The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-13

Copyright 1885, by the Associated Press)
OFF GUANTANAMO. Sunday. June u,
on Board the Associated Press Dispatch
Boat Dauntless, via Mole St Nicholas,
Haiti, June 12.-Lieut. Col. r. W. Hunting
toms battalion Of marines, which landed
from the transport Panther on Friday and
encamped on the hill guarding the aban-
doned cable station at the entrance to the
outer harbor of Guantanamo, has been en-
gagged in beating off bush attack by
Spanish guerrillas and regulars since 3
was almost continuous for thirteen hours,
until o'clock this morning, when reinforce
ments were landed from the Marbehead.
Four of our men were killed and one
wounded. The advance pickets under Lieu
tenants Neville and Shaw are unaccounted
for.
Among the killed is Assistant Surgeon
JOHN BLAIR GIBBS, SON of Major Gibbs,
of the regular army. who fell in the Custer
massacre. His home was at Richmond, Va,
but he has been practicing in New York,
and he entered the service since the war
began. He was a very popular officer. The
others killed are:
sERGT. CHARLES H. SMITH, of Small
wood.
PRIVATE WILLIAM DUNPHY, of Glou-
cel er. Mass.
PRIVATE JAMES McoLGAN. of Stone
ham. 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 positions the
Spaniards occupied indicate fatalities, but
wounded,
The engagement began with desultory fir
Ing at the pickets. a thousand yards inland
from the camp. Captain 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 McColgan and Dun
ply were found, both shot IN the head. The
large cavities caused by the bullets. which.
inside range of five hundred yards, have
a rotary motion. indicate that the victims
were killed at close range. The bodies were
stripped of shoes. hats and cartridge belts
and horribly mutilated with machetes
When they were brought in the whole bat
talon formed three sides of hollow square
about the camp on the hilltop. Below, in
the bay were the war ships at anchor. In
land from the hill camp is a deep ravine,
and beyond this ara high hills. The adjacent
country is heavy with thicket growth.
The sky was blanketed with clouds, and
when the sun set a gale was blowing sea-
ward. Night fell. thick and impenetrable.
The Spanish squads concealed in the chap
paral cover had the advantage, the amer
leans on the ridge furnishing fine targets
against the sky and the white tents. The
Spaniards fought from under cover till
midnight, dlscoverable only by flashes, at
which the marines fired volleys. The re-
peaters sounded like crackers in a barrel.
The Marblehead launch. a Colt machine
gun in her bow. pushed up the bay enfilad-
ing the Spaniards. and it is thought that
some were killed. The marines traied much
blood to the waters edge and there lost it.
The sharks are numerous In the vicinity The
ships threw their search lights ashore the
powerful electric eyes sweeping the deep
tropic foliage and disclosing occasionally
skulking parties OF spanlards. 1t all resem-
bledh transformation scene at the harbor
El b discovery of the enemy was greeted