The Penn's Grove record., 1893-10-06
HOT Battle WITH NOORS.
5000 of Them Swo0p Gown on a
Spanish Fort.
FURIOUS ATTACKS REPULsED.
The Brave Garrison of 400 Soldiers Aided by
Residents of Melilla. Compel Them
to Sue for Peace.

DpruLb Ddllits DttNtSi ptoiNSSiS "iib'
besieged recorded in the annals of
warfare has been fought on the north
ern coast of Morocco, between a mob
of Riff Mountain Moors and the Span
ish garrison of Melilla, a convict settle
ment, caused by n recent effort OF the
Spanish Government to enlarge and
strengthen a fertilization at that point.
This work incensed the Moors, and
"A large force of more than 5000 natives
made an attack upon the Spanish gar
rison. that numbered all told not more
than 400 souls. The Spanish troops
fought steadily throughout the day with
out even partaking offood, but this was
a matter of small consequence to them,
as they knew that death or slavery
awaited them should they fall into the
hands of their enemies.
The Moors were constantly gaining
fresh accessions to their ranks, and the
outlook was becoming serious for the
Spaniards, when the white residents
of the town, without regard to national
ity, organized and took part in the de-
Tense. They were greatly outnum-
bered by the Moors, however, and were
finally compelled to retire into the
fortress, located on the outskirts of the
town, where they are still besieged.
During the battle IS of the Spaniards
were killed and 80 wounded, including
three officers, whose injuries are seri
Gus. The Spanish artillery did great ex,
ecution. The gunners at n time di-
rected their fire upon a mosque and al
most completely destroyed it. Other
buildings in the range of their fire were
also destroyed.
Dispatches from Melilla state that the
Spanish officers and troops displayed
the greatest bravery. The town, which
is II of the Spanish penal settlements,
is commanded by Il citadel, which is
built on a rock.
After the Spanish troops and then
civilian allies were forcedby overwhelm.
ing numbers to retreat into the CitadeI
the Moors attempted to take the place
by assault. They swarmed up the
roadwaN and tried in every way tt
scale the walls; The beleagured mer
poured volley after volley at them, but
as the Moors did not fight in any regu.
lar order the fire was not as destructive
as it would otherwise have been.
General Margallo, who was in com
mand of the garrison, especially distin-
guished himself by his gallantry. Call.
ing for volunteers, and nearly every
nan offered his service. General Mar.
gallo placed himself at their head and
made a sortie upon the Moore. The
latter retreated, keeping up a heavy
fire upon the whites, until the Moor'
who had been operating OH the othel
side of the citadel came to their assist
ance, when the defenders were driven
back. These sorties were repeated
throughout the day, but the Mools
managed to eventually hold their posi-.
ton.
Before the retreat was made to the
citadel troops were dispatched to escort
to this place of refuge the military
laborers who we're employed in the
works at Fort Guariach. They succeed.
ed in getting the men into the citadel
but had n hard fight to do SO, being at
tackled on all sides by the Moors.
The natives were armed with Reming
ton rifles and fought with fanatica
fury, paying no attention to the show,
ers of bullets aimed at them. They
pursued the ~retreating whites up to the
walls of the citadel, despite the deadly
fire directed at them from the fort. A
small body of Spanish cavalry that was
| well drilled and well handled proved O.
the utmost service.
Toward the end the Moors abandoned
their guerrilla mode of warfare anC
formed themselves into ranks. Their
| shouting their battle-cries, they ad
vanced upon the citadel. When the,
were within a short distance of the wall
the heavy main gate swung open, anC
out galloped the cavalrymen. They
| dashed into the ranks of the advancin.
Moors, their keen-edged sabres swing
ing right and left among the enemy
| who broke ranks and retreated as has
| tily as possible. The Moors were ridder
down and trampled upon by the iron
shod hoofs of the horses, and a numbe
of them neither death in this manner
The cavalry, who were numerical,
weak, did notdare to pursue the enem,
far from the citadel. They retired be
hind the walls and awaited the secont
coming of the Moors, who, though the,
had been temporarily compelled to re
treat, were in no wise disheartened by
the loss inflicted upon them by tn,
horsemen. The cavalry made severa
charges, always with the same result
The Moors would retreat until the chas,
was abandoned, when they would agar
resume the aggressive.
The Moors knew that if they would
capture the citadel it would have to b,
by assault, as there was no chance O
forcing a surrender by siege. The
! place contains large magazines and the
food supply of the whole convict settle
ment' Equally of Importance is the
water supply, which is procured from
large rock eisterns. Therefore, witt
the bravery characteristic of the Riff
tribes, they displayed no hesitation
whatever when their leaders called or
them to face the deadly volleys poured
into them from behind the walls of tn,
citidel.
They displayed an absolute disregard
for danger that compelled the admira
ton of the men fighting against them
The fury of the Moors was added t.
when the Spanish artrllerymen wrecked
| the mosuue which was sacrad ~ 4haovo,
of the natives. This mosque was no
in Melilla proper, but in an adiacen
village. The houses destroyed wert
also outside Melilla.
Advices from Melilla are that tn,
Moors requested a truce. The reques
was granted, and both sides burie,
their dead, The Moors have sued 70
peace,