The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-06-14
FIGHT At GUANTANAMO.
-Four Americana Killed and an Advance
Picket Has Not Yet Been Ac.
counted For.

1IcH0I mas NOT 1eC fSoeO ACs
counted For.
OFF GUANTANAMO, June 12, via Mole
st. Nicholas, June l4.-Lieutenant
Colonel Huntington's battalion of
marines, which landed from the trans.
port Panther on Friday and encamped
on the hill guarding the abandoned
cable station at the entrance to the
outer harbor of Guantanamo, has been
engaged in heading off a rush attack
by Spanish guerrillas and regulars since
5 o'clock Saturday afternoon. The
fighting was almost contin uous for l3
hours until 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.
geon John Blair Gibbs, son of Major
Gibbs Of the regular army, who fell in
the Custer massacre. His home was at
Richmond, Va, but he has been prac.
ticing in New York and he entered
the service since the war began. He
was very popular officer. The others
killed are Sergeant Charles Smith Of
Smallwood, Private William Dunphy
Of Gloucester, Mass, and Private James
McColgan Of Stoneham, 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 indica te fatalities but their com.
| rades carried off the killed and
| wounded.
| The engagement began with desul.
tory firing at the pickets, 1000 yards
inland from the camp. Captain
Spicers company was doing guard
duty and was driven in, finally rally.
ing on the camp and repulslng the
enemy at o'clock. The bodies OF
Privates McColsan and Dunphy were
found, both shot in the head. The
large cavities caused ty the bullets,
which inside range OF 500 yards have
a rotary motion. indicate that the VIC
TINS were killed at close range. The
bodies We're stripped OF Shoes, hats and
cartridge belt and
Horribly Nutilated With Machetss.
Shortly alter midnight came the main
attack. tn Spauiards made gallan
charge up me southwest slope, bG
were met by repeated vo.leys from tn
main body and broke before they wer,
one-th:rd 0f the way up 20 the hilltop
but they came so close that at point
there was almost a hand to hanC
struggle. 1t was during this assault
that Assistant Surgeon Gibbs wa
killed. The attacks were continued q
intervals throughout the rest of tn
night, with firing from small squads il
various directions. Towards mornin:
the fire slackened. Dawn is the favor
, ite time for attack, and, as the Eas
, paled, the marines, lying on thel
guns, were aroused. But no attack
came. Three new 2-pound field guns
which could not be used during tn
night for fear Of hitting our own men
shelled Several squads of Spainards
after daylight. The marines, though
l much exhausted, We're eager Tor NOR
fighting, promising to lnfilct heav
r punishment They complimented tn
, daring Of the Spaniards with chara'
teristic camp profanity.
t Today the amplest precautions haS
Q been taken. AS the Dauntless was lea'
I. ing reinforcements were landing trol
5 the Marblehead. A stormy time We
J expected.
=. Estimates vary as to the attackin
}. force, some say 200 and the figures ru
as high as 1000. Colonel Campln
}. the Cuban guide, said the Spaniar(
< were mostly irregulars, but the repor
!. of the discharge of Mauser rifles Won
g indicate that they were regulars,
i most Of the guerrlllas carry Remin
7. tons.