The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-05-17
THE. MORRILL,s BATTLE.
a Patriotic Wilmington Boys Account
Of the Fight and Narrow Escape She
Had From the Spanish Batteries.
Several of Our Boys Under Fire.


Mr.. Charles d. Gilbert has received two
welcome letters from his brother, Mr..
Willie j. Gilbert, who is a fireman on the
auxiliary cruiser Lot NJ. Morrill,, now of
the United States blockade fleet at Hava-
ma. In the first letter dated, off Ha-
vana, Thursday. May 7th,' he says:
I'VE arrived off the coast of Havana,
Cuba, Thursday morning at daybreak.
We cruised all day long right under the
Havana forts and Thursday evening the
gunboat Annapolis and Morrill, captured
a French passenger steamer within
range of MORO Castles guns. The gun
poat wilmington carried her to Key West
a snort while afterwards. Friday even
Ing al 5:35 O'Clock the Havana forts and
batteries opened fire on the Winthrop
and Morrill,. 1t lasted about fifteen min
utes. When they opened fire on us we
were so close to the city We could see
the Names wreck, and soldiers drilling
in bodies of two and three thousand lots
Today, Saturday morning, at $40 o'clock
the gunboat Vicksburg and Morrill, sight
ed a small sailing vessel going into Ha-
Vana, and put out to capture her. We
got in gun range of her in a few minutes
and the Vicksburg fired three shots at
her, ordering her to heave-to, but she
didn't seem to pay any attention. So then
we took the lead and were about to fire
on her with the intention of sinking her,
when the forts and batteries opened fire
on US. The cannon balls filled the air
for twenty minutes. You could hear the
large cannon balls singing in the air and
bursting all over and around the ship.
The balls sounded like whirl winds COM
ing. Some of the explosive shells were
filled with small stones. We picked up
some OF them off the deck, after the bat
tie was over; One solid shot that must
have weighed 500 pounds passed between
our pilot house and foremost. The Vicks-
burg fired the first shot and we fired the
last one. The battle lasted about twenty
minutes. Luckily we never lost a single
man, nor did any of their shells pierce
our vessel. / don't know what effect our
shells took on the forts and batteries.
Could not see anything for the smoke.
! don't know whether the %gunboat Vicks-
bug was struck or not, as we have not
been alongside of her yet. I write this
half an hour after the skirmish. We
never succeeded in capturing the fishing
smack, as she was right under the forts
when we sighted her. 1t is a wonder to
me our vessel wasn't SUM 1t was a
Gods blessing.
Things look gloomy for the Spanish in
Cuba. We can see big fires burning all
along the island at night. We suppose it
is the insurgents burning cane fields.
Cuba is a very mountainous country. 1t
is so hot here that butter that comes on
the table looks as it were heated on the
stove. We are drinking salt water con-
densed at the present, as the rainy sea-
son hasn't set in yet. We have to wash
our faces and clothes in salt water. We
cruise up and down the island all day and
night long,
Writing from Key West, where the
Morrill, towed their prize she captured
on the first day she Joined the blockade.
he wroteS of the escape the Morrill, had
from following the decoy vessel under the
guns of the Spanish batteries:
Not knowing the exact location of the
batteries: we got within $50 yards of
them. Then they opened fire on US and
we turned fbroadside and returned shot
for shot. The battle lasted about twen-
ty minutes. The Vicksburg was the first
one to fire On our side and we closed the
battle by firing the last shot from one
of our 4-inch guns, just as the bugler
sounded sease firing. Both vessels were
slightly damaged. L don't see how we
managed come out safe, as the air
was filled With flying missiles, the shells
passed over the hurricane deck like
whirlwindS going by, some bursting all
over and grounds the ship like claps of
hunde Some fell a few yards off and
Others threw the water hfteen feet in the
air"
Young Gilbert, who is a son of Mr.. c.
II. Gilbert, of his city, is but Is years
of age. His brother here being anxious
to get him out of danger. wrote and re-
quested him to come nome, saying he
could secure his discharge from the Nor
riH. He shows splendid grit and COM
mendable patriotism in closing his let
ter as follows:
"Charne, in regard to your request, !
will have to decline and I must say that
| will stick to the shin as long as the
Stars and Stripes hang over my head,
and there is a foot of her out of the
water. While I realize that war is horri-
bile and means nothing but death and de-
struction, / can safely say that l am
willing to forfeit my life as my fore
fathers did for the national honor of my
country. You stop and think a moment
and you will see that national honor is
something that money cannot buy. Trace
the worlds history back. Some poor
soul has got to go to the front and many
have got to fall. In the front I am and
in the front | will stay until death.
Address all letters to Key West in care
of the ship, and j will get them if we
ever get there alive.
"P. S.-C1ose inspection shows that both
vessels were struck. No serious damage
done to either"
Policeman n. r.. Kuhl also received a
letter from his son, Mr.. H. r. kuhl, Jr.,
who is also on the Morrill,. There are
several other Wilmington boys with
them, as mentioned m The Messenger a
few days ago.