The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-06-27
THE SPEEDY LANDING OF TROOPS.
Under Adverse Circumstances Con-
sirered Most Extraordinary.
THE BATTLE OF LA QUASINA,

Where Roosevelt's Rough Riders Braved a
Deadly Spanish Fire-Sixteen of Our
Men Were Killed and Sixty Wounded or
Missing-L;eutenant Colonel Roosevelt
Seized a Rifle and Rushed Into the Thick
of the Fight-The Dead Heroes Buried
Where They Fell Fighting For the Stars
and Stripes.
~Juragua, Cuba, via Kingston, ia
maica, June 27.-Troops of the United
States and Spain are almost face to
face and less than four miles apart.
The picket lines at certain points are
within hailing distance of the enemy.
1t seems certain that the battle of San
tiago must come within a week.
The troops were all ashore here and
at Baiquiri, with the exception of a
few scattered companies that have
gone forward. The supplies are suf-
fcient to enable the army to sustain
a weeks campaign at both landing
points.
The landing of troops, horses and
supplies has been extraordinary. With
only one steam barge, and compelled
to depend on -treacherous and small
boats, General Shafter has landed over
10000 men. hundreds of horses and
mules and thousands of dollars worth
of supplies on the exposed beaches,
and only two men have lost their lives.
No more than 80 animals have been
drowned, and scarcely a package OF
supplies has been lost.
The initial fight of Colonel 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 miscalcula-
tion in the plan of the Spaniards, for
as perfect an ambuscade as was ever
formed in the brain of an Apache
Indian was prepared, and Lieutenant
Colonel Roosevelt and his men walked
souarely into it. For an hour and a
half they held their ground under a
perfect storm of bullets from the
front and sides. and then Colonel
Wood at the right and Lieutenant
Colonel Roosevelt at the left led a
charge which turned the tide of bat
tie and sent the enemy flying over the
hills toward Santiago.
It is now definitely known that 1G
men on the American side were killed,
while so were wounded or are reported
to be missing, 1t is impossible to cal
culate the Spanish losses, but it is
known that they were far heavier than
those of Americans, at least as regards
actual loss of life. Already 81 dead
Spanish soldiers have been found and
buried, while many others are I'M
doubtedly lying in the thick under
brush on the side of the gully, and on
the slope of the hill, where the main
body of the enemy vas located. The
wounded were all removed.
A complete list of the American
killed, revised to 4 o'clock Saturday,
is as follows: Captain Allyn X. Cap
ron, Sergeant Hamilton Fish, Jr., Ser
geant Doherty, Sergeant Marcus Rus
sell, Privates Leggett, Harry Heffner,
NllluCH W. lbdllobllf W l. II liz plGu"
noe, B. Work. Krupp, Stark, Dix,
Kelbe and Barlin and Corporal White.
That the Spaniards were thoroughly
posted as to the route to be taken
by the Americans in their movement
towards Sevilla was evident, as shown
by the careful preparations they had
made. Where the fight occurred the
roads are but little more than gull
lies, rough and narrow, and at places
almost impossible. Nearly half a mile
separated R~oosevelt's men from the
regulars, and between them and on
both sides of the road in the thick
underbrush was concealed q force of
Spaniards that must have been large,
judging from the terrific and constant
fire they poured in IN the Americans,
In the two hours fighting during
which the volunteers Dattled against
their concealed enemy enough deeds
of herosim were done to fill a vol
ume. One of the men of Troop Il,
desperately wounded, was lying
~squarely between the lines of fire
Surgeon Church hurried to his side
and, with bullets pelting all around
him, dressed the mans wound, ban
daged it and walked unconcernedly
back, soon returning with two mel
and a litter, The wounded man was
placed on the litter and brought into
our lines. Another soldier of Troop L
c%oncealing himself as best he could be,
hind a tree, gave up his place to q
wounded companion and a moment Of
two later was himself wounded.
Sergeant Bell stood by the side o.
Captain Capron when the latter wa,
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