The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-06-30
LAND BATTLE
NEAR SANTIAGO,
Roosevelts Rough Riders Lose Six
OF Their men-Spaniards Dri-
ven Back From Their Po-
sition.
FIGHTING UNSEEN ENEMY,

FIGHTING UNSEEN ENEMY.
Infantry Battled In tn. Open While
the Calvary Fought In the Brush
Both Engagements Resulted In the
Complete Route Of the Spaniards
emy First Detected by Their Low Cuckoo
CaII-sergeant Hamilton Fish Their
Tirst Victim, with "a Bullet Through his
Heart.
BY the Associsted Press
The following is the report Of the
battle Der Santiago:
Dismounted American cavlarymen
forced their way over the rough noun
tain trail this morning and encoun-
tered the Spanish infantry in dense
thicket on high plateau almost over
looking the city Of Santiago de Cuba,
and routed them after a sharp battle
lasting one hour.
This afternoon, strongly re-enforced
by the arrival of additional forces, the
| cavalrymen held a position a little
| more than five miles from the Spanish
stronghold in southeastern Cuba, pre-
pairing for general movement on
that city.
TO-day's victory was not gained
without the shedding of American
blood, and one officer and twelve of the
troops lie under the ground on the
field of bittle, while about fifty others,
including six officers, are in the field
| hospital suffering from wounds.
OF these eight or ten will probably
die. 1t is believed that the enemy's
| loss was at least fifty dead, besides
many wounded.
| Two Battles Were Fought.
| Practically two battles were fought
at the same time, one by the Rough
| Riders, under the Immediate command
of Col. Wood, on the top of the plateau,
and ,he other on the hillsides, several
miles away by the regulars, with whom
was Gen. Young.
The expedition started from Juragua
marked on some Cuban maps as AL
tares-a small town on the coast nine
miles east of Moro Castle, which was
the first place occupied by the troops
after their landing at Baiquiri last
Wednesday.
The Rough Riders entered into the
spirit of the occasion with the great.
est enthusiasm. 1t was their first Op-
portunity for fight and every man
was eager for it. The weather grew
swelteringly hot, and one by one the
men threw away blankets and tent
rolls and emptied their canteens.
The first intimatiOn had by Col.
Woods command that there were
Spaniards in the vicinity was when
they reached point three or four
miles back from the coast, when the
low cuckoo calls of the Spanish soldiers
were heard in the bush. 1t was diff
cult to locate the exact point from
which these sounds came. The men
were ordered to speak in whispers, and
frequent halts were made.
| First Trace of the Spaniartls.
Finally place was reached, about
O'Clock, where the trail opened into 8
} a space covered with high grass on the
right hand side of the trail and tn:
thickest kind of bramble land un.
derbrush on the other. A barbed-wire
dead body of a Cuban was found or
the side of the road, and at the same
) time Capt CaprOn's troops covered tht
out post, the heads of several Spaniard
being seen in the bushes for moment
1t was not until then that the mer
, were permitted to load their carbines
I When the order to load was given thel
acted on it with will and displayed
the greatest eagerDess to make an at
tack. At this time the sound of firing
{ was heard mile or two to the right
apparently coming from the hills be-
, yOnd the thiCket. 1t was the regular
: replying to the Spaniards, who hat
- opened on them from the thicket. Ii
addition to rapid rifle fire the boom o
: HOtchkiss guns could be heard. Hardl!
: two minutes had elapsed before Mause
rifles commenced to crack in the thick
. ct and hundred bullets whlstled owe
3 the heads of the Rough Riders, cutting
leaves from the trees and sending Chi p
from the fence posts by the side of tn
: men. The Spaniards had opened an
} they poured in a heavy fire, which sOO1
g had a most disastrous effect. Th
troops stood their ground with the bul
q let's singing all around them. Privat
Colby caught sight of the Spaniard
and fired the opening shot at them.
Fish Was the First to Fall.
Sergt. Hamilton Fish, jr., was tn
firtt man to fall. He was shot throug
d the heart and died instantly. IN
e Spaniards were not more than ~
yards off, but only occasional glimpse
| Ill
8 tinued to pour vOlley after vOlley int
the brush in the direction of the SCUM
of the Spanish shots, but the latter be
y came more frequent and seemed to b
l. getting nearer.
The shots came thicker and taste
Is every moment, and the air seemed fill
ed with the singing and shriekin
sound of the the Mauser bullets, Will
in the short pop of the Spanish riff
~ could be distinguished easily from tf
heavier reports of the America
weapons. Sometimes the fire wOul
come in vOlleys and again shots woul
f. follow each in rapid succession II
several minutes.
'H Can't. CaprOn stood behind his ME
revolver in hand, using it whenever
Spaniard exposed himself. His al
was sure and two of the enemy WEI
seen to fall under his fire. just as /
was preparing to take another sht
ut and shouting orders to his men at th
e- same time, his revolver dropped fro
q. his grasp and he fell to the grouu
ne with a ball through his body. H
Mt troops was badld disconnected for
t. moment, but with all the strength
n could muster, he cried. Don't mir
n me boys, 60 on and fight" He VI
r carried from the field as soon as po
r. sible and lived only few hour
Z. Lieut.. Thomas, of the same troop, r
rb ceived wound through the leg so
ry afterwards and became delirious fro
w pain.
After ten or fifteen minutes of b
work the firing fell off some and Liel
Col. Roosevelt ordered his men ba'
from the thicket into the trial, ma
rOwly escaping bullet himself, whi
~ struck a tree alOn 9side his head.