While these events were transpiring, Kent and Wheeler, constituting
the left wing of the army, had moved forward on the El Poso road,
parallel to the Aguadores River, as far as the San Juan had captured
the San Juan farm-house, and had gradually deployed to the right and
to the left along the San Juan River. About one o'clock their line had
swept forward and had captured the first ridge between the San Juan
and the city of Santiago, the "San Juan ridge," driving the enemy on
this portion of the field into their last trenches. But the right
flank of this wing was entirely unsupported, and the road by the way
of Fort Canosa to San Juan, passing by the portion of the line
subsequently occupied by the dynamite gun, marked the extreme position
of the right of this wing of the army. The enemy was already well
toward its right, and had the excellent El Caney road to move upon. He
was thoroughly familiar with the country, while the troops composing
this wing were exhausted by the charge. This wing had no reserve that
the firing-line knew of, and, as a matter of fact, had none except two
battalions of the 71st New York, which had not got into battle, and
which were scattered along the road from the San Juan River to
Siboney.
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