The Portland daily press., 1898-06-27

the hardships and dangers of a guerilla
campaign, with the steady nerves and
patient endurance of veterans. ola dozen
wars. When the story of the war with
Spain shall have been told there will be
no part of it more creditable to Ameri-
cans and American armies than that
which shall deal with the events of the
week since the Panther disembarked her
troops in Guantanamo harbor. One
American officer and five privates have
been killed, bnt st least 100 Spanish
deaths settle that score. ;'
The Panther steamed up to the blookad-
ing fleet off Santiago at 10 o'clock Friday
morning, June 10. and 80 minutes later
had put about under orders from Admit
raj Sampson to proceed to Guantanamo
and land the troops The harbor lies
80 miles east of Santiago de Cuba, and is
one of the best on the Southern coast of
the island. The town and fort from which
the bay takes it's name lie about five miles
back from the coast, a winding channel
leading from the main inlet. 70 the left
of the entrance is a strip of low
swampy land, while at the right rises
a range of steep rocky hills extending
from the shore line inland for mile
and then .sioping of into the lowlands
on which the city stands. On these bluffs
half mile from the sea line the Span
iards had thrown up earthworks and
dug rough rifle pits commanding the
entrance, and the day preceding the
Panther's arrival the Marblehead had
been sent to shell this spot Capt. Nc.
Gala found his task an easy one. Scarce
ly half dozen Spanish volleys were fired
at the Marblehead. and two dozen shells
drove the enemy, officers and men, panic
stricken, to the mountains beyond. When
the troopship arrived she found nothing
to prevent the immediate disembarking,
and before nightfall the marines had
taken possession of the bill and were gay
~ making camp, delighted to escape
from the tedium of life aboard the trans
port
The cowardly retreat of the enemy I'M
der the Marblehead's guns had led the
American officers to believe that there
was little possibility of an attack, and
but slight preparations were made to
repel one. just before sunset the troops
We're thrown into line and for the first
time the American flag was run up a
Spanish Flagstaff, and the vanguard of
the army of invasion saluted the
STARS AND STRIPES ON CUBAN
SOIL.
The sun-blistered, barren hill top took
on an appearance more pleasing to Anne
rican eyes as the white walled tents
sprang up around the flagstaff and the
uniforms of the American soldiers grew
numerous among the faded vegetation
and jutting rocks. On the narrow beach
at the base of the hill lay a struggling
little village of thatched 1ishermen's huts.
with store or two and a brightly paint
ed cable office. The Inhabitants had fled
the day before and without instructions
from the fleet, Col. Huntington ordered
the miserable little place burned. A de-
lighted marine thrust q brand from a
camp fire into thatch of the nearest
howell and in a moment the sea breeze had
swept the flames down the narrow street.
leaving among the timbers which burned
like match wood. A cheer burst from
the men in the camp above and was
echoed from the little feet lying a half
mile off shore. Through the evening the
men froliced and sang, but by ten o'clock
the camp was quiet. save from the tramp
and voices of the sentries.
About midnight the crack of single
rife from the bush to the east Of the
camp gave the first warning of the pres
ence of tho enemy. The quick challenge
of a sentry was answered by scattering
volley from the brush, and in moment
the hill was alive with startled, half
awake marines, cropping for guns, and
acting mechanically under the sbaTn
commands Of their officers. Within two
minutes 100 American rifles had sent their
bullets in the direction of the enemy and
five minutes later hail of lead was
hamnoring through the ohapparal, every
man of the 800 at his post. The guerrillas
scattered IN an directions, but throughout
the night their bullets Whjrled over the
camp at intervals each yolley drawing
the fire of huntington's men. AS the
night wore on without o. determined AT.
tack the men began to view the affair as
huge joke and much difficulty was ex-
perienced by the officers in keeping their
commands under shelter. Throughout