Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-06-30
A BAPTISM OF FIRE.
The Rough Riders and Cavalry
men Take 1t Bravely.
MORE DETAILS OF FRIDAYS BATTLE.
Latest Information Places the Amer
lean Losses at Twenty-Five Killed
and Seventy Wounded or Miss
inx-Spanish Losses Heavier.

Boat Dandy, Via Kingston, Jamaica,
June 27.-The initial fight of Col.
Woods rough riders and the troopers
of the First and Tenth regular cavalry
will be known in history as the battle
of La Quasina. That it did not end in
the complete slaughter of the -Ameri-
cans was not due to any miscalculation
in the plan of the Spaniards, for as per-
feet an ambuscade as was ever termed
in the brain of an Apache Indian was
prepared and Lieut.. Col Roosevelt and
his men walked squarely into it. For
an hour and half they held their
ground under perfect storm of bullets
from the front and sides, and then Col.
Wood at the right and Lieut.. Col. Roose-
welt at the left led charge which
turned the tide of battle and sent the
enemy flying over the hills toward San
tiago.
Says % Were Killed.
Gen. Wheeler, in his official report,
places the number of dead in tie en-
gagement at Sevilla as % and the
wounded as between 20 and 80. No at
tempt has yet been made to prepare an
official list with the names of the dead
and wounded. The high grass and
bushes of the battle-ground make it diff
ficult to find the bodies.
The bodies of 80 Spaniards have been
found and the Spanish loss in killed
and wounded was doubtless much
heavier than the American.
The Killed.
A complete list of the killed, revised
TO four o'clock Saturday, is as follows:
Capt. Allyn X. Capron. First United
States volunteer cavalry
Sergt. Hamilton Fish, Jr., troop L, First
United States volunteer cavalry.
Sergt. Doherty. troop A, First United
States volunteer cavalry.
SerSt. Marcus d. Russell, troop G., First
United States volunteer cavalry. Sergt.
Russell lived in Troy, N. Y, and was for
merly colonel on Gov. Hills staff
Private Leggett, troop A, First United
States volunteer cavalry.
Private Henry Heffner, troop G. First
United States volunteer cavalry.
Private Milden w. Danson, troop L, First
United States cavalry.
Private w. T. Irwin, troop f, First United
States volunteer cavalry
Private Slennoc, troop K, First regular
cavalry.
Private B. Work, troop B. First regular
cavalry.
Private Krupp, Troop B, First regular
cavalry.
Private Stark. troop A. First regular cav
airy.
Private - -, troop K, First reg
ular cavalry. s.
Private kelbe, troop K, First regular cav
airy.
Private Barlin. troop X. First regular
cavalry.
Corporal White. troop X, Tenth regular
cavalry.
Capt. Mccormick and Capt. Luna, of
the First volunteer cavalry, who were
reported as among the dead or wound
ed, were unframed, as was also Col.
Wood, whom Adjt. Hall reported as
MORALLY wounded.
spaniards Well Prepared.
That the Spaniards were thoroughly
posted as to the route to be taken by
the Americans in their movements
towards Sevilla was evident, as shown
by the careful preparations they had
made. The main body of the Spaniards
was posted on hill, on the heavily
wooded slopes of which had been
erected two blockhouses, fanked by
irregular intrenchments of stone and
fallen trees. At the bottom of these
Col. Rooseyelts men and eight troops
OF the First and Tenth cavalry, with a
battery of four howitzers, advanced
These roads are but little more than
gullies, rough and narrow, and at places
almost impossible. In these trails the
fight occurred. Nearly half mile sepa-
rated Roosevelt's men from the repu-
lars, and between them and on both
sides OF the road in the thick under
brush was concealed force of Span
iards that must have been large, iudg-
ing from the terrific and constant fire
they poured in on the Americans.
The fight was opened by the First and
Tenth cavalry, under Gen. Young. A
force of Spaniards was known to be in
the vicinity of La Quasina and early in
the morning Lieut.. Col. Roosevelt's men
started off up the precipitous bluff back
OF Siboney to attack the Spaniards on
their right flank, Gen. Young at the
same time taking the road at the foot of
the hill. About two and half miles out
from Siboney, some Cubans, breathless
and excited, rushed into camp with the
announcement that the Spanards were
49, iittie way III lIoHt anu were
strongly entrenched. Quickly the
Hotchkiss guns out in the front were
brought to the rear, while strong
scouting line was thrown out. Then
cautiously and in silence the troops
moved forward until bend in the road
disclosed hill where the Spaniards
were located. The guns were again
brought to the front and placed in posi-
ton, while the men crouched down in
the road, waiting impatiently to give
Roosevelt's men, who were toiling over
the little trail along the crest of the
ridge, time to get up.
The Fight Begins.
At 1880 a. m, Gen. Young gave the
command to the men at the Hotchkiss
guns to open fire. The command was
the signal for fight that for stubborn
ness has seldom been equalled. The
instant the Hotchkiss guns were fired,