The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-07-07
HOW CANEY FELL
A Desperate Fight on Both
Sides, Ending in Victory
For the Americans.
THE SPANISH LOSS WAS 1000.
Many Prisoners Taken Through
Bravery and Strategy.

made until the place was taken. Gen
eral Lawton sent Il messenger to Gen
eral Chatfee with instructions to take
the position by a charge. Chaffee
then closed in with his men rapidly
from the north, while Capron main
tanned heavy fire on the fort, keep
ing the Spaniards in the covered way
and putting hole after hole into the
stone walls of the fort Soon after
ward he threw a shot from the bat
terry which tore away the flagstaff,
bringing the Spanish flag to the
ground.
At 3 o'clock the advanced line of
| General Chaffee's skirmishers, the
Seventh Infantry, began to appear
on the edge of the woods below the
/ fort and by rapid rushes advanced up
| the hill to the fort. No shot was fired
as they swept forward. 1t was evil
dent that the covered way had been
abandoned and in few minutes the
American troops were thick around
the fort which commands the north
side of the town.
The Spaniards were completely
surrounded. The main part of the
army was between them and Santa
/ 90, and General LawtOns division
was around them on the other three
/ sides. They retired TO buildings in
the town and made a gallant defense,
but, from the time General Chatfee's
men took the stone fort they were
lost troops to Spain.
Rather than take the town by an
| infantry assault, General LawtOn de-
cided to order forward artillery to
shell it at close range. Although the
road from the hill to the edge of the
town was nearly impossible for artil-
lery, Captain Capron made the effort
and soon had his guns in position
ready to open again.
For some time General Chaffees
men held their position behind the
stone fort, and then began the de-
scent toward the town, firing volleys
as they advanced. General Ludlow
and Colonel Miles pressed closely on
the other sides, and at nightfall the
town was practically in the hands of
the Americans.
The country over which General
Lawton's division fought offered great
advantages both to the attacking
party and to the defenders. 1t is
broad valley, fianked on the west by
towering mountains and on the east
by a ridge about two hundred feet
high. At one time it was under cul-
tivation, but it has been neglected
since the opening of the war. 1t still
retains signs of its former prosperity
in groves of cocoanut and mango trees
and broad fields of waving grass, in
most cases waist high.
Several ridges intersect it. The
valley between these ridges and the
groves We're points of vantage to the
American regulars, who used them
with all the skill acquired ON the
Western plains of America
No finer work has ever been done
by soldiers than was done by the bri
gade of General Ludlow and Colonel
Miles as they closed in on the town.
The Spanish blazed at them with
Mausers and machine guns, but with
out effect. Nothing could stop them
and they pushed in closer and closer
during the afternoon. BY the time
General Chaffee's men were in form,
Miles and Ludlow were on the out
skirts of the town, holding on with
tenacity and preventing the Span
iards from retreating toward Santa
go, while Chaffee closed in on the
right.
The fighting for hours in front of
Colonel Miles line, at a hacienda,
known as Duera House, was fierce.
The Spanish defence was exceedingly
obstinate. The house was guarded
by rifle pits, and as fast as the Span
iards We're driven from one they re-
treated into another and continued
their fire. 1t was almost entirely a
fight with rifles, as the Americans
had only Capron's battery of artil-
lery, and the Spanish had none at all.
In this part of the fight Captain
Capron's battery was unable to fire
for fear of hitting our own men. The
place was finally taken with rush
about o'clock, the Spanish fleeing,
part to the hills and part to Caney
where they We're rounded up with
the other Spanish troops driven by
General Chaffee.
When the final closing movement
was begun at p. m, the town Of
Caney was taken and large number
of prisoners were captured. The
Spanish loss is 1900 in all.