Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-06-15
PREP airing TO ATTACK
American Marines Have
Seized Guantanamo.
THE OBJECTIVE POINT IS SANTIAGO.

The Associated Press dispatches
published in the papers of Monday
morning, tell of some interesting oc-
currences at Guantanamo bay, where
the American marines have establish
ed themselves, presumably to protect
the landing of troops now on their
way to attack Santiago.
Guantanamo bay is about 40 miles
east of the entrance to Santiago har-
Dor. 1t is in the shape of dumbell.
There is comparatively narrow en-
trance. Then there is large bay,
which narrows down to strait which
leads into another bay. At the en-
trance of the inner bay lies the town
of Caimanera, and Is miles inland is
the city of Guantanamo, which around
the bay is about 60 miles from San
tiago.
The Yankee and Marblehead had
paved the way for landing by she'll
ing the fortress of Caimanera on the
previous Tuesday. The cable station
had been demolished by shells. The
marines from the Panther landed Fri
day at noon with their baggage. The
Spaniards had already fed. The
houses near the entrance to the bay
about $50 in number-were those oc-
cupied by pilots and fishermen. These
were all deserted, and under orders
from their officers the marines applied
torches to them. This was done as
safeguard against yellow feyer.
The American flag was raised above
the smouldering logs of what had been
the Caimanera fort at 2.l0 Friday af-
ternoon by Color Sergeant Richard
Silvey, Company c, First Battalion of
Marines, Brooklyn, upon which the
regiment of marines threw aside car
bines, picks, shovels and other articles
to lift their caps and join in mighty
shout.
With as little delay as possible, the
marines, under Lieutenant Colonel
Huntington, established themselves an
encampment upon nearby eminence,
to the harbor. 1t was known that
there were several thousand Spanish
soldiers posted at different points along
the inner bay; but with the warships
in the outer bay, there were no fears
of an attack.
1t developed, however, that these
calculations were not altogether cor
rect. Within easy rifle range of the
point occupied by the marines, there is
great deal of thick underbrush, and
at 8 o'clock, Saturday afternoon, the
Spaniards commenced firing from this.
The firing began on the picket lines,
a 1000 yards inland from the camp
Captain Spicer's company, which was
doing guard duty, went out to assist
the pickets; but the whole company
was driven back and did not rally un-
til the camp was reached at S 5o'clock.
Then the enemy was repulsed.
The Spaniards continued to fire from
cover until midnight, when they at
tempted charge up the southwest
slope of the hill. The marines fired
in regular volleys and the ships joined
in with their search lights and ma
chine guns. Some of the Spaniards
got pretty close to the Americans;
but the main body broke before it got
one-third of the way up the hill.
The fighting continued until day
light Sunday morning, when three
new ~. pound field pieces which could
not be used during the night on &C
count of the danger to the Americans,
were put into operation. As the
shells exploded over them, the Span
iards would dart out of sight into the
bushes.
Among the killed was Assistant
Surgeon John Blair Gibbs, of New
York. He was killed by a bullet
which struck him in the forehead while
sitting in front of his own tent, in
which was thought to be the safest
portion of the American camp. 1t was
during the charge of the Spaniards
shortly after midnight. Among the
others killed were: Sergeant Charles
H. Smith, of Smallwood Private
William Dunphy, of Gloucester, Mass,
and Private James McColgan, of
Stoneham, Mass. A private named
Glass was accidently wounded in the
head.
The Spanish loss is not known, but
the correspondent believed it to be
considerable. AS the correspondent
was leaving to send his dispatch, rein
forcements were landing from the
Marblehead, and it was expected that
still livelier times would follow in
short order.
The members of the attacking force
was estimated at all the way from 200
to 1000. The bodies of three of the
soldiers who were killed by the Span
iards were stripped of their clothing,
cartridge belts and other equipments
and were horribly mutilated with ma
chete cuts.
FIGHTING RESUMED.
In the papers of Tuesday morning,
the Associated Press correspondent
gives still further account of the sit
uation on Guantanamo bay.
Ats o'clock Sunday morning, the
Spaniards renewed the firing from
small island about mile to the north
east of the camp of the marines.