Kent's infantry division and Sumner's dismounted cavalry division were supposed to detain the Spanish army in Santiago until Lawton had captured El Caney.

Spanish towns and villages, however, with their massive buildings, are natural fortifications, as the French found in the Peninsular War, and as both the French and our people found in Mexico.

The Spanish troops in El Caney fought very bravely, as did the Spanish troops in front of us, and it was late in the afternoon before Lawton accomplished his task.
Meanwhile we of the left wing had by degrees become involved in a fight which toward the end became not even a colonel's fight, but a squad leader's fight.

The cavalry division was put at the head of the line.
We were told to march forward, cross a little river in front, and then, turning to the right, march up alongside the stream until we connected with Lawton.

Incidentally, this movement would not have brought us into touch with Lawton in any event.