The Colored Regulars in the United States ArmySteward, T. G. (Theophilus Gould)
History
The Colored Regulars in the United States Army
Steward, T. G. (Theophilus Gould)
African American soldiers; Spanish-American War, 1898 -- Participation, African American
We must now review the progress of the battle so far as it is possible
to do so, from the firing of the first shot by Capron's battery up to
11.30, an hour long after the time at which it had been supposed that
El Caney would fall. Capron's reports are very brief. He says: "July
1--Fired shell and shrappnel into El Caney (ranged 2,400) 6.15 a.m. to
11.30 a.m." In another report he says: "Opened fire July 1, with shell
and shrappnel at 6.15 on Caney; range, 2,400 yards; continued until
11.30 a.m." He says that the battery "continued its fire against
specified objectives intermittently throughout the day under the
personal direction of the division commander." The forces we have so
far considered, consisting of Ludlow's and Miles' brigades, and of
Capron's battery, lay to the south of Caney, between it and Santiago,
Ludlow's brigade having been placed there to "cut off the retreat of
the garrison should it attempt to escape." Up to 11.30 there had been
no call for employing it for that purpose. The garrison had made no
attempt to escape. We must now go around to the east and north of
Caney. Here the Third Brigade, consisting of the Seventh, Twelfth and
Seventeenth Infantry, was posted, and early in the morning joined in
the attack, the brigade getting under fire before eight o'clock.
Colonel Carpenter, of the Seventh Regiment, says that one company of
his regiment, by General Chaffee's direction, was detached and sent
forward to reduce a blockhouse, well up on the hill, which commanded
the approach of his regiment to the field of action. After several
ineffectual attempts by the company, the Captain (Van Orsdale) was
directed to abandon the undertaking and rejoin the regiment, which
then took up a position on the crest of a hill running nearly parallel
with the Spanish lines. From this position the men crawled forward
about fifty yards and opened a deliberate fire upon the enemy, keeping
it up for about an hour, but as the losses of the regiment at this
time were considerable and the fire seemed to be without material
effect, the command was withdrawn to its position on the hill where
it found protection in a sunken road. In this condition this regiment
lay when Capron's battery made its lull at 11.30. The fearful fire
this regiment met can be estimated by the losses it sustained, which
during the day were as follows: Killed, 1 officer and 33 enlisted men;
wounded, 4 officers and 95 enlisted men; missing, 3 enlisted men. The
Seventeenth Regiment went into action on the right of the Seventh,
doing but little firing, as their orders were not to open fire unless
they could make the fire effective. Companies C and G fired a few
volleys; the remainder of the regiment did not fire at all. Four
enlisted men were killed and two officers severely wounded, one,
Lieutenant Dickinson, dying from his wounds within a few hours.
Several enlisted men were also wounded. At 11.30 this regiment was
lying on the right of the Seventh.
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