Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-08-06
GRAPHIC ACCOUNT
Continued from page ~


Dor those on board of her saw the
launch of the Gloucester. with a rapid
fire Colt gun in her bow, land about
~ sailors under Lieut. Huse. The lit
lie party promptly advanced on the run
to the spot on which the flag was float
ing, the red and yellow of Spain Was
quickly hauled down and then up went
the Stars and Stripes on the Spanish
Flagstaff, as hearty cheer echoed over
plains and heights.
"A few minutes later. there was II
spitcful spatter of bullets around the
Gloucester and the dispatch boat from
squad of Spanish soldiers who We're
concealed among the houses up the main
street of Guanica, which runs direct
from the beach. In less time than it
| takes to tell it the treacherous guerilla
like foes who had not fired a shot while
their flag was up. We're fleeing in every
direction before the answering fire of
| the Americans ashore backed up by the
| guns of the Gloucester The four G.
| Founders of the converted yacht shelled
the blockhouse and the hills to the west
| sending some Spanish cavalry, on their
! way to reinforce Guanica, scurryinG
toWdIuS tHc mountains ike jack faD-
| bits before a prairie fire.
Ashore, Lieut. Huse and his men had
not been idle. AS much for practice
as anything" as he quietly put it, they
| threw up an entrcnchment across the
| street. mounted the Colt rapid fire gun
on its center. tangled some barbed wire
! in front of the entrcnchment to repel Il
possible cavalry charge signalled for
| achievements. and then opened fire
| on the Spaniards with the Colt with
| the result that four of the enemy were
| soon killed, while not one American
| was even wounded.
| 1t was only a skirmsh after all, but
| it was as gallant a little scrimmaSe as
| one would wish to see, The presence
of an active foe was not suspected after
our flag was raised. and the Spaniards
| were well concealed by the houses,
| trees, etc, of the neighborhood
| Gen. Miles stopped on his way ashore
boarded the Gloucester and warmly
thanked Lieut.. commander Wainwright
for had not the Spaniards been uncovered
by the Gloucestcrs fire many American
| lives would have been sacrificed in the
landing of the troops which Immediately
| followed. When Lieut.. Huse and his men
were relieved by battery of the 18th
| Regular Artillery and returned on board
| the Gloucester, they were most heartily
cheered by the soldiers on the transports
and by the crews of all the vessels
| 1t is probable that the Spaniards would
not have been 50 willing to attack the
Americans if they had been able to see
the big warships and the transports out
side the harbor.
The landing of the troops was conducted
in a methodical manner and WAS easily
accomplished. Boatload after boatload of
men, and sometimes long strings of boats
| towcd 10y the steam launches of the Mas
sachusetts, made for the shore. and the
troops formed into companies and
promptly occupied the points of vantage
| in the neishborhood y strong detach-
! mcnt of our troops WAS sent to Yauco. a
| small place about five miles inland which
forms the western terminus of the rail
road leading to Ponce. 10 miles distant,
due east.
The highway thence is very bad but
the military road from Ponce to San
Juan, 81 miles long, is in admirable CON
dition and fully adapted for the passage
of artillery and munitions of war, The
port of Ponce contains considerable ship
ping and before this letter is published
the cable will doubtless have announced
| the fall of the second city of fruitful
| beautiful Porto Rico. The island, by the
way is healthful if ordinary care is
| taken, and fears of yellow fever, as an
epidemic, need not be entertained.
At the request of Col. Whitney Of Gen.
Miles staff. who made the famous recon-
noissance OF porto Rico. the dispatch
boat of The Associated Press, tonight.
will take from St. Thomas to Guanica,
Mr.. Philip G. Hanna, consul of the United
States at Porto Rico. who left San Juan
at about the time Gen. Fitzhugh Lee left
Havana, and who has been. in St. Thomas
ever since, He will be able To assist Gen.
Miles in number Of ways. He will take
with him several Porto Rican guides for
the use of the army.
The English residents of the island of
| Porto Rico, as matter of course, are
eager for American occupation and this
is true, Mr. Hanna adds of the French
and German residents as well.
In the light of the Cuban developments
it may be pleasant to know that the in
surgcnts of Porto Rico are merely insur-
gents at heart. That is To say, they arc
neither armed nor organized. ana when
our troops have captured Porto Rico
there will be no unSolvod problem to
trouble our authorities.
MORE CARE FOR CAMPS.