Griggs courier., 1898-08-18
AL OPERATIONS CEASE.
Receipt of the News of Return Of
Peace Stops All Military
and Naval Movemeuts.
OUR wARsaIps GATHERING At KEY WEST

Gen. Wilson's Batteries and Spanish
Forces Begin Warm Engagement
lin Its Midst News of Peace Ar
- rives and battle Is at Once
Stopped.
Ponce, Puerto Rico, Aug. 15.-The
peace news has stopped all forward
movement of the American army in
Puerto Rico. Gen. Wilson at Coamo
and Gen. Schwan at Mayaguez will re-
main at those places. Gen. Henry, who
is at Utuado, will return to AdJuntas,
and Gen. Brooke, who had advanced
beyond Guayama, will. return to that
| town.
Warshtps Assembling.
Key West, Fla, Aug. 15.-In accord
ance with orders from the navy de-
partment, following the presidents
proclamation Of suspension of hos
tilities, Commodore Howell, of the
North Cuban coast blockading squad
ron, is rapidly assembling his ships at
Key West. Many arrived Saturday
and still more Sunday. The flagship
San Francisco, with the commodore
| aboard, arrived Sunday morning. She
| looks none the worse for her expert
ence off Havana early Friday morn
ing. The hole torn in her stern by the
12-inch shells from MORO castle has
been neatly patched, and the damage
to the ships sinconsiderable. The larger
gunboats and the torpedo boat de-
stroyers have not yet received orders.
but the torpedo boats and revenue cut
ters have already been called north.
Naval officers are unanimous in their
expressions of qualification that the
war is over and are anxiously looking
| for orders which will take them north.
| Hadn't Heard the News.
At the Front With Gen. Wilson'S COL
umn. Five Miles Beyond Coamo, Puerto
Rico, Aug. 12' delayed in transmits
sion).-Gen. Wilson moved one Lam
| caster battery out to the front this
afternoon for the purpose of she'll
ing the Spanish position on the crest
of the mountain. at the head of the
pass. through which the road winds.
The enemy occupied a position of
great natural strength, protected by
seven lines of entrenchments and
battery of two howitzers. The Span
iards were eager for the fray, and
earlier in the day had fired upon Col.
Biddle. of the engineer corps, who
with platoon OF troop C, of New
York. was accommodating on their
right flank. As our battery rounded
a curve in the road 1000 yards away
the enemy opened an artillery and in
fantry fire. Four companies of the
Third Wisconsin, which were posted
on the bluffs to the right of the road.
were not permitted to respond to the
infantry fire.
| Batteries Fight Nobly.
| The guns advanced at a gallon in the
face of terrific fire, were unlimbered.
and were soon hurting common shell
and shrapnel at the enemy at lively
rate. striking the emplacements, bat
teries and entrenchments with. the
rhythmic regularity of trip ha INNER.
The enemy soon abandoned one gun.
but continued to serve the other at in
tervals for over an hour. They had our
range, and their shrapnel burst re-
peatedly over our men. One she'll
burst. the fragments killing Corp.
Swanson, of company L. and seriously
wounding Corp. Yanke and Privates
Bunce and Vought. Capt. Lee and Pri-
vate Sizer, of company F, were wounded
by Mauser bullets. In about two hours
the enemy abandoned the other gun,
and the men began to flee from the en-
| trenchments toward q banana grove in
the gorge. Our guns shelled them as
they ran.
One gun was now ordered to advance
to a position quarter of a mile fur
ther on. 1t had just reached She new
position when Spanish infantry re-
endorsements filed into the trenches
and fired down a deadly fire
upon our men. compelling the bat
terry to retire at q gallop. Then
both the enemy's howitzers reopened
and shrapnel screamed and Mausers
sang. Another gun galloped from the
rear, but our ammunition was ex-
hausted. Lieut.. Haincs was sho: in the
body by Mauser just before his gun.
retired, the ball following rib. The
orders issued for two companies to
advance were countermanded and the
firing soon ceased.
Demanded Surrender.
| Gel. Bliss, of Gen. Wilson's staff, went
forward to the enemy's line with flag
OF truce and explained that peace me-
gotiations were almost concluded and
that their position was untenabie and
demanded their surrender The Span
ish have no communication with the
outside world and the commander
asked until morning in order that ha
might communicate with Governor
Genera! Macias at San Juan.
Victim of Heart Disease.
Detroit. Mich, Aug. 15.-Col. John
| Atkinson. a prominent Irish-American
| Of this city died sllddanlx Of nounal.;a