Of course, it is known now that this operation of the enemy was never
probable for an instant; but that was the status of affairs at
midnight on July 1st, as then reported to the commanding general.
Lawton was, therefore, ordered to withdraw, by way of the El Caney
road, back to Gen. Shafter's headquarters in rear of El Poso, from
which position his division was rushed forward on the El Poso road to
San Juan on the 2d of July. His men were marched almost all night,
almost all day the next day, and were well-nigh utterly exhausted when
they reached a position in rear of the right flank of the left wing.
It was supposed, up to this time, at headquarters, that the
information on which this marching was ordered was correct.
During the time that Lawton had been countermarching from Santa Cruz,
back by way of El Poso, there had been, as before stated, no reserve
for the left wing. The independent division of Gen. Bates had been
ordered to the front as rapidly as possible. Part of it had reached
the vicinity of El Poso, and from there one or two of the regiments
had participated in the fight, late on July 1st; but nobody on the
firing line knew anything about Bates' independent division at this
time, and it was too much exhausted to be useful as a reserve.
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