New-York tribune., 1898-10-17
THE MARINE CORPS WORK.
COLONEL HEYwoOD's REPORT ON ITS
PART IN THE WAR.
THE FIRST SERIOUS LAND ENGAGEMENT FOUGHT
BY IT GUARDING SPANISH PRISONERS

e,.,, sdSd row laurels TO the record Of the United
States Marine Corps. which. since its organzauoh'
November H. l79S hundred years ago had so ire
ousntlv demonstrated its value as military arm
~ tho Government The annual report OF Colonel
Charles Haywood the colonel commandan; TO the
Secretary Of the Navy for the last year naturaF
devoted in great part to recounting Its experiences
-, Guantanamo where the battalion under Lieu
tenant c Coore Robert w. Huntington fought 'ne
first serious land engagement OF United states
forces on foreign soil since the Mexican war.
The achievements of this battalion In holding
nase OF operations against enormous odds are al
ready familiar to the country. which has appauue"
the conspicuous bravery Of the men VINO sheu t"e
frs, blood in the nna operations which lea 10 '"e
freedom Of cuba and hastened the surrender Oh
sns,n After describing this notable campaign
Colonel Haywood makes the following comment
The fact that this battalion was attacked ny
overwhelming numbers and Tor over and that Se
following day portion Of the bsttalion a'STNss sSpw
that Colonel Huntington and his officers and men
displayed great gaantry and that al Wete W., Tpa
drilled and under the most sneS5 Sv disease from the
time /, left for cuba until ijs return and me per.
csmT after arrival at Portsmouth only nine,
tenths Of per cent. showing me sood rrS.i''s ~
the fatiaIion for the service which doyolved upon
Il by The quartcrmaster Of Tho corps. Major r; H.
tain { L. McCswley. T. 5 NJ & the medical ollI-
Ger. Surgeon John NJ. Edgar I ; n ana 1iools mySDl.
and m other nocossarios for a tropical climate, and
tae care exercised by the officers Tor the heaitn
Of the camp. of provisions and Of meals before be
ing served. well rigid discipline always en-
forced IN the corps
The wide range Of usefulness Of the marines is
shown by the commanding officer I'm the next para
graph
WIDE RANGE OF USEFULNESS.
During the war - vessels had marine guards.
varying in strength from - down TO 6 men, making
total Of 205 enlisted men at sea. There were oZ5
in the battalion and 80 at Key West. making total
Of 272S Deducting those on the Pacific Coast. 20.
this left only Il enlisted men of the regular ser
vice available for duty ai an the Eastern posts 800
men had not Sccn appropriated for the corps would
nave been unable 10 meet ne dsindmuS i IL" ,nen ,
required for IN" guards on board snip ana men
for the battalion and at Key West ana even M MaId'r
these i7S men We're added to the corps II Is sio~h
that there were hut Il men of the permanent eS-
pd bcrcfoTe if the 800 additional men for
Service during the had not been provided the
corps would have been unable to furnish adequate
ybnre millions Of dollars wor h o. ,.ubic property
is stored which required most waichful guarding.
country. As the men enlisted for the war became
sufficiently drilled sore Of them were distributed
amcns ;he various marine guards on board sAll,s
relieving oder men Tor places as &
men required at the navy ya.ds guards (omposed
% selected Were ordered TO be established at
the magazines at Norfolk and Philadelphia as at
tempts mad been made by Spanish spies to blow
them IN.
In addition 20 guarding the naval establishments
AGAINST the designs OF Spanish spies and manning
the secondary batteries Of warshps. one Of the
most importan, duties Of the corps was the care Of
spanish prisoners Under this mead Colonel Hey
Wool writes.
Inc Deparimen, having. decided to bring the
Spanish prisoners captured IN the naval batue OF
Jlly D. of Santiago 10 the Navy Yard. Portsmouth,
: r.. for Imprisonment camp was established
,sT ~ ,ho ' 'eYrr@undIng sumner resorts
mi gun rftf ~ % lpr Up(
erected by order Of tn Department for the use Of
ihe prisoners. Also a barracks. mossroom com
Kitchen and guardhouse at main gate were erected
tsr!nc the tim" the prisoners wcrc confined. The
camp was inclosed by a high board itn'e ana out
SIDE Of that at distance Of twenty feet 10y
A the Officers ahc .aon attached TO tne marine
barracks. Portsmouth. hoing absent with the ma
r.rc battalion in Cuba, on July ! ordered G9loneI
james ForneH. four ofticors ana ~ men 10 r"rtS-
mouth for duty. short time before the prisoners
arrived i'm obedience orders from the Depart
raneemen.s 10 establish the guard and to receive
ire prisoner; The camp was named Camp Long
SPANISH PRISONERS RECEIVED.
on July II 70 officers and 6p2 men Spanish pris-
oners were received from the ST Louis. and on
Jrly Is officers and SCI men were received from
the Harvard. also on August y, officers and
enlisted men. captured on lhe Ars0naut az the be
cunning Of thc war. arrived from Fort McPnerso2'
GcorSia. where they had been connned UaKnls }"
total Of - officers and lt5l men. Captain t. x
Russell. from the marine battalion. and Second
Lieutenant T 5; Borden and q marines from me
Rrooklyn. and tho guard of tn" Marbiehead came
- Ions in addition To- the regular guard OF inc
ship arriving at Portsmouth July 10; and Captain
- men from the III Marine BattaIion came north
"a = guard with tho second detachment of prison
his yes.e arijvine At portsmouth July IS. cap
TAIN Russ,u Second Lieutenant Borden. p men Of
inst M DIG9Si} 9Slenan s j. Moses M and % men from he
battalion We're transferred to the marine barracks
flor fl44 "a nf XGg
the % d I'd mon aireadV =, PoTtsmomth
comprised the guard during the entire time INC me
placed i'm position on the hll overlooking the camp
and kept ready AT all times. and two others were
placed at The bridges leading from The Navy lar1
1T Seavey's Island Galleries and sentry-boXes were
built the outside Of he fence giving The sen'i;
lines Az officer installed as officer OF the
day as officer Of the guard, and one inside ne
made to insure the secuFity of the prisoners
When these prisoners were landed they wer"
dirty. many with scarcely any clothing some IN
condpG and and nImGer or gf them T%r
cold but II late when they landed thai ii
was mpossibl" TO provide them with proper cloth.
we're somewhat uncomfortable although they had
en excellent meal that night, pr9yded b! paymSas
snrpod w,s sHSs9 eTa yarn &C Gqhng a@q
LOOMS and whom Left their condition had very
on the occasion of my inspection Of the marine
barracks Portsmouth y r. on September . and
. 7 thoroughly inspected the Camp and prisoners.
TicK atks 'ne MEADE Who had few
days before relieved Colonel Forney. and could
hardly realize the great improvement which had
taken place I'm the condition OF these men. The
prisoners drawn up I'm two lines In their
spective barracks. and I inspected every nris0ner
in the camp. Most "f them were dressed io white
suits ali the clothing was very clean. ard IN" men
looked well and contcnfcd. Their BEDDING
orened and found - be clean and reat ] also IN
spected she grounds barracks. sinks. kitchens
mess pavilion and other buildings at the camu and
found them clean ana in perfectly sanitary con-
-hO " a q q
on tho men and camn by Colonel F"rnev md Lieu
tenant Colonel Meade e." beai'l and comfort
since they landed al SeavcSs Island.
ALLOWED 10 Bly, LvXURlEs
Many of the prisoners having money and bcHs
desirous % purchasing tobacco. pipes. writing pa.
per postage stamps and othc~ articles for their