The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-08-10
WORK OF HEROES.
Gen. Wbeaicr's Report on the Fight al
Ei Caney.

'i'hc report Of 'lajor-i'cncral Joseph
Wheeler on the operations before San
tiago dc Cuba has become available.
Of the movement on FL Caney. begin
ning July /. the General says:
Colonel McClernand. Of Gen. Shat
tcrS staff. directed me to give instruc-
tons to Gen. Kent. which | complied
with in person. at the same time per-
sonally dirctting Gen. Sumner to move
forward The men were all compelled
to wade the San Juan River to get into
line This was done under very
heavy fire Of both infantry and artillc-
". Our balloon having been sent up
by the main road, was made mark OF
by the enemy. 1t was evident that we
were as much under fire in forming the
line as we would be by an advance, and
[ therefore pressed the command for
ward from the covering under which 1t
was formed 1t merged into open space
in full view Of the enemy, who occupied
brcastworks and batteries on the crest
of the hill which overlooks Santiago,
officers and men falling at every step.
HARD WORK INTRENCHING.
Upon reaching the crest | ordered
breastworks to be constructed, and sent
to the rear for shovels, picks, spades
and axes. TIE encmys retreat from the
ridge was precipitate. but our men were
so thoroughly exhaunted that 1t was
impossible for them to follow. Their
shoes were soaked with water by wad-
ing the San Juan River. they had be-
come drcnched with rain, and when
they reached the crest they were abso-
lutely unable to proceed further. Not
withstanding this condition, these ex-
hausted men labored during the night
10 erect brcastworl,s. furnish details to
bury the dead. and carry the wounded
back in improvised litters. | sent word
along the line that reinforcements
would soon reach us. and that Lawton
would join our right and that Gen.
Bates would come up and strengthen
our left.
During all the day on July2 the
cavalry division, kents division and
Bates brigade were engaged with the
enemy, being subjected to a fierce fire
and incurring many casualties, and later
in the day Lawton's division also be-
came engaged.
DIDN'T WAIT TO RETREAT.
Accompanying the report is i copy
of the dispatches which were sent to
General Shafter by General Wheeler,
beginning June 25 and ending July 2:
On July l, at $40 p. M, General
Wheeler. writing from San Juan, has
the following to say about Withdrawing
from the position we had won:
A number of officers have appealed
to me TO have the line withdrawn and
take up a strong position farther back.
I have positively discountenanced this,
as it would cost US much prestige. The
lines are very thin, as so many men
have gone to the rearwith wounded and
50 many are exhausted, but | hope these
men can be got up tonight and with
our line intrenchcd and Lawton on our
right we ought to hold tomorrow but
fear it Will be severe day. If we
can get through tomorrow all right
we can make our breastworks very
strong the next night. You can hardly
realize the exhaused condition Of the
troops. The Third and Sixth Cavalry
and other troops were up marching and
halted on the road all last night, and
have fought for twelve hours to-day,
and those that are not on the line will
be digging trenches tonight. was on
the extreme front line. The men were
lying down and reported the Spaniards
not more than three hundred yards in
their front.