Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1898-06-15
Fierce Battle Between Marines,
Spanish GueIl'ilaS and Regu-
lars at Guantanamo.
ENGAGEMENT ALMOST CONTINUOUS.
Ii Commenced at Three O'Clock Satur-
day Afternoon and Ended at Six
O'Clock Sunday Morning.
-Four of Our Men Killed and one wounded
Advance Picket Unaccounted For
Spanish Loss Unknown, But
IL Was Probably Large.


LESS, orr GUANTANAMO. SUNDAY. June
l., via MOLE ST NICHOLAS, Hayti,
June 1&-Lieut Col. r. W. Hunting
tons battalion marines, which landed
from the transport Panther on Friday
and encamped on the hill guarding the
abandoned cable station ut the en-
trance to the outer harbor OF GUIANA
tanamo, has been engaged in beating
of bush attack by Spanish guerillas
and regulars since 3 o'clock Saturday
afternoon. The fighting was almost
continuous for Is hours until 6 o'clock
sunday morning, when reinforcements
were landed from the Marblehead.
Four of our men were killed and one
wounded. The advance piclets under
Lieuts. Neville and Shaw are unac-
counted for. Among the killed is AS
sistant Surgeon John Blair Gibbs. son
of Maj. Gibbs, of the regular army.
who fell in the Custer massacre. His
home was at Richmond, Va, but IA
has been practicing in New York and
he entered the service since the war
begun. He was a very popular officer.
The others killed are Serg. Charles II.
Smith, of Smallwood; Private William
Duuphy, OF Gloucester, Mass. and
Private James McColgan, of Stoneham.
Mass
Corporal Glass was accidentally
wounded in the head
The Spanish loss is unknown, but it
was probably considerable. The
splashes of blood found at daylight at
the position the Spaniards occupied in
dictate fatalities, but their comrades
carried off the killed and wounded.
The engagement began with desul-
tory firing at the piclets l. 600 wards
inland from the camp. Capt Spicer's
company was doing guard duty and
was driven in, finally rallying on the
camp and repulsing the enemy at .
o'clock. The bodies of privates Nc
Colgan and Durphy were found, both
shot in the head. The large cavities
caused by the bullets. which inside a
range of 500 yards have a rotary mo-
ton, indicate that the victims were
| killed at close range
The bodies were stripped of shoes,
hats and cartridge belts, and horri bly,
mutilated with machetes.
When they were br ought in the
whole battalion formed three sides OF
a hollow square about the camp on the
| hill top. Below in the bay were the
war ships at anchor. Inland from the
hill camp is deep ravine and beyond
this are high hills The adjacent coun
try is heavy with thiclSet growth.
The sky was blanketed with clouds
and when the sun set "A gale was blow.
ing seward. Night fell, thick and i'm.
penetrable.
The Spanish squads concealed in the
chapparel cover had the advantage. the
Americans on the ridge furnishing fine
targets against the sky and the white
tents. The Spaniards fought from
cover till midnight. discoverable only
by flashes at which the marines fired
volleys. The repeaters sounded like
crackers in barrel
The Marblehead launch. a Colt ma.
chine gun in her bow. pushed IN the
bay enflading the Spaniards. and it is
thought that some were killed. The
marines trailed much blood 10 the wa.
tiers edge and there lost it, Sharks are
numerous in the vicinity.
The ships threw their search lights
ashore, the powerful electric eve.
sweeping the deep tropic foliage and
disclosing occasionally slullling par.
ties OF Spaniards 1t all resembIed a
transformation scene at the harbor.
Each discovery of the enemy wa.
greeted by the cracks OF carbine fir,
along the edge of the camp ridge or by
the long roll of the lauuch's mach.n,
guns. searching tine thickcts with a
leaden stream.
shortly after midnight came tn,
main attack The Spauiards made ,
gallant charge up the southwest slope
but were met by repeated vollevs from
the main body and broke before Che,
were one-third of the way up the hill
out they came so close that az point.
there was almost % hand tohand strug
gle The officers used their rc
vo-vers. Three spaniards got throug.
the Omen formation 10 the cdr.
OF The camp Coll Jose Camriun
the Cuban guide. discharged his revo.
yer. and they. turning and fndiu.
themselves without support ran heller
SHELTER down che reverse side of th.
hi.. lt was during this assault taa
I Assistant Surgeon Gibbs was killed
I Iie was -no, in tho head in front of 1i