Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 86, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 July 1898 — FOUGHT ALL DAT. [ARTICLE]

FOUGHT ALL DAT.

Gen. Shafter’s Army Begins 1 the Attack on the City of Santiago. The American Troops Garry and Are in Possession of Enemy’s Outworks. Are Now. Within About Three Quarters of a Mile of the Doomed City. Ota. Lawton’s Division and Gen. Bate*' Brigade Effect Capture of El Caney. The Caioaltlee Among; the Ameiloaai Are Over 400, Bat It I* Thought Not Many Are Killed. ' I i Washington, July 2. —The war department has received the following from Gen. Shafter dated at Siboney: “Had a very heavy engagement. Fri-, day which lasted from eight a. m. till j sundown. We have carried their out- j works and are now in possession of them! There is now about three-quar-ters of a mile of open between my lines and the city. By morning troops will be entrenched and considerable augmentation of forces will be there. Gen. Lawton’s division and Gen. Bates’ j brigade which have been engaged all day in carrying El Cauey, which was accomplished at four p. nu, will be in 1 line in front of Santiago during the night. I regret to say that our casualties will be above 400. Of these not many killed. * (Signed) "SHAFTER.” I General Assault. Playa del Este, Province of Santi- j ago de Cuba, July 2. —A general assault on the city of Santiago de Cuba by , the land and sea forces of the United States began at seven o'clock Friday ; morning. Gen. Lawton advanced and took possession of Cabona, a suburb of Santiago. Morro castle and the other fortß at the entrance of the harbor were bombarded by our fleet. The Vesuvius used her dynamite guns with good effect. The Spanish fleet in the harbor fired j on the American troops, who were very close to the city. Spanish Retreating. Washington. July 2.—The signal office has received the following from one of its officers at the front: “American troops driving Spanish troops back. Wounded being brought in right along.” Siboney, July 2.—Via Playa del Este, Guantanamo Bay.—At one o’clock Friday afternoon, after five hours terrific fighting, the Spanish began to leave their entrenchments and retreut into the city. Many Americans were wounded and are being brought in. One man had both arms shot off and was wounded in the hip, but was laughing. The Battle Began. Washington, July 2. —The battle has begun. This was the startling newß conveyed in a dispatch received from Gen. Shafter at ten o’clock Friday morning;

“SecretAry of War, Washington.—Camp Near Sevilla, Cuba.—Action now groins on. The tiring only Usht and desultory. Begun on the right near Caney, Lawton's division. He will move on the north part of the town of Santiago. Will keep you continually advised of progress. "SHAFTER, “Major General. ’’ Brief as it was, it told the whole gtory that the first shots of the longexpected crash of arms, probably the first great land engagement of the j war, was under way. It sent a thrill | through official circles, from the high- \ eat to the lowest. Secretary Alger 1 was the lirst to read it. He passed it j to Gen. Corbin, adjutunt general of ! the army, and directed him to take it at once to the white house. Gen. Cor- | bin went to the president carrying the i original dispatch. He was back short- j ly, and then a bulletin was posted t giving the dispatch verbatim. Until j then only the higher officials hud j known that the decisive hour was ut hand Military. Ilalloon Floating. Gen. Miles, commanding the army. I received u copy of the dispatch soon | after it arrived. He had anticipated it, J for only a few hours before a dispatch came to him from Gen. Breckinridge, Inspector general of the army, stating . that the spirit of the troops was high and that they were eager-ami expectant of action. Gen. Breckinridge's dispatch indicated that results might be expected very soon. Gen. Miles also received another disputch. sent quite early in the morning, from Shnfter'a headquarters, saying that the big military balloon was now high in the air and was giving opportunity for observation over a great sweep of country. This, in itself, was of incalculable value to our troops. Brave reeonnoisaancea had been made, but these were of little value what could be seen from the balloon a mile or so In the air, commanding a radius of obaervatlon of from 20 to 40 miles, with powerful telescopes. Gen. Miles had seen these war balloons in successful use at Aldershot; again during the French military maneuvers, when a ais-horse wagon, to which the grent air ship was anchored, followed a

jsquaaron or cavalry on dead run. Be says German ships going at 18 knots have hauled these captive balloons along with them. At St. Petersburg also he saw them operated dui* ing maneuvers. Lawton Begins Attack. According to Gen. Shafter’s report, the attack on Santiago was begun by the Second division of the Fifth army corps, commanded by Brig. Gen. H. W. Lawton. This division consists of three brigades made up as follows: First brigade, commanded by Col. J. J. Van Horn—Eighth United States Infantry, Twenty-second United States infantry and the Second Massachusetts infantry. Second brigade, commanding officer unknown, but supposed to be Col. BatesFirst United States Infantry; Fourth United States infantry and Twenty-fifth United States infantry. Third brigade, commanded by Brig. Gen. A. R. Chaffee—Seventh United States infantry, Twelfth United States infantry and Seventeenth United States infantry. All Regulars Except Massachusetts. It thuß appears that the division which opeued the hostilities of the day is composed entirely of regular troops, seasoned and experienced in battle, with the exception of the Second Massachusetts volunteer infantry, which is regarded as one of the best volunteer organizations of the army.

