Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1899-07-22

= n
~ q Js4IASN%, he was at Las
" ~ 81 49, Guasimas when
6ea7-eT JES/EES they exchanged
lCSGffs - ---S.sSs- ~ shots with the
O-AA-,ANNNJenemy there on
the 23I Of June, but the spaniards told
the Americans that General Escarrio
was in command of them during the
action with the cavalry on the cath.
The French officer before quoted said
that Linares instructed his men on San
Juan ridge to hold on as long as they
could and then fall back, command
which is the next thing to ordering q
retreat. The conduct of the Spaniards
all through indicated that they intended
to let the Americans come up to the
I..-.a e. -. ,a4,s of the city il they would.
LiuarCg was wounded at a critical time
for counter attack on San Juan ridge
and seems to have been preparing for it
when 1t. What TRANSFERRED shortly aft
or his fall--that lis, on the evening Of
July Indicated that he hoped to turn
Skaters left flank and cut him off from
his base, In point of fact the right flank
of the American line was its weakest
elbl IuHb az tiiit tiiuts ~ NtE III tiS
air, ;" as soldiers say, owing to the fail.
ure Of Lawton to get into position on
the bejghts OH the Ell Caney road.
"Strong position, but weak line to
hold it,." is the way the cavalrymen
spoke Of the north part of the ridge
which they carried and intrenched, re-
ferring to the situation the evening of
July and the day following.
Mention has been made Of the Ninth
cavalry calling for help on the after
noon of the ist. This regiment, consist
ing Of one battalion, occupied the ex-
IRENE right, narrow ridge extending
toward the Fl Caney road, with Span
ism blockhouse and fort only 800 yards
aw;y To that point the machine guns
were hurried. Kent also sent the Thir.
tenth infantry.
A proposition to retreat from its posi-
tion was discussed in the cavalry di.
vision late on the LIST, and IL was under
sruud that Colonel Roosevelt, whose
rank made him senior OH the front line,
favored it. Captain Morton, then COM
mandinS the Third cavalry, opposed it,
saying the place would have to be won
again. Captain Boughton of the same
regiment observed to Roosevelt, 1--WE
can hold it against all help But sup.
ports were needed, and after repeated
calls by Morton they came up at 10 p.
n. The last call for help was referred
to General Wheeler, as commander Of
the division, the first heard of him by
the officers on the front line that day.
The Third cavalry occupied and in
trenched salient ON the ridge looking
toward Santiago, the point nearest the
Spanish trenches and less than 500
yards from them. At midnight the
Spaniards opened on that point with a
sharp fusillade. Meanwhile the battal.
ions left as reserve on "Kettle" hill
had moved to the crest, making seven
battalions, or less than four regiments,
to hold the ridge from the San Juan
read to that from FL Caney. A most
important part Of the line, this was as
things stood. Had Lawton taken posi-.
tion on the FL Caney road, with Kent
holding Gu at the blockhouse and south
Of it, the ridge taken by the cavalry
would have been useless to the Span
iards.
There are some grounds for the claim
that the cavalry division took the ridge
without orders from headquarters. No
positive orders like those to Kent can
b. traced, General Sumner, who COM
nanded the cavalry, says he charged the
hill in order to avoid retreat and casual
ties, The position which the cavalry &C.
cupied in the morning Of July along
the streams was one to enable it to sup.
port Kent in the attack assigned him at
San Juan or to help Lawton in the at
tack at the lei Caney road. The conduct
OF General Wheeler on the LIST of July
supports the inference that the cavalry
division had no orders to attack in the
morning. There is slight contradic-
ton in tho statements of Wheeler and
Shaftcr as to Wheeler's work that day.
Wheeler says he was able to act early
in the morning; that he conveyed Shat
ter's orders to Kent to move forward
al 40 personally told Sumner to do
the srme a statement which places
Sumner in command of the cavalry and
makes Wheeler an acting corps COM
mander Shafter, on the other hand,
says that wheeler, the permanent COM
mander of the cavalry division, who had
been ill., came forward during the morn
ing and later returned to duty" Among
ali the orders that day which traced l
found no allusion to Wheeler, until
along in the evening, when he establish
ed his headquarters at the base of the