The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-15

ana Ine command Oh Iue OIlSduc lHcu
devolved upon Lieutenant Colonel
Ewers. Ninth infantry.
''The Second and Tenth infantry,
Colonel E. p. Pearson commanding,
moved forward in good order on the
left of the division, passed over a green
knoll and drove the enemy back toward
his trenches. After completing the for
nation under a destructive fire and adj
vancing a short distance, both divi-
sions found in their front a wide bot
tom. in which had been placed barbed
wire ENHANCEMENT and beyond which
there was a high hill, along the crest
of which the enemy was strongly
posted. Nothing daunted, these gal
liant men pushed on to drive the enemy
from his chosen position, both divi-
Sions losing heavily. In this assault
Colonel Hamilton, Lieutenants Smith
and Shipp were killed and Colonel
Carroll. Lieutenants Thayer and Meyer
all in the cavalry, were wounded.
Great credit is due to Brigadier
General II. S. Hawkins, who, placing
himself between his regiments, urged
them by one voice and bugle calls to
the attack so brilliantly executed.
In this fierce encounter words fail to
do justice to the gallant regiment COM
mands and heroic men. for while the
generals indicated the formations and
the points for attack. it was, after all,
the intrepid bre1 ~ of officers and men
that planted our colors on the crest of
San Juan hill and drove the enemy
from his trenches and block houses,
thus gaining the position which sealed
the fate of Santiago.
MY own health was impaired by
over-exertion in the sun and the in
tense heat of the day before, which
prevented me from participating as ac-
lively in the battle as I desired, but
from a high hill near my headquar-
tiers / had a general view ff the bat
tlefield. extending from E. Caney on
the right to the left of our lines on San
Juan HILL
General Shafter follows in detail the
movements of the troops. and the en-
trenching done during the night
"On the I'd the battle ragged all day
with more or less fury, but such of
our troops as were in position at day
light held their ground, and Lawton
gained a strong and commanding posi-
ton on the right. On the morning of
the Sd the battle was renewed. but the
enemy seemed to have expended his en-
ergy in the assault of the previous
night, and the firing along the lines
was desultory.
FORCE ENGAGED.
1.-THE cessation of firing about noon
on the Sd practically terminated the
battle of Santiago; all that occurred
after this may properly be treated I'M
der the head of the siege which fol-
lowed. After deducting the detach-
ments retained at Siboney and Bal
quiri to render those depots secure
from attack, organizations held to pro-
tect our tanks, others acting as es-
corts and guards to light batteries, the
members of the hospital corps, guards
the intense heat caused the men TO
cast aside before entering battle order
lies, ETC., it is doubtful if we had more
than 1900 men on the firing line on
July !, when the battle was fiercest and
when the strong positions of Ell Caney
and San Juan were captured
"A few Cubaas assisted in the at
tack at Ell Caney, and fought valiant
ly, but their numbers We're too small
to materially change the strength as
Indicated above. The enemy confront
ed us with numbers about equal to our
own. They fought obstinately in strong
entrenched positions, and the results
attained clearly Indicated the intrepid
gallantry of the company officers and
men, ana the benefits derived from the
careful training and instruction given
in the company in recent years in rifle
practice and other battle exercises.
Our losses in these battles were % Off
GERS and POS men Killed, and 81 officers
and ,203 men wounded and 79 missing.
The missing, with few exceptions, re-
ported later on"
General Shafter says the arrival Of
General Escario at Santiago was not
anticipated. He said:
General Garcia, with between 1000
and 5000 Cubans. was entrusted with
the duty of watching for and inter-
cepting the reinforcement expected. /
This. however, he failed TO do and the
reinforcements entered the city on my
extreme right near the bay"
NEGOTIATIONS FOR SURRENDER.
After speaking of Admiral Cervera's !
sortie and the destruction of his fleet, |
General Shafter says he again called |
on the Spanish commander to surren- |
der. He says:
ION the same date I informed Ad-
miral Sampson that if he would force |
his way into the harbor the city would /
surrender without any further sacrifice |
of life. Commodore Watson replied |
that Admiral Sampson was temper
arily absent, but that in his opinion |
(Watson's) the navy should not enter /
the harbor.
>'The strength of the enemy's posi- |
ton was such that 1 did not wish to |
assault il it could be avoided. An ex- |
animation of the enemy's works, made !
after the surrender, fully justifies the |
wisdom of the course adopted. The en- /
trenchments could only have been car /
ried with great loss of life"
General Sh2fter gives the various eff |
forts towards securing surrender and /
his reo9ening the engagement on the |
10th. when the truce ended. On the |
18th the surrender was again demand |
ed
BY this date the sickness in the /
army was increasing very rapidly, as !
a result of exposure in the trenches, to /
the intense heat of the sun and the |
heavy rains Moreover the dewS in /
Cuba are almost equal to rains. The !
weakness of the troops was becoming
so apparent l was anxious to bring the |
siege to an end, but in common with |
most os the officers of the army. did /
not think an assault would be justi- |
fable, especially as the enemy seemed |
to be acting in good faith in the pre- |
liminary propositions TO surrender.
July u informed the Spanish COM |
mander that Major General Miles, COM !
of the American army, |
had Just arrived in my camp, and re-
quested him to grant US a personal in |
terview on the following day. He re-
piled he would be pleased to meet us. /
The interview took place on the 18th. |
and 7 informed him that as he was
without hope of escape, he had no right |
to continue the fight"
General Shafter then gives the details |
OF the final surrender, his entry into /
the city. and the raising of the Amer
lean flag.
OBSTACLES ENCOUNTERED.
In closing he says: Before closing j
my repoHt, l wish to dwell upon the |