.
also specially noticed hla acting adj
iuntnt general Lieut.. A. r. Mills WIN
under Gonral YounE'a direction. was
nt various parts of the line acting
with energy, ana cool courage.
Tho imperative necessity OF diacm.
barking with prumptitudu had imprllod
me 10 leave most ~ my stan 90 hasten
this important matter ana unfortu.
natoly I had with me only Maj NJ. }.
Beach nnd Mr. Armstrong, an aetna
volunteer aide, both ~ whom durinp
the engagement cftdihly and bravely
performed their duties
ana esq. clally obligated 10 Major
Beach Tor his cool ana good judgment.
Col Woods regiment was on the OK.
trome let ~ the city ana too FAR dis.
taut from me 10 be- a personal witness
~ The individual conduct OF the ON
GERS and mon, but the magnificent
bravery shown By the regiment under
tho lrud ~ Col Wood ttatihou 90 HIS
courage and skin ana the energy ana
determination uf his officers which has
been marked from the moment he re-
ported 90 me at Tampa. and l have
a. al ~ "a
good conduct on the field and | rccom-
mend Inn for the consideration of the
government. must rely upon his ~.
port 60 do Justice 10 his officers and
mon. desire personally to add all
that I have said regarding col. Wood.
applies equally 10 Lieut.. Col. lioosc
Welt was Immediately with the
troops of the First and Tenth regimen
cavalry dismuunted. and l personally
noted their bravery and good conduct
which viii be- specially mentioned by
Gen. Young.
personally noticed tho good con-
duct of Captains w. n, Beck. Robert T..
Wainwright ana Jacob q. pailbraith,
Mai. Jas. NJ. Bell. Capt. Thomas r.
Know ana Lieut.. Goo. Il. Brown.
The last three were wounded. Ma
ior Hell, an he lay ON the ground with
broken les. Raldi
~ only regret can't go on with you
Iufihtt
Capt. Know, though severely wound
ID, continued nH long na possible 90 oX-
'rclHn hih command and Insisted 20 me
that he was not much hurt and Lieut..
brown also made light OF his wound to
me, and continued M the line until no
/ tainted. | recommend these officers
for the favorable consideration Of the
| government.
II cannot state positively as to the
| size of the Spanish force which was en-
gagged or the extent Of their
casualties further than that the
force was much greater than
ours and the Information
have would indicate that their
killed ana wounded exceeded those
which our troops sustained, hut our
estimate on this can only be verified
when We have access 10 the reports Of
| the Spanish commanders. The engage
ment inspired our troops ana must
have had a bad offoot upon the spirits
~ the spaninrds. II also gave our
army the beautiful and well watercd
country In which we have established
our encampment. II has also given
| us a full We've ~ Santiago aud the
| surrounding pUuutrW- and hna ann hIa1