Evening star., 1898-10-22
Their Part in the Naval Battle of
July3.
DARING DESCRIBEDRY THEIR OFFICERS
All Animated blythe Spirit That
Has Made the Corps Renowned.
TERRIBLY ACCURATE FIRE

| July 8. They contain many new and inter-
| esting details of that engagement, and bear
| eloquent testimony to the vaior and eff
cheney of the marines.
Sapt. p. ST. c. Murphy, who com manded
| the guard on the Brooklyn, says that when
| the Spanish feet came out of Santiago
| harbor the guard which was at quarters
for inspection, was Immediately dis missed
| and the men sent to their stations ,or bat
| tie. THE men were full of enthusiasm"
| he says, but there was no excitement or
| disorder, and apparently no concern for
| personal safety.
| 1.-THE battery was handled with ad nirable
! coolness and deliberation. Greater caie
could not be taken in setting sigl Is and
| aiming If the men had been at target p-ac-
| tice and each striving to make record
| score.
| considering the fact that the ene1ny was
| within effective range during the greater
part of the action the fire of the sec ondary
| battery must have been most dest >uctiye
| to his men and material and contributed
| its full share to bringing the battle to an
| end so speedily and with SO little loss 20 our
| selves.
1T is reported that Spanish officers have
| stated that SO deadly was the effect of our
| secondary battery fire it was impossible 20
| keep their men at the guns
Where all did their duty manfully It Is
difficult matter to select individuals for
special mention. There are some, however
| who deserve to be brought to your notice
ny HdIne IOr conduct lHdI ClSplayed IN
conspicuous manner courage, intelligence
and devotion to duty.
| The battle orderlies well merit a place
among those whose conduct is worthy of
special mention. They were the move
constantly bearing battle orders to all parts
| of the ship, and in no instance did they
| fail in the prompt and intelligent perform
| ance of their responsible duty. The signal
| men occupied very exposed positions during
| the action and rendered excellent service.
| Signal halyards and numbers, battle flags
| and speed cones, We're riddled by small
| prof ectileS and fragments Of bursting shell,
casualties that show In what a zone of
| danger the signal performed their
duties. Signal Men Coombs and Mcintyre
| and Battle Orderlies Rail and Davis We're
| SO near Yeoman Ellis when he was kill I'd
| that they were bespattered with blood
| The music boys, Drummer Weisenberg
| and Fifer Stewart. were stationed on the
main and gun decks, respectively, to sound
! trumpet calls, and behaved manfufy. None
| showed more unfiinching courage than the
| men in the military tops, who stood by
| their guns delivering their fire with unerr-
| ing precision, undismayed by the projectiles
flying about them and striking in their i'm
| mediate vicinity. Private Stockbridge, the
| only man on the sick list, climbed into the
main top at the signal for battle. where
| he remained to the end Of the action, doing
| good work at his gun.
! There were no casualties of serious ma
| ture. Two men weret Slightly injured one,
! Private Flynn. in the back by a splinter:
|
| cause unknown. In neither case was 1t
necessary for the man TO leave his station.
| 1T is a matter of greatest pride to the
| guard, officers and men alike, to be able to
| claim a share in the splendid work done by
| the Brooklyn the i39 instant"
| The report of Capt, Murphy was ap-
proved by Rear Admiral Schley and Capt
F: A. Cook. commanding the Brooklyn.
On the Oregon.
| Capt. R. Dickins. comma nding the guard
| on the battle ship Oregon, reported that
| that ship took most prominent part in
| the bomhardments of Santiago June and
| Ii and July / and and in the battle of
July 3, and also under fire during
| the sinking Of the Reina Mercedes. The
| Marines, he said, were stationed at the
| secondary battery and had the two l.
| Founders in the fighting top the four g.
| FOUNDERS on the bridge, and four 6-pound-
ers on the superstructure, which were
! manned by six commissioned officers
and thirty-eight privates. The remainder
| of the guard were stationed as sharp
| shooters
| From the time the Oregon left Callao,
| Peru. until after the destruction of the
Spanish fleet off Santiago de Cuba the ma
rines kept constant watch, as sharp
| shooters. forward and aft, and a lookout
| for every pair of q and 1-pounders which
they manned, the remainder of the guns
crews sleeping at their guns with ammu-
milton at hand.
Captain c. E. Clark commanding the
Oregon. in.iorsed Captain Dickins report
2S follows:
THE within report is a modest statement
! by brave and most deserving officer con-
| corning the highly merltorious part taken
| by himself and Lieutenant A. r. Davis and
| the noncommissiOned officers and privates
i of the marine guard of the Oregon during
| the days and nights of anxious waiting for
| the Spanish fleet on the Atlantic, and with
| searchllghts at the entrance of Santiago
| enemys batteries, and In the battle of the
Sd of July. Every man in the guard had
an exposed station, and the only reluct-
| ;tnce ever shown by any OF them promptly
to obey was when ordered to take shelter
behind the tutrets while the alacrity with
| which they ever sprang to their posts
| showed that they We're all animated by The
| spirit chat has given the Marine Corps its
| reputation for bravery and faithfulness
| during full century,"
On the Texas.
Lieuteran C. s. Radford who command
| ed the guard on the battle ship Texas
| speaks of their work follows:
| I'm all the bombardments the men went
| to and remained at their stations The
| Texas was in the bomba rdments of San
| itago of June 6, Ii and July 2. On June Is
| forced the mined entrance to Guantanamo
| Q4-1o pound gun cotton mine afterward
| recovered) and reduced the Notifications.
| " ltilCul dSslSldNCe SllenceO t1e SOcdpd DAT
| terry on June %. which had successfully
| withstood the combined fire of the western
| squadron on the 9th and 10th. Played
! conspicuous part in the destruction of the
| Spanish fleet on July g. engaging the In
| fanta Maria Teresa. ahesfirst to leave the
| harbor, and was presents at the successive
surrender of the remainjpg vessels, includ-
| ing the Cristobal Colon, fifty miles to the
westward of Santiago Total secondary
battery fire. 73o shots, The marines firing
| $50. n
''As all secondary battery guns were
| manned every night With two men of each
| crew, one man OF each. gan always on look
out. the service was hard but cheerfully
! performed. The regular post duty was in
no way neglected. The guard of this
sci, by direction of Captain ]. w. Philip
| u. s. NJ. was landed at Guantanamo on
June II Qaking ashore two Colt automatic
guns, and assisted inIthe defense of Camp
| McCalla on June II and 13. the men be-
having we'll under fire. The funeral escort
for the burial Of Dr. Gibbs and two pri-
| Yates remained at paradel rest and perfectly
| cool under the stray firing of the Spanish
! sharpshoCters.
The guard has done all that was re-
quired and in a cheerful and satisfactory