the path of empire-第21节

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The　Spanish　troops　in　Cubathe　American　control　of　the　sea　made　it　unnecessary　to　consider　those　available　in　Spainamounted；　according　to　returns　in　April；　1898；　to　196；820。　This　formidable　number；　however；　was　not　available　at　any　one　strategic　spot　owing　to　the　difficulty　of　transporting　either　troops　or　supplies；　particularly　at　the　eastern　end　of　the　island；　in　the　neighborhood　of　Santiago。　It　was　estimated　that　the　number　of　men　of　use　about　Santiago　was　about　12；000；　with　5000　approaching　to　assist。　Perhaps　3000　insurgents　were　at　hand　under　General　Garcia。　The　number　sent；　then；　was　not　inadequate　to　the　task。　Equal　numbers　are　not；　indeed；　ordinarily　considered　sufficient　for　an　offensive　campaign　against　fortifications；　but　the　American　commanders　counted　upon　a　difference　in　morale　between　the　two　armies；　which　was　justified　by　results。　Besides　the　American　Army　could　be　reinforced　as　necessity　arose。



CHAPTER　XI。　The　Campaign　Of　Santiago　De　Cuba

In　planning　the　campaign　against　Santiago；　Admiral　Sampson　wished　the　army　immediately　to　assault　the　defenses　at　the　harbor　mouth　in　order　to　open　the　way　for　the　navy。　General　Shafter；　however；　after　conferring　with　General　Garcia；　the　commander　of　the　insurgents；　decided　to　march　overland　against　the　city。　The　army　did　not　have　sufficient　small　vessels　to　effect　a　landing；　but　the　navy　came　to　its　assistance；　and　on　the　22d　of　June　the　first　American　troops　began　to　disembark　at　Daiquiri；　though　it　was　not　until　the　26th　that　the　entire　expedition　was　on　shore。　On　the　second　day　Siboney；　which　had　a　better　anchorage　and　was　some　six　miles　closer　to　Santiago；　was　made　the　base。　From　Siboney　there　stretched　for　eight　or　ten　miles　a　rolling　country　covered　with　heavy　jungle　brush　and　crossed　by　mere　threads　of　roads。　There　was　indeed　a　railroad；　but　this　followed　a　roundabout　route　by　the　coast。　Through　this　novel　and　extremely　uncomfortable　country；　infected　with　mosquitoes；　the　troops　pressed；　eager　to　meet　the　enemy。

The　first　engagement　took　place　at　Las　Guasimas；　on　the　24th　of　June。　Here　a　force　of　about　a　thousand　dismounted　cavalry；　partly　regulars　and　partly　Rough　Riders；　defeated　nearly　twice　their　number　of　Spaniards。　This　was　the　only　serious　resistance　which　the　Americans　encountered　until　they　reached　the　advanced　defenses　of　Santiago。　The　next　week　they　spent　in　getting　supplies　ashore；　improving　the　roads；　and　reconnoitering。　The　newspapers　considered　this　interval　entirely　too　long！　The　30th　of　June　found　the　Americans　confronting　the　main　body　of　Spaniards　in　position；　and　on　the　1st　of　July；　the　two　armies　joined　battle。

Between　the　opposing　forces　was　the　little　river　San　Juan　and　its　tributaries。　The　Spanish　left　wing　was　at　El　Caney；　supported　by　a　stone　blockhouse；　rifle　pits；　and　barbed　wire；　but　with　no　artillery。　About　four　miles　away　was　San　Juan　Hill；　with　more　formidable　works　straddling　the　main　road　which　led　to　Santiago。　Opposite　El　Caney；　General　Lawton　was　in　command　of　about　seven　thousand　Americans。　The　fight　here　began　at　half…past　six　in　the　morning；　but　the　American　artillery　was　placed　at　too　great　a　distance　to　be　very　effective。　The　result　was　a　long　and　galling　exchange　of　rifle　firing；　which　is　apt　to　prove　trying　to　raw　troops。　The　infantry；　however；　advanced　with　persistency　and　showed　marked　personal　initiative　as　they　pushed　forward　under　such　protection　as　the　brush　and　grass　afforded　until　they　finally　rushed　a　position　which　gave　opportunity　to　the　artillery。　After　this　they　speedily　captured　the　blockhouse。

The　fight　lasted　over　eight　hours　instead　of　two；　as　had　been　expected；　and　thus　delayed　General　Lawton；　who　was　looked　for　at　San　Juan　by　the　American　left。　The　losses；　too；　were　heavy；　the　total　casualties　amounting　to　seven　per　cent　of　the　force　engaged。　The　Americans；　however；　had　gained　the　position；　and　after　a　battle　which　had　been　long　and　serious　enough　to　test　thoroughly　the　quality　of　the　personnel　of　the　army。　Whatever　deficiencies　the　Americans　may　have　had　in　organization；　training；　and　military　education；　they　undoubtedly　possessed　fighting　spirit；　courage；　and　personal　ingenuity；　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　Gener