The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-05-26

About 1000 pounds Of ammunition had
been taken to the shore, and Capt.
Dorst was about to land, when about
200 Spanish cavalrymen were seen ap-
preaching down the side Of a ravine
leading to the beach The eighty in
eurgents prepared at once 10 engage
them withdrawing to the bushes for
their peculiar warfare. The cavalry.
men rode down between the Leyden
land the insurgents and soon began fir
ing on both. No one was hurt aboard
the government tug, but her smoke
stack was pierced repeatedly The
insurgents poured a well.direeted fire
into the cavalrymen and emptied many
saddles The Leyden being without
guns could not reply to the fire. She
put to sea and went to the east until
she reached Matanzas, and it is said
landed the scouts Prado and Diaz there.
This is not entirely substantiated, for IL
they were landed there It is known
harm might befall the men when the
attempt is made to take them off with
the information they secure, IL it be-
came known to the Spauiards that they
were there However, it is certain
that early Tuesday the Leyden sighted
the flagship New York, and Capt Dorst
had a conference with Admiral samp-
son. He requested a convoy for the
Leyden, and Wednesday morning the
Wilmington was sighted by the New
York and assigned to that duty Wed
nesday morning the Leyden, conveyed
by the Wilmington, reached the place
agreed upon for the meeting with Col,
Delgardo Soon after their arrival the
Colonel putin an appearance with his
band Of eighty men, and Capt Dorst
went ashore to confer with him. The
appearance Of the eighty men who
lined up in columns Of fours IN honor Of
Capt Dorst was pitiable to the United
States officer in its attempt at military
show The men were burned brown
there was no semblance Of uniforms
Col. Delgardo, though magnificent
specimen Of physical man, wore moth
ing to distinguish him from the others
or indicate his rank. He wore a mill
tary mustache and small goatee, His
black hair is streaked with gray and
his form is tall and straight On his
head was q broad brimmed hat, made
roughly from native rushes. He was
deeply grateful for the ammunition
and supplies brought on the Leyden
Nearest to Capt. Dorst in thefront rank
of the insurgents was a Cuban boy
about Ia years Of age. His sole gar
menJ was tatterod Colored shirt
bound around the waist with piece
Of rope. On his head was a palmetto
hat. His only weapon was a dangerous
looking machete, and when he saw the
United States officer looking at him be
brought his bare legs together and stood
at attention Few Of the insurgents
were clothed better than he. While
Col Delgard0 and Capt Dorst were
comforting word came from the viii
mington to Col Delgardo that the look
out in the Wilmington's forward fight
ing top had seen about 500 Spanish
cavalrymen approaching from a block
house which stood up on a bluff about
two miles inland. Col Delgargo ex-
pressed no surprise, saying that he had
learned that they would visit the
beach and 200 Of his men were in
ambush awaiting them. The men
aboard the Wilmington witnessed the
battle. The insurgents fought desper-
ately from behind every bush on tree
and forced the Spaniards back into a
narrow rayine beside a shallow stream.
at this iuncture the Wilmington took a
hand in the matter The distance to
the Spanish cavalry was about 2t00
yards, and with one o. her finch guns
she started to iind the range. 1t took
her but three shots The first one
struck the water The second struck
on the beach, 100 yards from the water
The third 4-inch shell exploded right in
the middle Of the band Of Spanish cav
alrymen and must have wrought CON
siderable carnage The remaining
spaniards galloped off toward the
blockhouse and stockade. Shortly af,
torward the Leyden and her convoy
left the place, and Capt Dorst reached
Key West Thursday morning with his
task completed. Thursday evening
be left for Washington, via Tampa
JEWELL FL AuBERE.