Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1898-06-17
FIRST LAND BATTLE IN CUBA
THIRTEEN HOURS OF FIGHTING
Four Americana Were shot Dend-
Advance Pickets Under Lieuten-
ants Neville and shaw Are In
accounted FOr-Spnnixh Loss Is
Unknown.

accounted FOr-Spnnixh Loss Is
Unknown.
On Board the Associated Press Dis
patch Boat Dauntless, Off Guantanamo,
Sunday. June II, via Mole st. Nicholas,
June l2.-Lieu,enant Colonel r. w.
Huntington's battalion of marines which
landed from the transport Panther on
Friday and encamped on the hill guard
ing the abandoned cable station at the
entrance to the harbor of Guantanamo,
has been engaged in heading off rush
attack by Spanish guerrillas and regulars
since 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon. The
fighting was almost continuous for IL
hours, until 6 o'clock this morning, when
reinforcements were landed from the Mar
blehead. Four of our men were killed
and one wounded. The advance pickets
under Lieutenants Neville and Shaw are
unaccounted for.
Among the killed is Assistant Surgeon
John Blair Gibbs, son of Mayor Gibbs Of
the regular army, who fell in the Custer
massacre. His home was at Richmond,
Va, but he has been practicing in New
York and entered the service since the
war began. He was very popular of
ficer. The others killed are Sergeant
Charles II. Smith of Smallwood, Private
William Dunphy of Gloucester, Mass,
and Private James McColgan of Stone
ham, Mass.
Corporal Glass was accidentally wound
ed in the hand.
Spanish Loss Unknown.
| The Spanish loss is unknown, but it
was probably considerable. The splashes
of blood found at daylight at the posi-
tions the Spanish forces occupied indi.
cate fatalities. but their comrades car
ried off the killed and wounded. The
engagement began with desultory firing
at the pickets, a hundred yards inland
from the camp.
Captain Spicer's company was doing
guard duty, and was driven in, finally
rallying on the camp and repulsing the
enemy by o'clock.
The bodies of Privates McColgan and
Dunphy were found, both shot in the
head. The large cavities made by the
bullets, which, inside a range of soc
yards, have a rotary motion, indicate
that the victims were killed at close
range. The bodies were stripped of shoes
hats and cartridge belts, and horribly
mutilated with machetes.
When the bodies were brought in thu
whole battalion formed three sides of &
hollow square about the camp on the hill
top. Below in the bay were the warship
at anchor. In the land front of the camp
is deep ravine, and beyond this arr
steep hills. The adjacent country il
thick with bushes.
Americans Fine Targets.
The sky was blanketed with clouds ant
when the sun set a gale was blowing sea
ward. Night fell thick and impenetra
bic. The Spanish guerrillas concealed il
the chaparal cover had the advantage
the men furnishing fine target agains
the sky. The Spaniards fought from Gov
er until midnight discoverable only b,
the flashes of their guns. The repeat
ers sounded like crackers in barrel. Tn
Marblchead's launch with a Colt machin
gun in her bow, pushed up the bay en-
filading the Spaniards and it is though
ed much blood to the waters edge an
there lost it. Sharks are numerous il
the vicinity.
The ships threw their searchlight
ashore, the powerful eyes sweeping tn
deep tropic foliage and disclosing occa
sionaily skulking parties of Spanish.
1t all represented a transformation
scene at the harbor. Each discovery G
the enemy was greeted by the cracks @
carbine fire along the edge of the cam
ridge or by the long roll of the launc
and the machine gun, searching thicket
with IA leaden stream.
Hand to Hand Struggle.
Shortly after midnight came the mai
attack. The Spaniards made gallan
charge up the southwest slope, but wer
met by repeated volleys from the mai
body and broke before they were one
third OF the way up the hill, but the
came so close that at points there wa
almost a handto-hand struggle. The o
ficers fired their revolvers. The Spar
iards got through the open formation
8 the edge of the camp. Colonel Jose Can
pima, the Cuban guide, discharged his n
volver and they, turning and findin
themselves without support, ran heltt
SHELTER down the reverse side of the hill
" 1t was during this assault that AssistaI
Surgeon Gibbs was shot in the head
!, front of his own tent, the farthest poiI
. of attack. He fell into the arms Of Pr
:. vate Sullivan and both dropped. A Sc
), ond bullet threw dust in their face
Surgeon Gibbs lived 10 minutes but d
, not regain consciousness.
= Continued All Night.
X The surgeons of the hospital corps the
i removed their quarters to the trench
o about the old Spanish stockade north
:. the camp. The attacks were continue
y at intervals throughout the rest of Il
S night with firing by small squads in va
t, ious directions.
Towards morning the fire slackene
It Dawn is the favorite time for attack, al
a no tho M AZ palaJ tho mo ripaS living .