The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1898-06-18
AMERICAN BLOOD SHE'D
FORCE OF SPANiARDs ATTACK MA
RiNES At GUANTANAMO.

Four Of Our Men Killed and thu Ad.
vance Pockets Unaccountetl For--Fi.ht-
ing Was Dcsultory-Began at Five In
the Afternoon md Continued Through
out tho N,sht-spaniards Removed
Dead and woun led ind Tho Lo.s L.
Unknown.
OFF GUANTANAMO, June IL, via Mole
ST. Nicholas, June l3.-Lieutenant
Colonel Huntington's battalion Of
marines, which landed from tho trans.
port Panther on Friday and encamped
OH the hill guarding the abandoned
cable station at the entrance to the
outer harbor of Guantanamo, has been
engaged in heading of rush attack
by Spanish guerrillas and regulars since
5 o'clock Saturday afternoon. The
fighting was almost continuous for IS
hours until 6 o'clock in the morning,
when reinforcements were landed from
the Marblehead. Four OF our men
were killed and one wounded. The
advance pickets under Lieutenants
Neville and Shaw
Are Unaccounted For.
Among the killed is Assistant Sur.
gcon John Blair Gibbs. son Of Major
Gibbs of the regular army, who foil in
the Custer massacre. His home was at
Richmond, Va, but he has been prac.
tic;ng in New York and ho entered
the service since the war began. He
was very popular officer. The othors
killed are Sergeant Charles Smith Of
Smallwood, Private William Dunphy
of Gloucester, Mass, and Private James
McColgan of Stonehan, Mass Corporal
Glass was accidentally wounded in the
head. The Spanish loss is unknown
but it
Was probably Considerable.
The splashes of blood found at day.
light at the positions the Spaniards oc.
cupied indicate fatalities but their com.
rades carried off tho killed and
wounded.
The engagement began with desul.
tory firing at the pickets, 1000 yards
inland from the camp. Captain
Spicer's company was doing guard
duty and was driven in, finally rally.
ing OH the camp and repulsing tho
enemy at o'clock. The bodies Of
Privates McColgan and Dunphy were
found, both shot in the head. The
large cavities caused by the bullets,
which inside range of 500 yards have
rotary motion, indicate that the vic.
Tins were killed at close range. The
bodies were stripped of shoes, hats and
cartridge belt and
Horribly Mutilated with Machetss.
Shortly after midnight came the main
attack. The Spaniards made q gallant
charge up the southwest slope, but
were met by repeated volleys from the
main body and broke before they were
one-third of the way up to the hilltop,
but they came so close that at points
there was almost hand to hand
struggle. It was during this assault
that Assistant Surgeon Gibbs was
killed. The attacks were continued at
intervals throughout the rest of the
night, with firing from small squads in
various directions. Towards morning
the fire slackened. Dawn is the favor
ite time for attack, aud, as the East
paled, the marines. lying Oh their
guns, were aroused. But no attacks
came. Three new 2-pound field guns,
which could not be used during the
night for fear of hitting our own men,
Shelled Several Squads Of spatnards .
after daylight. The marines, though
much exhausted. were eager for more
fighting, promising to inflict heavy
punishment. They complimented the
daring OF the Spaniards with charac-
teristic camp profanity.
Today the amplest precautions have
been taken. AS the Dauntless was leav.
ing reinforcements were landing from
the Marblehead. A stormy time was
| expected.
Estimates vary as to the attacking
force, some say 200 and the figures run
as high as 1000. Colonel Campina.
the Cuban guide, said the Spaniards
were mostly irregulars, but the reports
of the discharge Of Mauser rifles would
indicate that they were regulars, as
most Of the guerrillas carry Reming.
| tons.
| IT'S A START THIS TIME