The Delta independent., 1893-11-08
THE MooRs WIN A sA.
A Serious Engagemsnt at Msliila In
Which tho spanish Troops
Get Worsted.

Get Worsted.
A bloody battle was fought at Fort Mellila,
Morocco, on the 27th and 2sth.
In the face OF terrible fire the Moors
charged reckles.ly forward until they man
aged to approach within twenty yards OF the
fortA, driving the Spaniards in the trenches
before them and cutting the telephone and
telegraph wires which had been erected In
order to keep up communication with the
outlyine forts and trenches.
The Moors again attacked At an opening.
driving the pickets before them, whereupon
they advanced in force upon the right flank
as well as upon the rear Of the forts, with the
intention Of cutting of the retreat Of the
Spaniards. This move ment would undoubt-
edly have been successful had it not been for
the skillful working Of the guns of the Span
ish warship venacito. The guns on bosr
the Venacito kept pumping shells in front II
the Moorish advance as we'll droppir a
number in the midst of them The explosion
Of the shells greatly terrified the Moors and
drove them back when the FIRE of the Infantry
seemed unable TO do SO.
The SpaniArds retreated inside the fort
and had all they could do to reach the inside
of the forti fcations in safety. Meanwhile
the Moors pressed on, led by their chiefs and
holy men, seemingly utterly regardless OF
danger, and succeeded In entering the Span
ish trenches, capturing two modern field
pieces and a supply of ammunition.
The Moors, who had been steadily ad-
vancing in spite of the fire directed upon them
from guns and rifles, were unable to with
stand the attack of cold steel in the hands Of
the Spanish soldiers. They no sooner got
taste of the bayonet than they began to re-
treat, and the Spaniards drove them out Of
the trenches.
The Spaniards directed their point Of at
tack against the body of the Moors who had
captured the two guns from the trenches, and
who had been using them quite fairly we'll
against the forts and against the war ships.
Nothing seemed to stand before the charge
Of the E.tremadura regiment and the hattal-
ion of soldiers undergoing punishment for
breaches of military law. They pressed on
ward bayoneting those Of the Moors who
made any stand, and managed to recover tho
two neld pieces.
During the moment of the panic which fol-
lowed the death Of General Magalla the
Xoors succeeded in carrying off his body, and
1! was this more than anything else which
enabled the officers TO rally their men and
make the charge that drove the Moors from
the trenches.
During the rush onward by the Spaniards,
= detachment of them pursued the Moors,
who were carrying away the generals body,
and, after desperate hand to hand fight, sue
eeeded in recovering the body and eventually
esoorting 1t into Melila.
General OrteSa Afterwards sent a convoy
| r. provisions and ammunition to Fort Cabreri-
hais, where the Spanish troops had been fght-
ing, without food, for a whole day.
No systematic pursuit of the Noors Vas At
tempted, owing to the insufficient force Of
soldiers at the fort, but it is understood that
General Orteea is making preparations to
take terrible vengeance for the death Of Gen
eral MagallA.