UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



been seen, the order to start was countermanded and 

 the sailing delayed for a week. When Gen. Shatter 

 accepted Gen. Garcia's offer of the services of 

 his troops he told the Cuban general that he 

 could exercise no military control over him except 

 such as he would concede, but so long as these 

 troops served under his orders they would be fur- 

 nished with rations and ammunition. Some sharp- 

 shooters and machine guns and mountain artillery 

 were landed to co-operate with the Cubans in clear- 

 ing the hills, but the forces did not begin to land 

 until June 22, when 6,000 men were put ashore at Dai- 

 quiri. Difficult though the landing was with defective 

 transport facilities, the Spaniards, held in check by 

 Gen Garcia's Cubans and the shelling of the hills by 

 the vessels, and deceived by Admiral Sampson's 

 feint of bombarding Juragua, made no serious at- 

 tempt to oppose it. On June 23 a like number were 

 debarked, and Major-Gen. Henry W. Lawton's 

 division advanced to Siboney, marching on the next 



there and throw up intrenchments. Gen. Shafter 

 was eager to advance with all haste upon Santiago, 

 not appreciating the time that it would take to de- 

 bark his command and supplies for it and transport 

 sufficient stores over the difficult roads. His re- 

 solve to give battle without delay was prompted by 

 anxiety lest a storm should drive the store snips out 

 to sea, for not for two weeks was it possible to place 

 on shore provisions for more than three days ahead ; 

 also by the fear that Gen. Pando would soon arrive 

 from Manzanillo with re-enforcements for the 

 Spanish garrison. He intended to push on with 

 only a few wagons and pack trains. The rest 

 of the troops were landed at Siboney. Before 

 the night of June 24 all the troops were on land. 

 Gen. Lawton was ordered to take up a strong 

 defensive position on the road between Siboney and 

 Santiago, with Gen. John C. Bates's brigade support- 

 ing him, while Gen. Kent's division was to be held 

 near Siboney, and Gen. Wheeler's cavalry division 



Copyright, 1898, by W. R. Hearst 



CUBAN TROOPS MARCHING INTO SIBONEY. 



day to give place to Major-Gen. Jacob Ford Kent's 

 division. While Gen. Shafter remained on board 

 to direct the disembarkation, Major-Gen. Joseph 

 Wheeler conducted operations on shore. Siboney 

 was shelled by the naval force, and the Spanish who 

 were driven out intrenched themselves two and a 

 half miles out on the road to Santiago. Gen. Law- 

 ton marched his troops down from Daiquiri to take 

 possession of Siboney, bivouacking overnight on the 

 road and entering the town the next morning. The 

 enemy had returned to contest the place and had 

 prepared an ambuscade for the advanced guard, but 

 this was discovered and the Spaniards beat a hasty 

 retreat, pursued by the Cubans under Gen. Castillo. 

 Gen. Lawton's orders were to send a force to occupy 

 the place where the railroad from the Juragua iron 

 mines crosses the road into Santiago, and if this 

 were accomplished without opposition to encamp 



was to be in the rear on the road from Daiquiri to 

 Siboney. The commanding general had altered his 

 plan and now intended the troops to remain in a 

 defensible position until the transportation service 

 could be organized. Gen. Wheeler, however, with 

 Gen. S. M. B. Young's brigade, pushed forward 

 during the night of June 23 until he found himself 

 the next morning in advance of the rest of the troops. 

 Learning from Cuban scouts that the enemy wen- 

 posted in force at Las Guasimas. where two roads 

 leading to Santiago unite, he determined to attack 

 their position. Shortly after the regular cavalry 

 under Gen. Young had' come in contact with the 

 enemy, the Rough Riders, marching along the other 

 road, "were checked and somewhat confused by a 

 sudden fusillade with smokeless powder, and fell 

 back, but rallied directly. On the other flank the 

 colored cavalry stormed a ridge with noble cour- 





