Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-07-28
Miles FIRST VICTORY.
Ills Advance Guard HOSTS Our
Flag in Porto Rico.
SHORT FIGHT WITH sPANIARDs.


Four of the Enemy Killed and the
Rest Put to Flight, While Our Sol
diers Escape UnfnJured-The Entire
Force Landed without Mishap.
Port of Guanica. Porto Rico, via st.
Thomas. D. w. l., July 27.-The United
States military expedition under the
command of Major General Nelson A.
Miles was landed here successfully on
Monday, after a skirmish with de-
tachment of the Spanish troops and
crew of 80 belonging to the launch of
the United States auxiliary gunboat
Gloucester, formerly Mr.. J. Pierpont
Morgan's steam yacht Corsair. -Four of
the Spaniards were killed and no
Americans were hurt.
Early Monday morning the Glouces-
ter, in charge of Lieutenant Com
mander Wainwright, steamed into
Guanica harbor in order to reconnoiter
the place. With the fleet waiting out
side, the gallant little fighting yacht
Gloucester braved the mines which
were supposed to be in this harbor and
found that there were five fathoms Of
water close in shore. Guanica Bay is
a quiet place, surrounded by cultivated
lands. In the rear are high mountains.
and close to the beach nestles P village
of about q houses.
The Spaniards were completely taken
by surprise. Almost the first they knew
of the approach of the army of in
vasion was in the announcement con-
tanned in the firing of a gun from the
Gloucester, demanding that the Span
iards haul down their flag, which was
floating from the flagstaff in front of
a blockhouse standing to the east of
the village. The first couple of three
Founders We're fired into the hills right
and left of the bay, purposely avoiding
the town, lest the projectile hurt wo-
men or children. The Gloucester then
hove to within about 600 yards of the
shore and lowered a launch having on
board Colt rapid fire gun, and so men
under the command of Lieutenant
Huse, which was sent ashore without
encountering opposition.
Quartermaster Beck thereupon told
Yeoman Lacy to haul down the Span
ish flag, which was done, and they
then raised on the flagstaff the first
United States flag to float over Porto
Rican soil.
Suddenly about 80 Spaniards opened
fire with Mauser rifles on the Ameri-
can party. Lieutenant Huse and his
men responded with great gallantry
the Colt gun doing effective work. Nor.
mon, who received Admiral Cervera'
surrender. and Wood, volunteer lieu
| tenant, shared the honors with Lieu.
| tenant Huse.
A AZ: 49,. ~
| iards fired on the Americans the Glou
cester opened fire on the enemy with al
her and Founders which could BIZ
| brought to bear, Smelling the town ant
| also dropping shells into the hills tt
| the west of Guanica. where number o
| Spanish cavalry were to be seer
Fastening toward the spot where tn;
4, Americans landed.
Lieutenant Huse then threw UP
| little fort. which he named Fort Vain
wright, and laid barbed wire in TIL,
| street in front of it in order to repel tn,
expected cavalry attack. The lieuten
| ant also mounted the Colt gun ant
signalled for reinforcements, which
| were sent from the Gloucester.
| Presently few of the Spanish cav.
| airy Joined those who were fighting il
| the street of Guanica, but the Coli
barked to a purpose. killing four.
| BY that time the Gloucester had tht
| range of the town and of the block.
house, and all her guns were splitting
fire, the doctor and the paymastel
helping to serve the guns.
| Soon afterwards white coated, gal
| Looping cavalrymen were seen climbing
| the hills to the westward and the foot
soldiers were scurrying along tbs
| fences from the town.
BY 9:45 with the exception of a few
| guerilla shots, the town was won and
| the enemy driven out of its neighbor-
| hood.
| Guanica is the most lovely spot yet
| occupied by our forces. 1t is the seat
| of the coffee and sugar industry, and
| large herds of cattle are pasturing tbs
| meadows, which are bordered by cocoa
| nut palms. Many head of cattle and a
| large number of horses have beer
| driven into the mountains by theil
owners. Some of them will be recap.
| tured.
| The Transfer of spanish Prisoners.
Washington, July EST is expected
| that the debarkation of the Spanish
| prisoners at Santiago will begin very
soon. The Alicante sailed Tuesday
| from Martinique and the hospital ship
Augustin sailed yesterday. The Isla
Luzon and the Isla Panaya sailed from
| Cadiz yesterday for Santiago. The
Leon XIII, the Salrustigen, the Cavo-
donna and the Colon, all at Cadiz, are
expected to sail very soon. The ca
| pacity Of these various ships are as
| follows: Alicante, 1900; San Augustin,
300; lisa Luzon, 1900; Isla Panaya, L.
| QAA. con VII Q nAA. Co I,.,1stitro,, nsn.