The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-07-05

way through the tangled grass ana
and half way down the
hillside selected n good spot 10 halt.
and from there opened and maintained
for twenty minutes a hot fire. Tho
opposing batteries banged away, Cap
tain Grimes sending a storm OF lead
down into the outer "ortiilcations and
the Spaniards pounding away at the
hilltop with vicious persistence.
Most OF the Spanish shells went
over the hilltops and fell in a RAY inc
beyond. Here several detachmcnts "
Cuban troops were stationed as re-
serves aud before they could b" NOV
ed, seven insurgents were seriously
wounded and several slightly hurt.
AT the same time two Americans
were killed and nine wounded. TIL"
Spaniards used smokeless powder and
shot with much more accuracy than
during the previous engagement. The
wonder is that many more lives were
not lost, as the opposition batteries
were less than two miles apart.
Colonel Woods command behaved
with great bravery, firing steady and
deadly volleys, with the encmy's
shells screeching and bursting over
their heads Twenty minutes OF fear
fully hot work silenced the Spanish
batteries Ten shots were sent into
them after they ceased firing. but
there was no response and II Is pre-
sumed that the guns were dismount-
ed or the gunners driven Off.
CONTESTING EVERY INCH OF
GROUND.
Away TO the left General Lawton's
division with Chaffee's men and Cap
ron's battery, was meantime lighting
tiercely with the enemy entrcnched In
and about Caney. The Spaniards con-
tested every inch Of ground bitterly
and fought with unexpected GOODNESS
and courage, but the irresistible on
ward movement OF the Americans
slowly forced them back upon and be-
yond Caney. About IL o'clock the ter
rible fire from Captain Capron's guns
and the musketS of the men broke
the Spanish line and retreat began
toward the line Of outer fortificat!ons-
The enemy took the tran known as
the main Santiago road and Captain
Crimes battery Immediately began
pitching shells in ahead OF the re-
treating men, while "a detachment of
1000 Cubans. headed by Garcia, start
ed to cut off the retreat.
No report has yet been received
from them. A large detachment OF
General Kcnt's reserves was sent 10
| aid General Garcia in this work, and
| ii is probable that fierce fighting oc-
| Cured
JOE WHEELER TO THE FRONT.
| All this time General Sumner had
command Of the centre, owing to Gen
| eral Wheelers illness, but about IL 30
| o'clock Wheeler started on the two
| miles journey TO the front in an ambu-
lance About half way to the front
| he met a number Of litters bearing
| wounded. The veteran, under protest
| by the surgeons, Immediately ordered
| his horse, and after personally assist
| ing the wounded into the ambulance,
| mounted and rode onward. The men
| burst into frantic cheers. which fol-
lowed the general all along the line.
| By noon, although still very Ill. Cen
| eral Wheeler had established head
| quarters at the extreme front and
centre of the line and still holds his
| position. The hardest fighting Of the
| day seems to have been on the right
| flank and heavy casualties are report
| ed from there. The advance there was
| more rapid than at other points on
| the line, and General Chaffees brigade
was the first to cross the little San
| Juan river close 10 the line OF outer
| Notifications.
| At 2 o'clock Caney had not been en-
| tered by the American troops. but
| they had pushed on past II and IL was
theirs at any time they chose TO
| march into it. At that hour General
Shafter, whose headquarters for the
went forward TO assume personal COM
| mand OF the operations. Some sur
| prise is expressed that he did not wait
| for the siege guns before beginning
| the final attack. as these guns are
| still on the beach at Baiquiri. He
| decided yesterday that they were un-
necessary and determined TO strike
| at once.
THE ONLY REVERSE.
The only movement OF the day which
| did not meet with success was Cen
eral Duffield's attempt TO occupy the
sea village Of Aguadores. The New
York, Suwanee and Gloucester shelled
the old fort and the rife pits during
the fornoon, drove all the Spaniards
from the vicinity and bowled over the
parapet from which flew the Spanish
flag, but. owing to the broken rail-
road bridge, General Duffield's troons
Were unable TO get across the river
which separated them from tn. little
town, and were compelled to go back
TO Juragua. 1t is probable that an
eHort VIII be made tomorrow 10 re-
pair the bridge and a complete move
| ment attempted
Today ii was reported at JuraguSl,
that General Duffield had been de-
feated, but this is not true, az he
| did not encounter any large body OF
| Spaniards.
SPLENDID BRAVERY OF OUR ;
TROOPS.
| during the day, with numerous evil
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