Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-06-15

via Mole S. Nicolas, Haytl, June
12.-Lieutenant Colonel R. w.
Huntington's battalion of marines,
which landed from the transport
Panther on Friday, and encamped
on the hill guarding the abandoned
cable station, at the entrance to
the outher harbor of Guantanamo,
has been engaged in beating off a
bush attack by Spanish guerillas
and regulars since 3 o'clock satur-
day afternoon.
The fighting was almost con-
tinuouS for 13 hours, until 6 o'clock
this morning, when reinforcements
were landed from the Marblehead.
Four of our men were killed
and one wounded. The advance
pickets unde Lieutenants Neville
and Shaw, are unaocounted for.
Among the killed is Assistant
Surgeon John Blair Gibbs, son Of
Major Gibbs, of the regular army,
who fell in the Custer massacre.
His home was at Richmond, but
he had been practicing in New
York, and entered the service
since the war begun. He was a
popular officer. The others killed
are Sergenat Charles H. Smith, of
Smallwood; Private William
Cunphy, of Gloucester, Mass, and
Private James McColgan, of
Stoneham, Mass.
Corporal Glass was accidentally
wounded in the head.
The Spanish loss is unknown,
but it was probably considerable.
The splashes of blood found at
daylight at the positions the
Spaniards occupied indicate
fatalities, but their comrades
carried off the killed and wounded.
The engagement began with
desultory firing at the pickets,
1000 yards inland from the camp,
Captain Spices company was do
ing guard duty, and was driven in,
finally rallying on the camp and
repulsiug the enemy at 5 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 500 yards, have rotary
motion indicate that the victims
were killed at close range.
Shortly after midnight came
the main attack. The Spaniards
made gallant charge up the
southwest slope, but were met by
repeated volleys from the main
body, aud broke before they were
one-third of the way up the hill,
but they come so close that, at
at points, there was almost a hand
struggle. The officers used their
their revolvers. Three Span
iards got through the open
formation to the edge of the camp.
Col. Jose Campina, the Cuban
guide, discharged his revolver,
and they, turning and finding
themselves without support, ran
helter-skelter down the reverse
side of the hill. 1t was during
this assault that Assistant Surgeon
Gibbs was killed. He was shot in
the head in front of his own tent,
the farthest point Of attack.
He fell into the arms of Private
Sullivan and both dropped. A
second bullet threw dust in their
faces. Surgeon Gibbs lived 10
but did not regain
consciouess.
The surgeons of the hospital
corps then removed their quarters
to the trenches about the old
Spanish stockade, north of the
camp. The attacks were continued
at intervals throughout the rest OF
the night, with firing from small
squads in various directions.
Toward morning the fire slack
ered. Dawn is the favorite time
for attack, and, as the east paled,
the marines, lying on their guns,
we're aroused. Some were actually
asleep, as they had had no rest
for is hours, and tired nature
could no longer stand the strain.
But no attack came.
Three new 12-pound field guns,
which could not be used during
the night for fear of hitting our
own men, shelled several squads OF
Spaniards after daylight. They
love into the bushes like prairie
logs into burrows as the shells
broke over them in the gray dawn.
AS the correspondent OF The
Associated Press talked with
Major Cockrell, who was in charge
of the outposts, word came OF the
inding of the body of Sergeant
Smith. He was reported rs having
been killed at 5 o'clock OH The
previous day, but it appears that he
lad been seen alive at 10 o'clock
in the evening. When and how