Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-10-30
COURAGEOUS M00RS
Resist a Combined Attack
by the Spanish.
FIERCE AND BLOODY BATTLE
General Margalia Is One OF the Many
Slain in the Fight.

| MADRID, OF. a0.-General Margalla,
comma ld r-iG-chief Il he Spanish troops
1t Mellla, wa shot dead while leading q
sortie against the Moors Seventy Of his
men were killed and l22 others were
wounded.
| The engagement was commenced by
General Ortega, who. at the head of re-en-
forcements sent To Melilla, drove the
Moors from The trenches they had occu-
| pied In front Of the Spanish fortifcati on.
The Moors fought desperately and with the
greatest courage. Many Of the Spaniards
were x LED, and among them was the un-
fortunate General Margala, who only 4S
hours previously exposed his troops TO a
second defeat by sending mere handful
Of men to the onslaught Of tens OF thou
| sands OF Moors.
| The Spaniards were amazed at the
courage shown by the Moors in face OF a
terrible fire. The Moors charged reck.
lessly forward until they managed 10 ap-
proach within 20 yards OF the forts. driv-
| ing the Spaniards in the treDl aes before
them aud cutting the telephone and tele-
| graph wires. which had been erected in
| order to keep up communication with the
outlying forts and trenches. While the
Moors dashed forward, seemingly utterly
| regardless OF the fire directed upon them
by the Spauiards. they lost many men.
| skiiIfui Naval Movement.
| The Moors have now invaded tue whole
Spanish territory, making their pdvance
| during darkness, at the same .!mt m lk.
Ing an attack upon Forts Cameli,s and
| Csbrerisas, outside Of which forts the
spsnisrds had parties of mon st work
digging trenches, under the protection Of
the guns Of the forts and Of advance
| pickets Of soldiers.
The Moors began the attack by opening
fire upon the pckets and driving them in,
| whereup3n they advanced In force upon
| the right flank as we'll as upon tie rear Of
| the forts, with the intention oi cutting of
the retreat Of the Spaniards.
This movement would undou btedly
have been successfully accomplished had
II not been for the skillful manner in
which the guns of the Spanish warship
Venadito were handled. The guns en-
board the warship kept Pumping shells
In front OF the Moorish advance. as we'll
as dropping number In the midst OF the
advancing hordes of Moors The explo-
sion Of the shells seems 70 have caused the
greatest CONSERVATION in their ranks, for
It drove them back where the fire Of the
infantry seeusd unable TO stay their
passage.
The Spaniards, In the face Of this ad-
mirably planned attack, retreated in side
the forts and had all they could do TO
reach the inside Of the fortifications in
safety. The Moors, in the meanwhile,
pressed forward and succeeded In enter
| Ing the Spanish trenches and capturing
| two modern field pieces and a supply of
ammunition.
Renegades Aid Moors.
1t would seem that renegade foreigners
must be fighting in the ranks OF the
Moors, for the latter bad no sooner cap
tured the two field pieces referred TO than
they hauled them out Of the trenches,
placed them in position and opened Ere
upon the forts and upon the warships In
the bay.
Throughout Friday night and Satur lay
morning the battle was kept up, and at
daybreak General Margalla decided that a
desperate effort must be made TO rally the
Spanish troops and take the offensive, as
the Moors were sending for and receiving
re-enforcements from all sides. and IL
looked rs IL they were preparing to con-
centrate their forces and make an over
whelming rush upon the troops.
General Margalla, shortly after day
break, had extra ammunition served out
10 his forces, and in light marching order
they left the Notifications, with General
Margalla at their head. Hardly had the
troops left Fort Cabrerizas than the
Moors opened hot fire upon them, dur
ing which the Spanish commander was
shot in the head, and died almost in
stantly.
Cold Steel Made Moors Fly.
The Estramadura regiment and the
disci iplinary battalion were called upon to
fix bayonets and charge upon the swarms
Of Moors occupying the trenches In front
Of the forts The Moors, who had been
recklessly advancing in spite Of the nre
directed upon them from guns and rifles,
were unable to withstand the attack Of
cold steel In the hands Of the Spanish
soldiers. The Moors no soouer got taste
| OF the bayonet than they began TO retreat
The Spaniards directed their point of
| attack against the body OF Moors who had
| captured the two suns from the trenches
and who had been using them fairly
| against the forts and against tho war
ships. Nothing seemed to stand before
| the charge OF the Estrsmadura regiment
and the battalion uf soldiers undergoing
| DTthCutS military law.
They pressed forward bayone ing those of
the Moors who made any stand, and man
aged TO recover the two feldpieces and
send them To the rear.
During the moment Of panic which fol-
lowed the death Of General Msrgalla the
Moors succeeded in carrying off the body
OF the Spanish commander. During the
rush onward Of the Spanish tro - q do
tachment OF them pursued the Moors
who were carrying away tho generals
body, and, after desperate hand to-hand
conflict with the trbesmen of the desert,
the Spaniards succeeded In recovering ths
body OF their late commander and escorted
IL into Melilla
General Ortoga afterwards sent . oon-
voy OF provisions and ammunition TO Fort
Caorerizas, where the Spanish troops had
been fghting without food, for a whole
day No systematic pursuit Of the Moors
was attempted, owing to the insufficient
force OF soldiers at Fort Cabrcrizaa