The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1898-07-12


great bravery, firing steady and deadly
volleys with the enemy's shells screech-
ing and bursting over their heads.
Twenty minutes of fearfully hot work
silenced the Spanish batteries. Ten
shots were sent into them after they
ceased firing, but there was no res
ponse. and 1t is presumed the guns
were dismounted or the gunners driven
off. ..t.s e.v $50 .-..
Away 60 the left Gen. Lawton's div.
sion with Chaffee's men and Capron's
battery was meanwhile fighting fiercely
with the enemy entrenched in and
about Caney. The Spaniards contested
every inch of ground bitterly and
fought with unexpected GOODNESS and
courage, but the irresistible onward
movement of the Americans slowly
forced them back up and beyond Caney.
About IL o'clock the terrific fire from
Capt. Capron's guns and the muskets OF
the men broke the Spanish line and a
retreat began towards the line of outer
Notifications.
All this time Gen. Sumner had com
manded the center owing to Gen.
Wheeler's illness, but about 1870 Gen
Wheeler started on the two miles jour.
ney to the front in an ambulance.
About half way to the front he met a
number of litters bearing wounded
men. The veteran general, under pro-
test of the surgeons, Immediately
ordered his horse, and after personally
assisting the wounded into the ambul-
ance, mounted and rode onward. The
men burst into frantic cheers which
followed the general all along the line.
BY noon, although still very i'll, Gen.
Wheeler had established headquarters
at his extreme front and center of the
line
The hardest fighting of the day was
on the right flank, and heavy casual
ties are reported from there. The adj
vance there was more rapid than at
other points on the line, and Gen.
Chatfee's brigade was the first to cross
the little San Juan river, close to the
line of outer Notifications At o'clock
Caney had not been entered by the
American troops, but they had pushed
on past it, and it was theirs at any
time they choose to march into it.
AT that hour Gen. Shafter, whose head
quarters for the day had been three
miles to the rear, went forward to as
sumo personal command of the opera
tions. The fighting continued heavy
all along the line the enemy being con-
81 f1xy 1,.iu La.
ments and taking refuge in the city,
and finally darkness brought a cessa-
tion of hostilities, but not until Caney
had been taken, with 1000 Spanish
prisoners.
The only movement which did not
meet with success was Gen. Duffields S
attempt to occupy the sea village of
The New York, Suwanee
and Gloucester shelled and demolished
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 Spanish |
flag; but owing to the broken railroad |
bridge Gen. Duffield's troops were un-
able to get across the river which sep
arated them from the little town and !
were compelled to go back to Juragua.
However, they had hot brushes with |
the Spaniards in the rife pits during
the greater portion of the morning and |
the Michigan boys suffered somewhat
two being killed and three wounded.
as follows:
Killed-John II. Franklin, of Dia-
Ferdinand G.. Seabright, of
Allegan county.
Wounded-Frank Lawson, of Law
'on, left arm fractured; Don A. Stark.
If Ann Arbor, right arm fractured:
Clifford II. Curtis, of Land Lake.
All were members of Co. L. 33d
Michigan, which is composed of Sons of
Veterans They were victims of the
irst shells fred by the Spaniards, who
lad the line of range on the railroad
oy which the Michigan boys came
rom Juragua. They were just form
ng in line for an advance when shell
rom three-inch cannon exploded in
he ranks of Co. l..
The Cubans behaved with skill and
'alor and rendered valuable aid. Gen.
iarcia and the other Cuban generals
ed the troops in person and showed
.reat GOODNESS in tight places.
The Spanish fought stubbornly
throughout, and the retreat, though
teady, was slowly and coolly con
lucted. They contested every inch of
he way and fought with unexpected
kill, their officers handling the troops
With bravery and good judgement. AS
n all of their fighting, so far, however,
hey did most of their work under
over, rarely showing themselves in
arge bodies in the open.
Sampson Took a Hand, Also.
While Gen. Skaters men were driv-
ng the Spanish into Santiago the
american fleet was bombarding MORO
astle and the other forts at the en-
rance of the harbor. The Vesuvius
sed her dynamite guns with good
feet. The following day Simpsons
essels also pounded away on the forts
nd the Punta Gorda batteries. When