The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-22
THE FIGHT AT GUASIMAS.
GEN. s. y. mr. YOUNG SAID HE PLANNED
IT IND WON IT
It Was Fought rs Planned and There Was
No Ambush-Fatlure OF the Spaniards to
Take Advantage of Their Opportunities
Gen. wheeIer,a share in the Action.

Gen. wheeler's Share I'm the Actor
The following account Of the fight at La
Guasimas was given by Gen. s. B.. NJ. Young a
the Waldorf-Astori on Sept. IL last. with hi
chief Of staff. Col. Tyree II. Rivers. U. s. v
and his aide. Capt. w. R. smedberE. Fourt
United States Cavalry. present as corrobora
tive Witnesses. It is Of interest as showinI
the circumstance leading to the action.
I'm order to make clear the Significance o
the battle OF Las Guasimas with respect t
the main campaign in front OF Santiago h
said. 1T Is necessary to trace the movement
of the force engaged there from the time o
landing up to the collision with the enemy
The affair was purely accidental. but impor
tant results came from IL.
M brigade. consisting of two squadroni
each Of the rough riders, the First and the
Tenth United States Cavalry. landed at Bal
quiri on the evening OF June % and the morn,
ing OF June %. We got ashore by means o
an old wooden dock where there was nothing
but posts and beams with a few planks. On the
morning OF June 90 orders reached me to take
position on the left OF Lawton's division. which
had already landed. These instructions were
brought me by my own aide. Capt. Smedberg
after we had bivouacked. We had nc rations
We had drawn three days travel rations. but
they were exhausted while lying on the trans
ports. Col. Rivers then went on board the shlr
where Gen. Wheeler was and asked for more
definite instructions. Gen. Wheeler sent me
orders to move out five or six miles, select q
camp for my own brigade and screen and
cover the landing. My moving out would
help to relieve the congestion at the
landing. Lawton's division was already on
shore and my bivouac near the landing
was very unsatisfactory for the reason that
the water was foul from the infantry camps on
the streams above.
AS soon as I could get ammunition for my
battery of Hotchkiss guns and some rations I
moved. This was about 4 p. NJ. on June %.
1 could get rations for but one squadron each
OF the First and the Tenth Cavalry and so had
to leave one squadron of each behind. The
rations drawn were the ordinary field rations.
Our men had no haversacks and carried their
rations in their blanket rolls or sacks. The
rough riders were fully rationed. On moving
out inland l found that Lawton's troops occu-
pied all the desirable camps. and continued to
go forward in search Of a suitable place until
1 came to the advance post OF Lawton. There
1 learned of an engagement the night before
between the Cubans and Spaniards. Mean
while Gen. Wheeler had come ashore and gone
on beyond my column to Siboney village and
l concluded to march on and report to him.
1 did so and he said he was glad that I had
UNIV w. OHA1 IL 1OtSh AANOAo "OAo "AsA
me then at the front.
Gen. Wheeler spoke Of the engagement be-
tween the Cubans and Spaniards and asked
me to get an accounted it from Castillo. the
Cuban leader. The General had been out
with Castillo and had locked over the Spanish
position. He was tired and about to lie down.
Castillo said that he had encountered 1000
spaniards posted on our front. at o certain
point near Sevilla. He thought they had re-
tired. but l got information that they were
there and were being reinforced. There was
good camping ground around Sevilla, and af-
ter my talk with Castillo l concluded to go out
and reconnoitre. develop the enemy's line.
and find out what was on my front. Col. Riv-
ers got from Castillo the topography of the re-
gion around Las Guasimas and made a pencil
sketch from the Cuban's description. Then 1
sent Capt. Smedbere. OF my staff. back toward
the landing to get up tho Hotchkiss guns and
the squadrons OF the First and the Tenth. They
were TO be Mt the front at 5 A. M. on June "a.
Capt Smedberg left me at p NJ. on June %.
Gen. Castillo described a trail from Siboney
into the main road connecting Siboney
with Santiago. The trail runs over a hill
south OF the road. a very high ridge in fact.
After the sketch made from Castillo's descrip-
ton had been approved l decided to send the
rough riders forward over the trail. the regu-
lars to move along the road with the Hotch-
kiss guns. The commands were about equal
IN strength then. two squadrons of cavalry
and two of rough riders. 1 talked the matter
over with Col. Wood and said that if the Span
iards we're really over there we would make a
simultaneous attack with the two columns. /
then went to Sen. Wheeler and told him Of this.
| said that l would get a good position for our
army to camp. Las GuasimaS is q pass where
the Spaniards expected to check our advance.
1t is down grade from there to Santiago.
Castillo was to support us with 800 Cubans.
and / asked him to ride up, starting about 5
M. the next morning, or. If he could not go
himself to send along with his column a staff
officer speaking English, who could convey
commands to the Cubans. Gen. Wheeler
made no objection to my plans. On account
a rain during the night there was some de-
ay in starting. At $3.50 A. NJ. on June "a.
Col Rivers went to Castille's hivouac to say |
hat we were ready to march. The Cuban SEN
.inels would not allow Col. Rivers to awaken
Gen. Castillo. and he came back without him
or his Cubans. reaching me at 5:45. The
first and Tenth and the Hotchkiss guns be-
ng up. moved the force out. sending my
'ides, Col. Rivers and Capt. Smedberg. with
Wood to be able to report to me the conduct
that column. Can't. A L. Mills. then the
Adjutant- General OF the brigade. went for
yard with the First and Tenth.
After moving three miles t~he.rieht column
aw some troops on a high hill and Capt. Mills
vent alone to the Cuban outposts. There we're
mall parties OF Cubans strung along the road
sevilla. He then sent word back to me
o come forward. indicating how l could do so
nd keep hidden from he enemy. 1 Joined
i'm. and from that point We could SEQ the
north OF the road. where they had
tone parapets. After surveying the situation
through a,feldglass 1 waited for the squadron
commanders to come up. andtheniexplained the
Ian of action. There was some good drink
ng water right there, the first we had seen
or some time. and each officer filed his can
cen. l showed them the road to be taken by
he regulars. the trail followed by the rough
iders. and the junction Of the two. That
was Just behind the Spanish position.
being the enemy's object to defend both
outes.
AS the rough riders had a difficult hill to
limb / gave them ,wenty.minutes start. also
rdered the squadron OF the Tenth tcoloredl
D 90 as support TO the squadron of the First.