The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-28
FIRST TIME 4
UNDER FIRE.
How Our Acquitted Them
selves at Guantanamo --Rushed
From Bath to Battle.

"Secret Service and "Ths Heart Of
Mary hnd'' felt thssarted of tho oxcitc.
mcnt which, according to all the tradi-
tions bf romance and the stage. onght
to 60 along with such high flown oc-
casion. But IL that siirfnish by day
light seemed a trifie talno tho moment
that darlrnexs fell ever the camp and
hnrbof fact as we'll as imagination be-
gan 10 assert itself
During the few moments in which
the noncomhatants slept On the dispatch
boat that Saturday highland they
wore rot many. for the firing Oh shore
kept up with scarcely cessation until
utter dawn--thcir drcnins were q weird
and blurred conglcncration Of ehrieks,
sh els and machetes. When awake, tho
reality was even moro awe inspiring
1t was one of those sights which arc
hall marked on your brain forever and
ever. From the Premier, lying safely
In tho strcaci you could see those great
hills rising oct cf the sea, superb and
grcwsome, illumined now by the flash
Of rife and again by the scarchlight
ff the Marblehead--a long incerdcsccnt
snake which crcpt carefully along every
inch Of ground mud every mound of
chaparral every Is minutes. Later tho
mocn came up ana lent tho scene
crccpincss and uncertainty which were
all its own.
But 1t was not nntil the sun was up
that ell the horror Of war was realized.
When the reporter arrived at the camp
again, they were carrying in dead bod.
ies The body CT Surgeon GIBBS, who
had been the jolliest fellow in all tho
camp the day before. lay in his tent,
where Spanish bullet had reached
him, and they were carrying the bodies
Of Sergeant Smith and the two privntes
up the hill on litters.' ALI three werc
frightfully ranglcd, and one Of tho ma
rines, who seemed most shocked ut tho
Spaniards' brutal work, OF the follow.
ing night when surrounded by the enc-
my and knowing escape to be impossi-
lie, drowned himself III the lagoon.
Half past 10 was the hour set for tho
funeral Four graves were dug OH the
side Of the hill, and Chaplain Jones of
the Texas hurried on shore to officiate
The bodies were wrapped In shrouds
from which their bare feet showed. The
body OF Surgeon Gibbs. who was shot
within tho lines was the only one
which bad boots on. Tho Spaniards had
stripped the other three of every rag
There was tire for very little cerc-
mony. AS many marines as coald be
spared from work on thc trcnches--400
out of the entire 6lo perhaps grouped
themselves about the graves and uncov-
cred. Few tears were shed, but every
man looked grim Tho strong voice of
the chaplain had just started the firxt
lines Of the Episcopal burial seryice, II
am the resurrection and the life"
when from that same old second ridge
Of hills there canic vollcy Of musketry
which brought every marine to atten-
tion In trice. There was 10 scene
Most Of the men fell into line and
marched to the trenches Immediately.
The others sank down on the grass
whore they had their rifles cooked and
ready, one eye on the enemy, the other
on the opcn graves. st the sound OF tho
second volley Chaplain Jones shifted his
position slightly so that the mound OF
nowly turned earth came between him
and the enemy, but his voico never fal-
tered for nn instant, and, although the
bullets pattercd hot and fast around
him, no read tho service calmly and
rovcrently to the end.
Later cn that day and during Ito day
following there were far moro thrilling
events than any which had gopc before
There was hot fviit at nightf&lL in
which II Spaniards were killed Oh tho
beach by . single shell. The Marble
head and Dolphin turned soawiud aud
shollcd tho outlying bills, while in the
harbor the Spanish fire Oh tho dispatch
boats became so fierce that the Texas
had to come 10 their rescuo with her
guns But. locking back at this close
range upon the lan four days as Quad
tanamo, The picture which stands on.
cIcc.-cst on the mi,id Is those cpcn
graves. tho marines at fail length rev
erently chanting "Our Father" while
their guns orat at the eneriy; Dewey,
the marines mascot inongrcl pup,
perclied o., tho oarthwcrls, wsEging his
unfledgcd tail most snconcernedly, and
full in the sunlight the tall. strong Gg
urc cf Chaplain Jones as he chanted
sonororely, rMan that is burn Q, wusa
,,, ,,-Now Vn.k sir-,