The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-03
u THE PLAN B1 WrIo1 ErdLA cA7TuRED CUBA IN 1872 X
Like Tactics Might Be Successfully Employed by the
United States Commander.

proper measures for their defense. They
made strong boom across the mouth OF
the harbor, and almost the only use they
made of their shipping in the defense OF
the place was to sink three of them be-
hind this BOOM"
June was the day selected for the first
move, and when all things were in readi-
ness for the landing OF the troops, the
fleet bore away to the westward TO draw
the enemys attention by feinting as II 70
land on the west side. Part of the squad
ron soon swung around. however, and.
coming about for the east side. where-
after silencing a small fort with Few
shots, large body of troops was landed
without the least disorder These troops
were at once divided into two corps one
of which advanced considerable distance
i2to the country and toward the southeast
of the harbor. while the other moved i'm
mediately in the direction of Fort Moro
sending a detachment TO the west OF the
town TO cut off ali communication between
the city and the outlying country and TO
divide the enemy's attention.
Once in position. batteries were al once
raised against the fort. and along the hull
upon which this fort stands. in order TO
drive the enemy's feet deeper into the
harbor. where the British ships might en-
gage them. to detract the attention of the
fort from the land forces. The artillery
for these Notifications was dragged for a
long way over the rough beach under the
heat of a tropical sun. and many of the
soldiers dropped dead from sunstroke and
exhaustion. Lord Albemarle reported.
They suffered greatly from the lack of
! water as there were no springs near. and
the precious fluid had to be brought for
a long way through the woods. and the
ships supply drawn upon as we'll. Tia
| ground upon which they worked was
treacherous. and often consisted of thin
crust. through which they would fall
without a moments warning. All these,
and many other things. beset the troops
from the first; but the resoiuteness which
they displayed showed them to be men of
no ordinary. calibre. One thing in their
favor was that many of them had fought
in India, and their services in that coun-
try acclimated them in a way to the fierce
! heat. although the fever ravaged them to
no small extent.
The guns once in position. a steady fire
/ was kept up upon the fort and town. but
no general attack was made until July l.
when the combined land and sea forces
/ turned their attention to the fort. The
| three largest ships, the Dragon, the Cam
bridge and the Marlborough. moved
against the fort and turned broadsde af-
ter broadside against the fortitication. but
with little effect however as the height
OF the fort above the ships gave it great
advantage. and in order to save the ships
from being wholly destroyed II was neces-
sary for them to withdraw. This brief en-
gagement cost the sea forces about $50
men killed and wounded and Captain
Goostrey of the Marlborough.
But while this attempt did but small
damage to the side of the fort which the
ships attacked. it was nevertheless of
considerable aid, as IL diverted the atten-
ton of the enemy to that side of the Brit
/
storm of shot, which eventually silenced
the guns of the enemy on the west side.
But the withdrawal OF tho ships gave the
Spaniards chance to repair the dana &c
and they then turned their guns on the
British batteries with renewed vigor. and
for some days a constant and unre-
hitting fire was kept up on both
sides.
In the midst of this. and while the siege
was progressing so favorably the main
battery took fire July g. and. being of
wood, dried by the intense heat and con-
tinued cannonading. the flames gained
rapid Roadway and soon destroyed the
battery. which had taken 600 men II days
TO build About the same time sickness
broke out among the troops with incraas-
ed vigor. and within few days 1t and
the unwholesome country and rigorous
service, had reduced the army nearly one
half. At one time nearly 5000 men were
sick with "a distemper of the marshes
as Lord Albemarle puts it. and the lack
of waited and good provisions made their
recovery slow. The other batteries kept
up a constant fire and the Spanish were
in that way kept in ignorance of the coli
dition of the British forces, which at that
time could probably have been easily de-
feated. The feet was also in danger as Ii
was about the hurricane season and with
ont the harbor it was evident that they
must suffer considerably, even if many
we're not wholly destroyed.
But, in the midst of all these obstacles
Lord Albemarle transfused new life into
! his men by his continued eXertions. He
suffered with the rest of them. denied
himself the luxuries which he could OBJ
tain for himself, and made his officers do