Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-08-04
OLD GLORY RAISED.
Miles Lands in Porto Rico and the
Spanish Flag Is Hauled Down.
A Small Engagement at GuanIca and -Four
spaniards Killed but No Americans
Hurt--Gen. Miles Sends Dla-
patch About the Situation.


patch About the Situation.
Port of Guanica, Porto Rico, July %,
via ST. Thomas ID. w. l., July 20. The
United States military expedition un.
der the command of Maj Gen. Nelson
A. Miles, which left Guantanamo
bay during the evening of Thursday
last, was landed here successfully to-
day, after skirmish with a detacn-
ment of the Spanish troops and u crew
of 80 belonging to the launch of the
United States gunboat Glouces-
ter. Four Spaniards were killed and
no Americans hurt The troops were
pushed forward promptly in order to
capture the railroad leading to Ponce
which is only about ten miles east of
this place From Ponce there is an ex-
cellent military road running 80 miles
north to San Juan. The whole of
Gen. Brooke's force, with the New Or
leans, Annapolis, Cincinnati, Leyden
and Wasp, are expected here within "a
hours
The voyage from Guantanamo bay
to this port was uneventful At noon
Sunday Gen. Miles called for con.
sultation, announcing that he was de.
termined not to go by San Juan cape,
but by the Mona passage instead, land
here, surprise the Spaniards and de.
ceive their military authorities. The
course was then changed and the
Dixie was sent to warn Gen. Brooke
at Cape Juan. Ponce, which is stu
ated 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 dis
lance from where the troops would
have been able to land If that point
had been selected for the debarkation
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 to-day.
Monday morning the Gloucester, in
charge of Lieutenant Commander
Wainwright steamed into Guanica
harbor in order to reconnoiter the
place With the feet waiting outside,
the gallant little fighting yacht braved
the mines which were supposed
to be in the harbor, and found that
there was five fathoms of water close
in shore. The Spaniards were taken
by surprise. Almost the first they
knew of the approach of the army Of
invasion was in the announcement
contained in the firing of gun from
the Gloucester demanding that the
Spaniards haul down their flag, which
was floating from flagstaff in front
of blockhouse standing to the east
of the village. The Gloucester then
hove to within about 500 yards of the
shore and lowered a launch having
on board Colt rapid fire gun and 80
men under the command of Lieut..
Huse. These were sent ashore with
out encountering opposition. Quar-.
termaster Beck thereupon told Yeo-
man Lacy to haul down the Spanish
flag, which was done, and they then
raised upon the flagstaff the first
United States flag to float over Porto
Rican soil.
Suddenly about 80 Spaniards opened
fire with Mauser rifles on the Ameri-
can party Lieut.. Huse and his men
responded with great gallantry, the
Colt gun doing effective work. Nor
men, who received Cervera's surrender,
and Wood, a volunteer lieutenant,
shared the honors with Huse. AL
most Immediately after the Spauiards
fired upon the Americans the Glouces-
ter opened fire upon the enemy, she'll.
ing the town and also dropping shells
into the hills to the west of Guanica,
where a number of Spanish cavalry
was to be seen Fastening toward the
spot where the Americans had landed. |
Lieut.. Huse then threw up a little
fort, which he named Fort Vain
wright.
GEN. MILES SENDS A DISPATCH.
washington, july |I'-Ihe following |
dispatch was received yesterday from
Gen. Miles:
St Thomas, July 49, - Secretary of War,
Washington: Circumstances were such that |
deemed 1t advisable to take the harbor OF |
Guanica first, Is miles west OF Ponce, which |
was successfully accomplished between day
light and II o'clock Spanlards surprised The |
Commander Wainwright, first en-
tered the harbor; met with slight resistance,
ired few shots, All the transports are now
In the harbor and infantry and artillery rap
IDLY going ashore. This is a well protected |
larbor The water is sufficiently deep for all |
transports and heavy vessels to anchor within
700 yards Of shore The Spanish flag was low
cred and the American flag raised at II o'clock
,o-day Capt Higginson, with his fleet, has
'endered able and earnest assistance. The
roops in good health and best of spirits No
Major General Command
ng Army.