Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-06-16
FIRST II. Land FIGHT 'ilG''BB
Spanish Troops Attack the AmerL
can Marines At Guantanamo.
mE ENGAGEMENT 1t CLOSE RANCE
0sae Americans KILLED aaA One Wousdsd
J9As Advnnes Pieksts Of the MARINES
Az Unaseountsd foe-span-
III Loss Uahaown

OBJ. R W. Huntington's battalion OF
marines, which landed from the trans
port Panther on Friday and encamped
- the hill guarding the abandoned
sable station vt the entrance 10 the
outer hsrbor Of Guantanamo, has been
sngsgsd In heading of rush attack
By Spanish guerrillas and regular
since three o'clock Saturday afternoon.
1he fighting was almost continuous
Or Is hourA until six o'clock yesterday
norning, when relnforcements were
1anded from the Marblehead Four Of
our men were killed and one wounded
Ths advance pickets under LieutA Ne
sille and Shaw are unaccounted for.
1hs Spanish loss Is unknown, but II
was probably considerable. The
splashss Of blood found at daylight Of
- positions the Spaniards occupied
indicste fatalities, but their comrades
,eagslsd Of tho killed and wounded.
The engagement began with desul.
sosy firing d the picketa 1000 yards
inland from the camp Capt Spicers
company was doing guard duty and
~ driven IN, finally rallying on the
sanp and repulsing the enemy At five
O'Clock. The bodies OF Privates Mo-
Cblgsn and Dunphy were found, both
not In the head. The large cavities
made by the bullets which, inside a
range Of 500 yards, have rotary mo-
tlon, indicate that the victims were
killed at close range The bodies
wsre stripped Of shoes, hats and car.
fridge belts and horribly mutilated
With mscheteA When they we're
brought In the whole battalion
formed three sides Of q hollow square
about the camp on the hilltop
Below, in the bay, were the warshipa
q anchor. Inland from the hill camp
b . deep ravine and beyond this are
high hills The adjacent country Is
heavy with q thicket growth. The
sky was blanketed with clouds and
when the sun set gale was blowing
sesward. Night fell thick and impen.
strable. The Spanish squads concealed
IN the chapparel cover had the advan.
tage, the men furnishing fine target
against the sky. The Spaniards fought
from cover Till midnight, discoverable
only by flashes at which the marines
ared volleyS The reporters sounded
like frecrackers in barrel.
The Marblehead launch, with colt
machine gun In her bow, pushed up
the bay, enfllading the Spaniards, and
II Is thought that some we're killed
The marines trailed much blood TO the
waters edge and there lost It. The
ships threw their searchlights ashore,
the powerful eyes sweeping the deep
tropic foliage and disclosing occasion.
ally skulking parties Of Spaniards. II
oil represented . Transformation scene
- the harbor.
Each discovery Of the enemy was
greeted by the cracks Of carbine fire
along the edge Of the camp ridge or
By the long roll Of the launch's ma.
chine gun, searching the thickets with
lesden stream. .f...
Shortly after midnight came the
1sin attack. The Spaniards made o
gallant charge up the southwest slope,
bat were met by repeated volleys from
The main body, and broke before they
we're one.third way up the hill; but
they came 40 close that at points,
there was almost a hand.to-hand
struggle. The officers used their re-
volvers Three Spaniards got through
the open formation TO the edge .of the
ramp. Col. Jose Campina, the Cuban
guide, discharged his revolver, and
they, turning and finding themselves
without support, ran helter-skelter
down the reverse side OF the hill.
Lieut. Col. Huntington and Maj
Cockrell gave high praise to the nerve
end stesdiness Of officers and men,
especially the young ones, as the en-.
gagement was baptism Of fire for q
large majority. The men were in
darkness and In strange land, but
they stood to their posts with courage
and fortitude and there was no symp.
tom Of panic. The marines, though
much exhausted, were eager for more
Sighting, promising to inaict heavy
punishment They complimented the
daring Of the Spaniards with charac.
teristic camp profanity.
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