The National tribune., 1903-09-17
AMERICAN ARMY IN PUERTO Rco

MAP SHOWING OPERATIONS OF
where the slightest deviation in depres
sion made their shots go wild of thu
mark,-is all that rendered our position
tenab!e. for the ranges had been carefully
determined beforehand by the enemy. III;
ammunit..n in the meantime had been ex
hausted. and, as the primary object of tn;
reconnaissance had been attained, tht
guns were withdrawn. 1t is believed. | as
ever. that if advantage could have beer
taken Of the first supremacy Of fl b.,
throwing forward regiment of infantry
on the hog back, which approaches the pc
sition from the south. its capture would
have been n certainty. for the accurate
fire of the battery would have held the
enemy i'll check till our forces got within
rifle range. when their left flank would
have been at our inercy. The casualties
on our side were two enlisted men killed
and two officers and three men wounded
The order to suspend hosrilities. received
OH the 18th. stopped the projected move
ment by the flank The distinguishing fea
ture of Gen. Wilson's operations was his
thorough reconnaissance of the ground be
fore making any advance. so that there
was no hesitancy or miscaleulati ton when
once q movement was begun.
With Wilson advancing in force on Al
bonito. and Brooke at Guayama moving
evidently against the same objective by
way of Cayey. it must have looked to the
enemy as if Gen. Miles was determined
to push his entire command along the
main military highway through the Span
ish center to San Juan. Indeed. this seem.
ed about the only land operation against
the Capital. with Ponce as Il base. that
was practicable. But to do what the en-
envy least suspects you of doing is a card
inal principle of warfare. whether it be
between prize fighters in the ring or be.
tween armies in the field. So Gen. Miles
decided that the opportunity was ripe for
the planned diversion around the western
end of the island, in order that the ground
might he swept clean as his army moved
toward the ultimate objective, San Juan.
Gen. Schwan was therefore directed. on
companies of the 18th Z. S. to Yauc0,
moving by rail if desirable. Troop A. 9Th
L. S. Cav. and two batteries of light ar
tillery were to move by wagon road. AT
YaucO the remainder of the 18th Inf. and
two companies of the 10th U. S. We're to
he added. and when the expedition was
organized it was to proceed to Sabana
Grande San German. Mayaguez and from
thence to Lares and Arecibo. driving ont
or capturing all the Spanish troops in the
western portion of the island. 1t was to
troops moving with the greatest freedom
and Dispatch:
THE COLUMN
as finally organized consisted of the fol-
lowing: 18th U. S. Col. DeRussey).
Troop A. 9th u. S. Cav (MacComb). Bat
terry G, Sd q. S. Art. (Califf). Battery d,
9TH Z. S. Art. CThorp). Detachment Sig
nal Corps. Detachment Hospital Corps.
Total, 1.4(i4.
A party of well-mOunted natives. num-
bering at various times from II to 20
men, under their chief, Lugo Vinya, a
man of fine character. accompanied the
expedition as scouts and rendered valuable
service. But one day was occupied in or
caniZatiOn, the command moving out on
the morning of the 9th, Gen. Schwan sup.
plementing its regular or Government
transpOrtatiO ton. which was quite made
quate with hired or impressed native
transportation.
This expedition was unique in several
respects. The force comprising it was
taken entirely from the regular establish
ment and was made up of the three fight
ing arms-cavalry, infantry and artillery.
The cavalry fought mounted, the only in
stance during the war where this arm had
an opportunity to act in it's natural sphere.
The strict tactical order of march, as laid
down in the textbooks. was followed sue
cessfully and satisfactOrily,-an answer to
the objection that practice marches. so
faithfully made by the regulars in peace
time, were not Stimulating war conditions.
The disposition on the march was as fol-
lows: The troop of cavalry acted as n
screen and marched about two miles in
front of the point of the advance guard.
Two companies of infantry, one platoon of
artillery and two Gatling guns constituted
the advance guard. A pioneer detachmon mt.
consisting of one nOn-commissioned officer
and eight men, with the requisite tools
carried in n cart, and under the direction
of the engineer officer of the brigade.
were attached to the advance guard. The
infantry, one battery and two platOons
of artillery and two Gatlings. The train
followed the main body in the following
order: Hospital train, ammunition train
and supply and baggage wagons. The
rear-guard was composed of one company
of infantry, detachment from it being
required to guard the exposed flank of
the train. This order was preserved until
the afternoon of the tenth. when the cav
airy
RAN INTO THE ENEMY's SCOUTS
near Hormigueros. Here the entire gar
risOn of Mayaguez, numbering some 300,
of which about 800 were regulars, had Sc
lected position of great strength on the
hills commanding our line Of march, in or
der to oppose the advance on the town.
In the engagement that ensued the enemy
was completely routed; the advance guard,
admirably led by Capt. Hoyt, pushing for
ward. followed by the main body. on the
principal road; the cavalry, under the
sk7llful guidance Of Capt. MacComb, di-
verging to the right to attack the Span
ish flank. One enlisted man killed and
one officer and Is men wounded comprised
the loss on our side. while that of the en-
envy amounted to Is in killed alone The
command bivouacked on the spot, and at
an early hour the next morning resumed
the march. Gen. Schwan entered Maya
guez at the head Of his troops at $50 a.
M, with band playing and colors. flying,
the populace giving him a most enthusi-
astic reception. Six companies of the LIST
tho nd