the path of empire-第24章

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ity；　and　these　are；　after　all；　the　qualities　for　which　builders　of　armies　look。

The　battle　of　El　Caney　was　perhaps　unnecessary；　for　the　position　lay　outside　the　main　Spanish　line　anal　would　probably　have　been　abandoned　when　San　Juan　fell。　For　that　more　critical　movement　General　Shafter　kept　about　eight　thousand　troops　and　the　personal　command。　Both　he　and　General　Wheeler；　however；　were　suffering　from　the　climate　and　were　unable　to　be　with　the　troops。　The　problem　of　making　a　concerted　advance　through　the　thick　underbrush　was　a　difficult　one；　and　the　disposition　of　the　American　troops　was　at　once　revealed　by　a　battery　of　artillery　which　used　black　powder；　and　by　a　captive　balloon　which　was　injudiciously　towed　about。

The　right　wing　here；　after　assuming　an　exposed　position；　was　unable　to　act；　as　Lawton；　by　whom　it　was　expecting　to　be　reinforced；　was　delayed　at　El　Caney。　The　advance　regiments　were　under　the　fire　of　the　artillery；　the　infantry；　and　the　skillful　sharpshooters　of　an　invisible　enemy　and　were　also　exposed　to　the　fierce　heat　of　the　sun；　to　which　they　were　unaccustomed。　The　wounded　were　carried　back　on　litters；　turned　over　to　the　surgeons；　who　worked　manfully　with　the　scantiest　of　equipment；　and　were　then　laid；　often　naked　except　for　their　bandages；　upon　the　damp　ground。　Regiment　blocked　regiment　in　the　narrow　road；　and　officers　carrying　orders　were　again　and　again　struck；　as　they　emerged　from　cover；　by　the　sharpshooters'　fire。　The　want　of　means　of　communication　paralyzed　the　command；　for　all　the　equipment　of　a　modern　army　was　lacking：　there　were　no　aeroplanes；　no　wireless　stations；　no　telephones。

Throughout　the　morning　the　situation　grew　worse；　but　the　nerve　of　the　men　did　not　give　way；　and　American　individual　initiative　rose　to　the　boiling　point。　Realizing　that　safety　lay　only　in　advance；　the　officers　on　the　spot　began　to　take　control。　General　Hawkins；　with　the　Sixth　and　Sixteenth　Regulars；　advanced　against　the　main　blockhouse；　which　crested　a　slope　of　two　hundred　feet；　and　the　men　of　the　Seventy…first　New　York　Volunteers　joined　promiscuously　in　the　charge。

To　the　right　rose　Kettle　Hill；　jutting　out　and　Banking　the　approach　to　the　main　position。　Facing　it　and　dismounted　were　the　First　and　Ninth　Regular　Cavalry；　the　latter　a　negro　regiment；　and　the　Rough　Riders　under　Colonel　Roosevelt。　The　Tenth　Infantry　was　between　the　two　wings；　and　divided　in　the　support　of　both。　A　battery　of　Gatling　guns　was　placed　in　position。　The　Americans　steadily　advanced　in　an　irregular　line；　though　kept　in　some　sort　of　formation　by　their　officers。　Breaking　down　brush　and　barbed　wire　and　sheltering　themselves　in　the　high　grass；　the　men　on　the　right　wing　worked　their　way　up　Kettle　Hill；　but　before　they　reached　the　rifle　pits　of　the　enemy；　they　saw　the　Spaniards　retreating　on　the　run。　The　audacity　of　the　Americans　at　the　critical　moment　had　insured　the　ultimate　success　of　their　attack　and　they　found　the　final　capture　of　the　hill　easy。

The　longer　charge　against　the　center　of　the　enemy　was　in　the　meantime　being　pressed　home；　under　the　gallant　leadership　of　General　Hawkins；　who　at　times　was　far　in　advance　of　his　line。　The　men　of　the　right　wing　who　looked　down　from　their　new　position　on　Kettle　Hill；　a　quarter　of　a　mile　distant；　saw　the　Spaniards　give　way　and　the　American　center　dash　forward。　In　order　to　support　this　advance　movement；　the　Gatlings　were　brought　to　Kettle　Hill；　and　General　S。S。　Sumner　and　Colonel　Roosevelt　led　their　men　down　Kettle　and　up　San　Juan　Hill；　where　they　swept　over　the　northern　jut　only　a　moment　after　Hawkins　had　carried　the　main　blockhouse。

The　San　Juan　position　now　in　the　hands　of　the　Americans　was　the　key　of　Santiago；　but　that　entrenched　city　lay　a　mile　and　a　quarter　distant　and　had　still　to　be　unlockeda　task　which　presented　no　little　difficulty。　The　Americans；　it　is　true；　had　an　advantageous　position　on　a　hilltop；　but　the　enemy　had　retired　only　a　quarter　of　a　mile　and　were　supported　by　the　complete　system　of　fortifications　which　protected　Santiago。　The　American　losses　totaled　fifteen　hundred；　a　number　just　about　made　good　at　this　moment　by　the　arrival　of　General　Duffield's　brigade；　which　had　followed　the　main　expedition。　The　number　of　the　Spanish　force；　which　was　unknown　to　the　Americans；　was　increased　on　the　3d　of　July　by　the　arrival　of　a　relief　expedition　under　Colonel　Escario；　with　about　four　thousand　men　whom　the　insurgent　forces　had　failed　to　meet　and　block；　as　had　been　planned。