In reply to a message asking Gen. | Shafter how many transports could be ! sent back to Tampa in order that re- | enforcements might be sent him, Adjt. ! Gen. Corbin late Friday night received 1 the following reply: “Col. Humphries I has been ordered to return as many transports as possible at once.’* Danger* of the Situation. Off Santiago de Cuba, June 30, Filed > Port Antonio, Jamaica, July 2. —A two days’ visit to the Cuban lines and outposts by a correspondent has developed a situation which, if not broken by a vigorous and successful attack on Santiago, may result in causing much more serious work than has been anticipated with the Spanish forces that have retired from the vicinity of Azer- j raderos, on the west, and Baiquiri, on the east, to join Gen. Linares. The forces in Santiago and within the forti- ' fled defenses of the city now number 11,000 —7,000 regulars and 4,000 volun- ; teers. Concerning the latter, the Cubans allege that they will not fight with any heart, but will lay down their arms. According to Spanish soldiers captured and held in the camp of Gen. Perez, near Guantanamo, hall of the force of men on the Spanish warships had been landed, with all the rapid-fire guns. This would make a total force in the city of 12,500 men, in addition to the protection from earthworks and forts and the assistance of the ships in the harbor. To meet this force, or at least to invade its stronghold, the American commanders now have 17,500 men and 4,000 Cubans—the latter to prevent, il possible, flank movements at the ex j pense of the Americans. Now here it ! the dangerous and most significant sea ture of the situation: Marching from Manzanillo, 120 miles west of Santiago, j and having been on the road for sis days, quite well advanced now in it*! progress, is Gen. Pando, with seven | battalions, aggregating 8,400 men. To j oppose him is Gen. Jesus Habi, with a 1 force of 2,200 Cubans, lying in wait j 17 miles from Santiago and on two roads. Now, of course it would be per- j fectly possible for Gen. Pando to take his column far to the north and make ! a junction with the Spanish troops supposed to be on the way from Hoi- I guin, and numberiug. it is said. 9,000 men. This advance from the north is being held in check by about 1,500 Cubans, under Gen. Castillo, who claims to hold the passes. The object of the Spanish advancing from Manzanillo, may be to elude Habi, ami by effecting a junction with the Spanish from the north to form an army of 17,400 men. As a flank on the west end of the American army, facing the city, Gen. Rabi’s forces combined with those of Gen. Castillo would only give u combating force of 3.700 Cubans, and the Cubans do not hesitate to run before overwhelming numbers. Another Menace. Nor is that all that menaces. Leaving tiuuntanamo, camp of marines, and plunging into the wood to the west the correspondent found n force ot 800 Cubans under command of Col. Perez. This force had variously been estimated at from 1,800 to 2.500 Cul bans, but there were certainly not more than 800, as Col. Perez admitted in the course of conversation, al- | though he hud distinctly claimed to have about 2,000 men. This force of 800 is supposed to be keeping at bay I 3,400 Spanish troops who are in the | town of Guantanamo. The marines are near this camp, but to the ea*t of j it; so that they could do nothing to 1 prevent the Spaniards from moving to I the west on the flank of the American army. In other words there are to the ) northeast ami west of the army of inI vasion flanking forces of Spaniards I comprising over 20,000 troops, held nt i bay by less than 5.0(H) Cubans whose ! fighting qualities nre as yet rather I enigmatical. t'nUan Troop* Sent llnck. I Washington, July 2.—An official disI patch was received ot the war deportment confirming the press report that Urn. Shafter had sent back on transports to Aserradero* whence they came, 2.000 of Garcia’s Cubans. The purpose is a double one: tlrst, to prevent reenforcements coming into Sanj tiago from Manzanillo on the west, j and second, to prevent the retreat in the direetion of the Spanish garrison of the troops. Ilnmbnrd Mnnannlllo. New York. July 2.*—A correspondent in Santiago de Cuba telegraphs to the Journal that four United States warships bombarded Manzanillo, on: the Gulf of (ittacanaybo. on Thursday, iniictlng much damage to the defenses of the place. Spanish gunboats, according to this dispatch, opened fire upon tlie American ships, which then moved out of range. The same dispatch reports that a

balloon sent up from the American camp was seen from Santiago on Thursday. In the balloon were two men, seemingly taking observations of the Spanish fortifications about Santiago.