The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-11-23

and Major Whipple were both war vet
erans. The strength of the regiment at
Ell Caney was $50 men, but two COM
panies we're detached as reserve. The
Second was armed with the smoking
Springfield rife and naturally drew the
! FIRE of the Spaniards. Lieutenant Field
and Captain Warner were killed and
Captain Eapgood seriously wounded.
Total loss, 46 killed and wounded.
General Ludlow was personally con-
spicuous along his line all day, wearing
white straw hat. His horse was shot
under him early in the fight. The gen.
eral said that he had to hold in his men
instead of encouraging them. There was
no finching nor crouching. The work
Of the brigade was rather negative than
positive, because, while it advanced well
in the front in order to get cover from
the Spanish bullets, it could not at all
times answer the Spanish fire, for fear
of shooting into Chafee's men, who had
the chief role in the battle and were
pressing up closer and closer to the
Spanish works on the north and east.
The interval between Ludlow's and
Chafee's brigades was filed about noon
BY the Second brigade Of the division,
commanded just at That time by Lieu
tenant Colonel A. S. Daggett Of the
Twentysffth United States (colored).
Colonel Daggett was soldier IN the
civil war in the Fifth Maine, one of the
hard lighting regiments Of the Army of
the Potomac. He has recently been pro.
noted to brigadier general for skillfully
handling the brigade during crisis
July i.
At Ell Caney the Second brigade con-
sisted of the First, Fourth and Twenty
fifth regulars. The First was detached
to guard the roads in the rear Of the
division and also to support Capron's
battery. About II o'clock Colonel Dag
gett was ordered to lead the Fourth
and Twenty-ffth to a position south Of
the fort, where there vas gap Of
three fourths of mile. The stone fort
against which Capron's guns had been
laundering was pointed out to Daggets
as the objective of his brigade. The
trenches around the fort were very
heavy, extending on three sides. These
trenches as well as the snokeless pow
der were something new to the Amera-
cans. The Spanish trench is about 90
yards in len..a, just vide enough for
men to staad in in lire, and deep enough
to cover the body up to the shoulders.
The soil taken out of the trench is
spread over the ground, and if its color
is not like that of the earth it is COW
cred with brush or leaves or sod. SO that
from distance an enemy cannot see
the trenches except when they are occu-
pied By men. The men keep out Of sight
except when they rise to fire. There are
no exits from the trenches. Men are
put into them to fight and repulse the
enemy or be killed in the ditch.
The Spaniards had no skirmishers nor
cutposts at Ell Caney, but were ready
with their blind trenches, loopholed
fortresses, smokeless powder and barbed
wire fences to slaughter the Americans
at close quarters.
The Twenty-ffth regiment being di-
rectly opposite the fort, Colonel Daggett
led it forward across stream 6 feet
wide and foot deep. The men found
some cover under the high bank, but
beyond the bank the ground was open.
Across that ground the colored troops
advanced by rushes-that is to say,
they rushed II groups Of plasoons from
cover to cover. By successive rushes OF
40 or so yards the line steadily ad-
vanced. On it's second advance from the
bank the regiment met with its heaviest
loss. Voileys were poured into it from
the stone fort, from the village and
from blockhouses on its left. Colonel
Daggett says that many Of the Span
iards left the fort and came out into
the open, seemingly celebrating wheth-
er to surrender or attempt to reach the
village. Their combativeness was gone.
he supposed they were about to surren-
Ger. The fort had been preached in
many places by Capron's shells, and
just as the Twenty-ffth got abreast Of
it company of the Twelfth regi-
ment of Chafee's brigade entered
through breach and got the flag which
had been cut down by she'll. The
strength of the Twenty-ffth regiment
was $50 men, but only five companies,
numbering 200 men, took part in the
charge. The principal loss of Al killed
and wounded came out of the 200. None
Of the officers or men of the regiment,
excepting Colonel Daggett, had ever
heard hostile shot before. Three Of
the companies in the charging column
were gallantly led by three young lieu
tenants, Caldwell. Moss and Hunt.
! The Fourth regiment, on the left Of
the Twenty-ffth, did not advance be-
yond the line within 500 yards range
of the fort, from which the Twenty
fifth charged. The reason was that fur.
ther advance would have brought it un-
der an enflade fire from the village, the
| blockhouses around it, as we'll as the
fort itself. There was smooth ground
in front of i all the way, and Colonel