The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-08-05
TROOPS LANDED.
Wainwrights Marines Hoist
Flag at Guanica.
BPANIARDS ARE SURPRISED,
Miles Finds Good Harbor For
Unloading Troops.
FOUR SPANISH SOLDIERS KILLED.
Gnerillas Scatter Before the Gloucester's
Six-Pounders - Good Military Road
Leads From Guanica to San Juan.
Captain Higginson Renders
Efficient Aid.
BPANIARDS ARE SURPRISED,
FOUR SPANISH SOLDIERS KILLED.

captain HigSiRson Renders
Efficient Aid.
PoRT OF GUANIcA, ISLAND OF. PoRTo
RICO, July 25.-(Via st. Thomas, July
e7)-The United States military ex-
pedition under the comm and of Major
General Nelson A, Miles, commanding
the army of the United States which,
left Guantanamo bay during the even
ing Of Thursday last, July 81, was
landed here successfully today, after
skirmish between a detachment of the
Spanish troops and a crew of 30 belong
ing to the launch Of the United States
auxiliary gunboat Gloucester, formerly
Mr.. Pierpont Morgan's steam yacht
5Corsair. -Four of the Spaniards were
killed and no Americans were hurt.
The troops We're pushed forward
promptly in order to capture the rail
road leading to Ponce, which is only
about 10 miles east of this place.
From Ponce there is an excellent mil
itary road running 80 miles north to
San Juan.
The whole Of General Broolze's force.
with the New Orleans, Annapolis, Gin
cinnati, Leyden and Wasp, is expected
here within "a hours The ships left
\ sGuantanaln o2sbay silddenlyson Thurs
day evening. with the Massachusetts,
commanded by Captain T. j. Higgin-
son, leading. Captain Higginson was
IN charge of the naval expedition,
which consisted of the Columbia, Dixie
Gloucester and Yale. General Miles
was on board the last named vessel.
The troops We're on board the trans
ports Nueces, Lampasas, Comanche,
Rita, Unionist, Saltwater, City Of Ma
con and Specialist. This was the order
in which the transports entered the
harbor here.
g8 The voyage from Guantanamo bay to
this port was uneventful. At noon
yesterday General Miles called for a
consultation, announcing that he was
determined not to go by San Juan cape.
but by the Mona passage instead, land
here, surprise the Spaniards and deceive
their military authorities. The course
was then changed and the Dixie was
sent to warn General Brooke at Cape
Juan.
E Ponce, which is situated 10 or Is miles
from this port, is to the eastward, and a
harder place to take. In addition the
water at Ponce is too shallow for the
transports to be able to get close in
shore. Then, again, Ponce itself is
some little distance fromwhere the troops
would have been able to land if that
point had been selected for the debark-
alton Of the expedition. One advantage
Of this place is that it is situated close
to the railroad connection with Ponce.
which means Of transportation, our
troops hope to secure today.
sS EARLY this morning the Gloucester, in
charge Of Lieutenant Commander
Wainwrigh steamed into Guanica
.harbor in order to reconnoiter the place.
The Spaniards were completely taken
BY surprise. Almost the first they
knew OF the approach of the army Of in E
,yasion was in the announcement con
tained in the firing of a gun from the
CLIQUE ester, demanding that the Span
iards haul down their flag, which was
floating from a flagstaff III front Of a
bloc " house standing to the east of the
village The first couple of three
Founders were fred into the hills right
and q left Of the bay, purposely avoiding
the town lest the ojectiles hurt women
and children ~
The ssaoucester then hove to within
about 600 yards Of the shore and low
cred ere launch, having on board Colt
rapid fire gun and thirty men under
the command Of lieutenant Huse,
which was sent ashore without encoun-
tering opposition Quart rnaster. Beck
thereupon told Yeoman Lacey to haul
down the Spanish flag, which was done,
and they then raised on the flagstaff the
first first United States flag to float over
Porto Rican soil. a .85i
Suddenly about 30 Spaniards opened
fire with Mauser rifles on the American
party Lieutenant Huse and his men