The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1898-06-29

Position.
The battle which occurred on Fri.
day last near Santiago was the initial
fight of Col. Woods Rough Riders
and the troopers of the First and
Tenth Regular Cavalry and will be
known in history as the battle of La
Quasina.
That it did not end in the complete
slaughter ofthe Americans was not
due to any miscalculation 10 the
plans of the Spaniards, for as perfect
an ambuscade as was ever formed
in the brain of an Apache Indian
was prepared and Lieutenant.C Colonel
Roosevelt. and his men walked square.
ly into it.
For an hour and half they held
their ground under perfect storm of
bullets from the front aud sides, aud
then Colonel Wood at the right and
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.
1t is now definitely known that six
teen men on the American side we're
killed, while sixty we're wounded or
are reported missing. 1t is impossible
to calculase the Spanish losses, but it
is known that they we're far heavier
than those of Americans, at least as
regards actual loss of life.
Already thirty.seven dead Spanish
soldiers have been found and buried,
while many others are undoubtedly v
lying in the thick underbrush On the
side of the gully, and on the slope OF
the hill, where the main body of the
enemy was located. The wounded
were all removed.
That the Spaniards we're thorough.
ly 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. The main body of the Span.
iardF was posted on a hill, on the
heavily wooded slopes of which had
been erected two block houses flank
by irregular intrenchments of stone
aud fallen trees. At the bottom of
these hills run two roads along which
Lieutenant.C Colonel Roosevelt's men
and eight troops of the First and
Tenth Cavalry, with a battery of four
howitzers, advanced.
\ These roads are but little more than
lies, rough and narrow, and at
..Iaces almost impossible. In these
trails the fight occurred. Nearly halfa
mile separated Roosevelt's men from
the regulars, and between them and
on both sides of the road in the thick
underbrush was concealed force Of
Spaniards that must have been large
judging from the terrific and constant
fire they poured in on the Americans
At 7:30 q. m. General Young gave
the command to the men at the
Hotchkiss guns to open fire. Thai
command was the signal for a fghI
that for stubbornness has seldom beer
equaled. The instant the Hotchkis.
guns we're fired, from the hillsides
commanding the road came volley
alter volley from the Mausers of tht
Spaniards.
Don't shoot until you see some
thing to shoot at," yelled General
Young, and the men, with set jaw
aud cleaning eyes, obeysd the order
Crawling along the edge of the road
and protecting themselves as much al
possible from the fearful fire of The
Spaniards, the troopers, some of them
stripped to The waist, watched the
base Of the bill and when any part o
Spaniard became visible, they fred
Never for an instant did they falter.
One husky warrier Of the Tenth
Cavalry, with ragged wound in biz
thigh, coollY knelt behind a rocA
loading and firing, and when told by
one of his comrades that be wai
wounded laughed and said, "Oh