On　the　2d　of　July　there　was　desultory　fighting；　and　on　the　3d；　General　Shafter　telegraphed　to　the　Secretary　of　War　that　he　was　considering　the　withdrawal　of　his　troops　to　a　strong　position；　about　five　miles　in　the　rear。　The　Secretary　immediately　replied：　〃Of　course　you　can　judge　the　situation　better　than　we　can　at　this　end　of　the　line。　If；　however；　you　could　hold　your　present　position；　especially　San　Juan　Heights；　the　effect　upon　the　country　would　be　much　better　than　falling　back。〃

The　Spanish　commanders；　however；　did　not　share　General　Shafter's　view　as　to　the　danger　involving　the　Americans。　Both　Admiral　Cervera　and　General　Blanco　considered　that　the　joint　operations　of　the　American　Army　and　Navy　had　rendered　the　reduction　of　Santiago　only　a　question　of　time；　but　they　differed　as　to　the　course　to　be　pursued。　In　the　end；　General　Blanco；　who　was　in　supreme　command；　decided；　after　an　exchange　of　views　with　the　Spanish　Government　and　a　consultation　with　the　Captain　of　the　German　cruiser　Geier；　then　at　Havana；　to　order　the　Spanish　squadron　to　attempt　an　escape　from　Santiago　harbor。　Cervera's　sailors　had　hitherto　been　employed　in　the　defense　of　the　city；　but　with　the　arrival　of　the　reinforcements　under　Escario　he　found　it　possible　to　reman　his　fleet。　An　attempt　to　escape　in　the　dark　seemed　impossible　because　of　the　unremitting　glare　of　the　searchlights　of　the　American　vessels。　Cervera　determined　upon　the　desperate　expedient　of　steaming　out　in　broad　daylight　and　making　for　Cienfuegos。

The　blockade　systematically　planned　by　Admiral　Sampson　was　conducted　with　a　high　degree　of　efficiency。　Each　American　ship　had　its　definite　place　and　its　particular　duty。　When　vessels　were　obliged　to　coal　at　Guantanamo；　forty　miles　distant；　the　next　in　line　covered　the　cruising　interval。　The　American　combined　squadron　was　about　double　Cervera's　in　strength；　his　ships；　however；　were　supposed　to　have　the　advantage　in　speed；　and　it　was　conceivable　that；　by　turning　sharply　to　the　one　side　or　the　other；　they　might　elude　the　blockading　force。　On　the　very　day　that　Cervera　made　his　desperate　dash　out　of　the　harbor；　as　it　happened；　the　New　York；　Admiral　Sampson's　flagship；　was　out　of　line；　taking　the　Admiral　to　a　conference　with　General　Shafter　at　Siboney；　a　few　miles　to　the　eastward。　The　absence　of　the　flagship；　however；　in　no　way　weakened　the　blockade；　for；　if　Cervera　turned　westward　he　would　find　the　squadron　of　Schley　and　the　other　vessels　designated　to　prevent　his　escape　in　that　direction；　while　if　he　turned　eastward　he　would　almost　at　once　be　engaged　with　the　New　York；　which　would　then　be　in　an　advantageous　position　ahead　of　the　chase。

At　half…past　nine　on　the　morning　of　the　3d　of　July；　the　first　vessel　of　the　Spanish　fleet　emerged　from　Santiago　Harbor。　By　10：10　A。M。　all　the　Spanish　ships　were　outside　of　the　harbor　mouth。　Commodore　Schley；　on　the　Brooklyn；　hoisted　the　signal　to　〃close　up；〃　apparently　on　the　understanding　that　Sampson's　signal　on　leaving　for　Siboney　to　〃Disregard　motions　of　the　commander…in…chief〃　had　delegated　the　command　to　him。　Though　this　question　of　command　later　involved　a　bitter　dispute；　it　was　at　the　time　of　little　moment；　for　clouds　of　smoke　obscured　the　signals　so　frequently　that　no　complicated　maneuver　could　have　been　guided　by　them；　and；　as　far　as　concerted　action　was　concerned；　the　whole　squadron　was　under　exactly　similar　contingent　orders　from　Admiral　Sampson。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　the　thing　to　do　was　so　obvious　that　the　subsequent　dispute　really　raged　on　the　point　of　who　actually　gave　an　order；　the　sense　of　which　every　one　of　the　commanders　would　have　executed　without　order。　If；　therefore；　the　layman　feels　some　annoyance　at　such　a　controversy　over　naval　red　tape；　he　may　have　the　consolation　of　knowing　that　all　concerned；　ad