The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-06-24
FIGHTING BUSH,
Battles ii Cuba q Bad y ii
Apache Region,
NO CIVILIZED WARFARE
5Disxusted with Plantain Leaves the
spAniards Glide Thronxh the
Woods In Safety.

l. oQ2ax0xA0 V4A00 INC
Woods In Safety. ..../
F On Board the Associated Press Dis
patch Boat Dauntless, Guantanamo Bay,
Tuesday, June IA, Noon (via Kingston,
jamaica, Wednesday, June ID, 8 q. m.,--
However unpleasant the experience or
unjustified BY precedent, the landing Of
small detachment Of marines, mostly
raw men, in the enemy's country, has
taught some lessons to the officers and
men here's and, possibly also, to the au-
thOritiesS ats Washington. .ss@ ).
II has shown the Spaniards to be dar-
Ing bush fighters, and it has proved that
every American camp must be compact
~ built and as well protected to resist
night attacks as though in the Apache
country. 1t has developed several small
defects in the navy guns under service
conditions and it has shown that, given
nervous troops can waste 10000 rounds
Of ammunition. killing shadows, In
single night and not think even that they
have done much shooting. -s.. ~
~ Disguise In the Bush. II ~
Though the sixteen Spaniards found by
Lieut.. Neville's men wore regular uni
forms, most of those seen in the daylight
attacks wore scarcely anything except
big plantain leaves bound around their
an effective disguise in the bush. Others,
stripped to a pair of dirt-colored trousers,
tied branches around their waists, reach
ing shoulder high and, moving very eau
tiously, they could even cross open
ground without being detected, though
Another trick was to make a moving
screen of two or three big palm leaves,
which it is almost impossible to detect
where stunted palm everywhere rises out
Of the chapparal.
The Cuban auxiliaries were most USE
full in pointing out these tricks. There
are sixty of these men now in camp,
are hawk-eyed w0odsmen breaking even
with the Spaniards in every device of
bushcraft. The American marines, at
first, were inclined to discount this. But
this morning they spoke enthusiastically
of the auxiliaries for their daring. At
night. in skirmish time, the marines say,
the Cuban sauxiliaries go through the
brush like rabbits. Their chief fault,
however, is their reckless handling Of the
new magazine rifles.
Reporters Help Soldiers. -~.
New York, June 16.-H. j. Whigham
cables to the World from Fort McCalla,
Guantanamo bay, via Mole st. Nicholas,
that there are four newspaper men at
Guantanamo, Howard Billman of Chica-
go, Stephen Crane and Ralph A. Paine
being included. He adds:
I'VE found the marine SO weary that
we all turned in to help carry supplies to
which was not any too safe. We also
helped to get two 3-inch field guns to the
top of the hill. Since then we have taken
part in the lighting, working mainly at
the large guns. We find good appetites
in this field service, ana as the dispatch
boats do not leave for the cable station
any too often we find plenty Of time to
make our reports of the news.
Il find that the Spaniards are Door
marksmen on land as well as, on sea.
Their aim is almost Invariably too high,
1t is no wonder they have not killed more
OF the marines. They have fired at them
from the brush over and over again at q
distance Of 900 or 400 yeards, without
Il saw the mutilated bodies Of our dead
scouts. 1t was barbarous work. One
would not believe that the soldiers of
civilized nation could be guilty of such
atrocities unless the proof was ut hand.
Hard Time for the Marines.
when the history of this war is writ.
ten it will be universally conceded that
this little band of American marines has
performed a difficult and hazardous task.
when the flag was first hoisted it was
hred t on By the spaniards, who kept up
party replying with spirit. The marines
got tired an nervous, but held doggedly
to the hill. The waste of ammunition
has been large. Lieut.. Neville's men kept
up fight Throughout the night on the
12th; The Spaniards were all around
of them coming within thirty yards at
"Sixty-fve Gubans were brought over
from Santiago to do scout duty. They
were ordered to burn the woods. but did
not succeed in doing so, as the green
underwood is still thick.
marines would be annihilated. rho
Spaniards were strong enough to take
the position and massacre the whole body
OF marines, but they were too cowardlv
to make the attempt. They have been
content to lie in ambush and try to pick
on our men; The chief danger Of disaster
who are too eager to fight. They 60 Oft
IN small scouting parties, which are fire.
quently surrounded in the woods by the
murderous Spaniards.
Bodies Not Mutilated.
Stephen Crane telegraphs to the Evon.
ing World from Guantanamo Bay. June
Il, positive denial of the statements that
the bodies of marines killed in the fightine
on !. Saturday were mutilated after the men
fell. The appearance of mutilation. it is
asserted, was caused by Mauser bullets.
hred at close range, the Spaniards having
ambushed the marines, one of whom was
pierced by eight bullets. Surgeon Edgar
is quoted as authority for the confrad;c.
ton OF the story of mutilation
Cable Steamer in Danger.
Capt Haytien, Hayti, June 16:-1o.15
a. m.-The steamer chartered to renair The
cable connecting this place, Guantanamo
bay and Santiago de Cuba, was ready to
depart yesterday afternoon, but with
characteristic Haytien negligence her COM
mander failed to procure the special clear
ance papers which he should have OBJ
tanned at Port au Prince Hence there is
a serious delay in her sailing. It is ex-
noon today and arrive at Mole St. Nicho-
las early tomorrow. .,e... 49,.
The Spanish consul here is taking great
interest in the mission of the cable steam
er and it would probably be a wise step
for the United States government to fur
nish naval escort for the steamer from
the Mole st. Nicholas to Guantanamo bay.
. r. Take Away Refugees. *z%
Kingston, Jamaica, June 15.-4 p. M
delayed in transmission.) lit is under
stood that the British warship Talbot,
which brought .thirty-four refugees from
Havana five days ago, sailed from Port
Royal yesterday for Havana, to bring
away the British consul there and any
British subjects who are DESTROYS Of leaY-
ing the Cuban capital. =. .sy.55@ss;
NO NEW PREMIER.