The times., 1898-06-05

Col. Carleton carry the letter 10 him in
person, and the English officer took it
away. He took il back the next day
and delivered it, but without obtaining
any answer In the meantime lot of
mortars We're brought on from The
mortar boats and planted along the
Havana bridge with additional how
itzers. The work OF the Englishmen
was greatly interfered with by the
heavy rains until June 19. The seamen
and soldiers worked so hard bringing
ashore munitions and supplies that the
deaths from fatigue averaged more
than two a day. This is hardly sur
prising, in view of the fact that the
Englishmen were unaccustomed TO
such heat as they encountered. For
five days theAe was no rain at all. and
the army began to suffer from thirst
Water had to be brought ashore from
the fleet, and the sailors found the
work very wearisome and difficult
On June % the first Of the mortar
batteries opened fire on Moro Castle
with great success" The Spanish
ships in the harbor attempted to in
terfere with the batteries, but were
driven back TO their original anchor
age by the howitzers. The work of
preparation went on steadily until June
%. On June 27 the admiral issued his
| orders for the water attack on the
MORO. The Cambridge Of so guns, the
Dragon of "A guns, and the Marlbor-
ough Of "a guns were selected to do
the heaviest part of the work. The
Stirling Castle of 20 guns was ordered
to maneuver and cover the anchoring
of the bigger ships. On June 29 the
enemy sent storming party of 600
men in small boats from the city to
surprise and destroy the Cabanas bat
teries. But the pickets and men de-
| tailed as workmen drove them off with
out assistance. The Spanish lost 22O
killed. wounded and prisoners. The
English were surprised to find that
most of them were mulsttoes and ne
groes, with sprinkling of Spanish SOL
| diers.
The actual bombardment of MORO
! Castle began on July 1. The English
| had the satisfaction of seeing many
| of the Spanish cannon knocked out of
| their ports and silenced. But they also
| learned. along toward the close of the
| two hours bombardment, what the
| United States forces recently learned
| at Cardenas-that Spanish marksman-
| ship improves during an action. The
| English vessels We're forced during the
| afternoon to leave their position and
retire. They were badly cut up by the
| Spanish fire, and 157 men were killed.
| The bombardment, however, went on
| until July 4, whereat the man who
! kept the journal made this comment:
! The Moro was now found to be tuf-
| fer work and the Spaniards more res
| oIute than we had at first imagined
| Our people grew fatigued by the heat
| and hard labor and the want of pure
| water near them was a sensible dis
| tress Likewise the disappointment OF
| the Moro's not being reduced so speed
| lily as they We're at first made to hope
| helped to distress the spirits of the
| weak and those or low minds; but we
| found every want relieved and am
| ply provided for by the forethought OF
| the admiral, between whom and the
| land forces there was a great and
surprising harmony such as have sell
| dom witnessed between these branches
| of the service The 1000 men expected
| from America were much wished for
| and much wanted"
f, The siege pounded along for nearly
| three weeks, and batteries of both the
| English and the Spanish were knocked
| to pieces and built up again without
any particular change in the general
situation. The English land forces fire.
| Quently ran out of ammunition, and
had to be supplied from the ships. Or
| July % the Spanish sent 1900 men in
| small boats from the city at night
| At daybreak they attacked the Eng
lish batteries. After about 400 of then
had been killed they began to howl for
quarter, which was in those days q
distinct confession. 1t was granted by
the English, who went forward to sur
round their prisoners. and We're receiv.