less character. We could see the men climb the hill slowly, steadily, but without losing an inch of ground so dearly gained, and we could see bunches of five stand their own without flinching, and advance half way up the hill without firing a shot, while the Spaniards behind the trenches were blazing away at them. Turning our eyes towards El Caney we could see two horse-shoe formed clouds of smoke, which denoted that the battle there was raging furiously, both the defenders and the assailants manifesting, for hours of incessant fighting, unsurpassed bravery. Charge after charge was made, only to be again and again repulsed. Our anxiety had no limits as we watched those fights go on. We expected to be utilized in some way, and every Cuban heart was beating for envy and disappointment, being compelled to wait there between the two fights, inactive, while the men who came to aid us in our struggle were being killed in heaps by our enemy, who opened immense lanes into the serried ranks of our allies. They fought admirably, regardless of the losses to which they were thus being subjected, and they well deserved the victory so dearly won. Those fights reminded us how the Cubans under Antonio Maceo used to attack. He would throw his infantry against an intrenched enemy regardless of the consequences. He did not possess artillery to shake the foundations of a fort or to clear a line of trenches, preparing thus for the infantry's attack. He counted only upon the pluck and stubbornness of his men, for he could not count on anything else. His self-reliance was supreme, and we believed unique, till we beheld the battles of San Juan and El Caney. Meantime our infantry was receiving a hail of bullets from the enemy of San Juan Hill, and at four o'clock P. M., when roster was called, before moving to Ducourau it was learned at headquarters that we had over a hundred casualties without firing in return a single shot at the enemy. Colonel Gonzalez, who with his men entered the Caney engagement with General Lawton's division, was warmly congratulated by his commanders for his behavior during the day, and especial praise was accorded Major Victor Duany, who with a Cuban Company had flanked the Spanish position and ably assisted in the victory of the American troops. Brig.-Gen. Vara del Rey made a heroic defense of the village, and, had he had double the number of men at his disposal, the victory of the day would unquestionably have been his. The Americans had abandoned, all along the trail, haversacks, blanket-rolls and all sorts of objects. Cubans, as well as Americans, who needed any of these articles freely helped themselves. Col. Evan Miles took a little more care with the property of his soldiers, and as he went down from Marianage to Caney, when the firing burst out, he ordered his men to lay their impedimenta alongside the Caney main road, leaving a man from each company to watch over the heaps of haversacks and blanket-rolls. In either case the surprise of our soldiers was great to see how unconcernedly the American soldier would throw aside these things so important in war. A mambi never parts from his jolongo (haversack); he fights. eats and sleeps with it. There is nothing more wearisome and discouraging to a soldier, after a battle in which his ner vous system has been greatly strained by the work and emo. tions undergone, than to find himself at the end, when hé most needs to repair his energies, without those articles so indispensable. Whoever has had any sort of practical war training fully appreciates the value and necessity of clinging to his jolongo and blanket, through thick and thin. At nightfall our forces marched to Ducourau, where headquarters were established. Gen. A. Cebreco was ordered to camp at Sabana Ingenio. I beg the reader to remember that General Lawton was to advance to Santiago after taking El Caney. But in General Shafter's plans it was not calculated what was going to happen. Lawton had suffered considerably in the assault of the village and was in no condition to continue that same day toward the beleaguered city. Next day before daybreak we marched from Ducourau and advanced towards Santiago, our van skirmishing with some Spanish detachments of the fortified zone (all the mountains back of Santiago) who were already in retreat to Santiago. We took possession of La Caridad Hill where General Garcia pitched his tent, while General Lora captured the San Miguel blockhouse, the village of Cua bitas and the water works; Generals Capote, Cebreco and Sanchez destroyed the railroad of San Luis, lifting and bending the rails, and burning the bridge named Purgatorio. As we appeared on the height of La Caridad and Quintero facing the city, the Spaniards opened a heavy musket fire on us. During all that day it continued and General Garcia ordered Cebreco to deploy a line of sharpshooters that should keep an intermittent and effective fire on the Spanish trenches, especially at two batteries that had opened fire on us and were causing considerable damage. Col. F. Dieguez was detached with his cavalry on a reconnoitering tour towards the river Gascon and the Cobre road. Immediately afterwards the Spaniards sent from the fleet some Marines and disembarked them near Matadero. A considerable force could be seen moving to and fro at the Cobre entrance and about the Plaza de Toros, expecting no doubt an attack at those points. General Garcia never left the saddle until we were in possession of all the points mentioned. At noon, Monsieur E. Cheux came out from the city, stating to General Garcia that the French consul was about to leave the city