The leader., 1898-06-15
FIRST LAND BATTLE.
Four American Marines Killed and
One Wounded.
s,.hrhacking Attack on the Camp at
IN. Entrance to the Outer Hsrbor
of Guantanamo Bepuised.


Friday and cncamped ON the hill guard
ing the abandoned cable station at the
entrance TO the outer harbor of Guam
tanamo. has been engaged in beating
off a bush attack by Spanish guerrlllas
and Spanish regulars since 5 o'clock
Saturday afternoon.
The Il rhting was almost continuous
for thirteen hours until o'clock this
morning, when reinforccments were
landed from the Marblehead. -Four OF
our men were killed and one wounded.
The advance pickcts, under Leuts.
Neville and shaw, are unaccouuted for.
Among the killed is Assistant Sur
geon John Blair Gibbs, son of MAJ.
Gibbs of the regular army, who fell in
the Custer massacre. His home was at
Richmond. Va. but he has been prac-
ticinr in New York, and he entered the
service since the war began. lie was a
very popular officer.
The others killed are Scrgt. Charles
Smith of Smallwood, Private William
Dunphy of Gloucester, Mass, and
Private James Colgan of StonclIam,
Mass. Corporal Glass was accidentally
wounded in the head.
Spaniards Also Lost.
The SPANISH loss is unknown, but ii
was probably considerable. The
splashes of blood found on the Spanish
ground indicate fatalities. but their
comrades carried off the killed and
wounded when the engagement began,
a thousand wards inland from the camp.
Capt. Spicer's company was doing
Guard duty and was driven in. finally
rallving on the camp and repulsing the
enemy at ) o'clock.
The bodies of Privatcs McColgan and
Dunphv were found, both shot in the
head. The large cavities caused by the
bullets, which, inside a range of 500
wards. have rotary motion, indicate
that the victims were killed at close
range.
The bodies were stripped of shoes
hats and cartridges, and horribly mutt
lated with machctcs. When they were
brought in the whole battalion formed
three sides of hollew square about
the camp on the hilltop. Below in the
bay were the warships at anchor.
situation Favored Spaniards.
Beyond the camp is high hill. The
adjacent country is heavy with a thickct
growth The sky was blanlleted with
clouds, and when the sun set a gale was
blowing seaward. Night fell thick and
impcnetrablc. The Spanish squad con-
cealed in the chaparral cover had the
advantage, the Americans on the ridge
furnishing fine targets against the sky
and white tents. The Spaniards fought
from cover until midnight, discoverable
only by flashes. at which the marines
fired volleys. The repeaters sounded
like crackers in a barrel.
The Marblchead launch, the Colt
machine gun in her bow, pushed up the
bay, enfilading the Spaniards, and it is
thought some were killed. The marines
trailed much blood to the waters edge,
and there lost it. Sharks are numerous
in the vicinity.
The ships threw their searchlights
ashore, the powerful electric eyes sweep
ing the deep tropic foliage and disclos-
ing occasionally sllirmishing parties Of
Spaniards. 1t all rescmbled a trans
formation scene at the harbor. Each
discovery of the enemy was greeted by
the cracks of carbine firing along the
edge of the camp ridge or by the long
roll of the launch machine gun, search
ing the thickets with a leaden stream.
Main Attack by Spaniards.
Shortly after midnight came the main
attack The Spaniards made gallant
charge in the southwest slope, but were
met by repeated volleys from the main
body, and broke before they were one
third of the way up the hill, but they
come 50 close that at points there was
almost hand-to-hand struggle. The
officers used their rcvolvers
Three Spaniards got through the
open formation to the edge of the camp.
Col. Joseph Campina, the Cuban guide,
discharged his revolver and they, turn
ing 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 fur
thest 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 ten
minutes, but did not regain conscious
ness. The surgeons of the hospital
corps then removed their quarters to
trenches about the old Spanish stock
ade north of the camp.
The attacks were continued at inter
walls throughout the night, in several
directions. Toward morning the fire
slackened.
Dawn is the favorite time for attack,
and as the east lighted up the soldiers
were aroused. Some were actually
asleep. as they had had no rest for for
ty-eight hours, and tired nature could
no longer stand the strain. But no at
tack came.
Cannon Turned On Them.
Three new underground 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 dived into the
bushes like prairie dogs into burrows,
as the shells broke over them in the
gray dawn.
Lieut.. -Col. Huntington and Maj.
Cockrell gave high praise to the nerve
and steadiness of officers and men,
especially the young ones, as the en-
gagement was baptism of fire for a
large majority. The men were in
darkness and in strange land, but
they fought with courage and fortitude,
and there was no symptom of panic.
The marines, though much exhausted,
Co. =