with all the foreign subjects. The General informed M. Cheux that the consul would be cordially welcomed within our lines. At 3 o'clock P. M. the consul, followed by about four hundred persons of both sexes, left the city by the Cuabitas road and were conducted far beyond the range of the Spanish fire. When night came strong pickets were detached on our flanks to avoid a surprise from our enemy, as we were absolutely isolated from the American Army, which was at least one mile to our left. Captain A. Escalante carried an order to General Cebreco that evening to harass the enemy during the night with guerillas, which was done at about half past nine with a very unfortunate and unexpected result; the Spaniards, believing that they were assaulted, broke out with a heavy fire, and the Americans, in their turn, mistaking it for an advance of the enemy to recover the positions they had lost the day before, opened fire also, and in a few minutes there was such a thundering that the Cubans themselves concluded to blaze away in the direction of the city. This general alarm caused Shafter to issue an order to General Garcia not to repeat the night harassment thereafter, for while it had the desired effect on the enemy it disturbed his own troops in their slumber. Next day was the memorable third of July. General Lawton with other generals visited General Garcia and they all rode around to the positions held by the Cubans. While they were at La Caridad Hill, whence an excellent view of the city and harbor could be had, the Spanish fleet stupidly steamed out of the harbor to their inevitable doom, leaving the city without the protection of those floating, impregnable fortresses whose mighty guns were sufficient to clear the hills of an enemy far inferior in strength. At II A. M. General Garcia received information that the enemy were landing forces by rail at Dos Bocas and along the line. He ordered General Sanchez's column to march immediately and reinforce General Lora, who was occupying the railroad. General Garcia himself started out towards the enemy with his staff and infantry escort and took command of both forces, advancing with them to San Vicente. This village was carried by a detachment of said escort under Lieutenant Arcia, who occupied it until General Lora, after taking the heliograph turret of Boniato, advanced to the village. When General Garcia returned he changed the headquarters to Cuabitas leaving in the trenches of Caridad and Quintero Hills the forces of Generals Capote and Cebreco. That afternoon General Garcia was visited by Generals Lawton, Ludlow, Chaffee and Col. E. Miles, and a very important conference took place, in which very pessimistic views as to the situation were advanced by the visitors again and again. General Garcia as often gave assurances to the American generals that his army and he were greatly indebted to the American nation, and that the latter could positively count on the unconditional support of the Cubans. The American generals withdrew, feeling that they had done their full duty in behalf of the army under their command and satisfied that the practical knowledge of Spanish warfare and procedure possessed by the Cuban general was a satisfactory guarantee to them. That day Colonel Escario with his column from Manzanillo arrived at the city. General Garcia has been held responsible : for the entrance of these reinforcements to the beleaguered city on the ground that he did not check their advance to Santiago, as it now appears that General Shafter expected he would do. I respectfully refer the reader to the conference held on board the Segurança the twenty-seventh of June, when General Garcia showed to General Shafter the necessity of sending General Rabi and troops to El Aguacate to intercept the above-mentioned reinforcements, a proposition that General Shafter refused. zone were cut. Late in the afternoon of the third of July, our troops (General Lora) occupied the village of Dos Bocas on the railroad to San Luis. As may be observed, Lora's forces were gradually moving towards this town and the railroad was absolutely ours. All communications from the city to the fortified On the fourth of July we received the official report of the destruction of Cervera's fleet, also the news of the entrance and occupation of El Cobre, Bartolon, Monte Real, Coleto, Mazamorra and San Miguel, and the news that General Shafter had prolonged for twenty-four hours the truce which had been granted to the city the day before, allowing the families to evacuate. Before 6 o'clock A. M. of the fifth they began to leave the city. As they walked out they formed a column more than three miles long. Men, women and children flocked to Cuabitas, terror-stricken, fearing that the cannonade would commence at any moment and they would not have time to escape therefrom. The majority of them went out of Santiago without any other garments besides those they wore, and very few had the foresight to provide themselves with enough food for a few days. Everybody thought that in a couple of hours the fortifications of Santiago were to be a mass of ruins, figuring that the Americans were to open fire with no less than sixty enormous calibre siege guns, that being the story prevalent among them. Of course we did not dare to inform them of the true state of affairs, as that would tend towards increasing their already great distraction. General Garcia did his best to alleviate their many wants and desires; notwithstanding, many perished from want of food, disease and exposure. Subsequently, General Shafter ordered rations to be sent to them, but there were |