Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1898-06-16
FIRST LAND FIGHT
Marines at Guantanamo
Attacked by Span
ish Troops.
FOUGHT ALL SATURDAY NIGHT
Our Losses Were Four Men Killed and
Eleven WOunded-Assi stant Surgeon
Gibbs Among the FOrmer-The En-
emy's Loss IL Not Known.

Eleven Wounded-As sistant Surgeon
Gibbs Among the Former-The En-
emy's Loss IL Not Known.
Off Guantanamo, via Mole st. Mich
olas, June Lieutenant. X. w.
Huntinpton'a battalion of marines,
which landed from the transport Panther
Friday and encamped ON the hill,
Guarding the abandoned cable station
at the entrance Of the harbor OF Guam
tanamo, has been engaged in heading
off rush attack by Spanish guerillas
and regulars since 5 O'Clock Saturday
afternoon
The fighting was almost continuous
for ID hours, until O'Clock this morn
ing, when reiniorcements were landed
from the Marblehead.
Four of our men were killed and II
wounded.
The advance pickets, under Lieuten-
ants Neville and Shaw are unaccounted
for.
Among the killed is Assistant Sur
geon John Blair Gibbs, son Of Major
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 officer.
The others killed are Sergeant Chas.
II. smith, of SmalWood; Private vii.
liam Dunphy, OF Gloucester, Mass,
and Private James McColgan, Of Stone
ham, Mass.
Corporal Glass was accidentally
wounded in the hand.
The Spanish loss is unknown, but it
was probably considerable. The spots
of blood found at daylight at the posi-
ton the Spanish occupied Indicate
fatalities, but their comrades carried
oil the killed and wounded.
The ENGAGEMENT began with desul-
tory firing at the pickets, 100 yards in
land from the camp.
Captain ~piccr's company was doing
guard duty, and was driven in, finally
rallying at the camp and routing the
enemy by O'Clock.
The bodies of Private McColgan and
Dunphy were found, both shot dead.
The large cavities made by the bullets,
which, inside range of 800 yards,
have a rotary motion, Indicate that the
victims were killed At close range. The
bodies We're stripped OF shoes, hats
and cartridge belts, and horribly mutt
lated with matUhetes.
When the marines were landed the
whole battalion was Turned on thee
sides of u hollow square about the
camp on the hill back of the bay,
where the warships We're ut anchor.
Back OF the camp is a deep ravne. and
behind this are steep hills. The ada
cent country is thick with bushes.
The sky was blanketed with clouds
and when the sun set gale was blow
ing seaward. Night fell thick and i'm
penetrable. The Spanish squadron,
concealed in the chapparal cover, lad
the advantage, the men furnishing a
fine target against the sky. The Span
ish fought from cover ill midnight,
discoverable only by the flashes from
their guns. The repeaters sounded
like crackers in barrel.
The Marblehead's launch, with a
Colt machine gun in her bow pushed
up the bay entilading the >paniards,
and it is thought that 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 seaYchlights
ashore, the powerful eyes sweeping the
deep tropical foliage and disclosing &C.
casionally skulking parties OF span
iards
Each discovery of the enemy was
greeted by the cracks of oarbine fire
along the edge of the camp ridge or BY
the long roll OF the launch's machine
gun searching the thickets with leaden
stream.
shortly after midnight came the
main attack. The Spaniarls made a
gallant charge up the southwest slope.
but We're met by repeated volievs from
main body. and broke before they were
one-thlrd of the way up the hill, but
they came SO far that at points there
was almost a hand-to-hand struggle
The officers fired their revovers.
The Spaniards got through the omen
formation to the edge OF the camp.
Colonel Jose Campani, the Cuban lead
er, discharged his revolver and the Gu
bans, turning and finding themselves
without support, ran heller SHELTER
down the reverse side of the hill.
1T was during this assault that As.
slstant Surgeon Gibbs was killed. He
was shot in the head in front of his
own tent, the farthest point OF attack.
tie fell into the arms of Private Sulli-
van and both dropped A second bull.
let threw dust in their faces. Surgeon
Gibbs lived 10 minutes, but did not
regain consciousness. The surgeons of
the hospital corps then removed their
quarters to the trenches, about the
spanish stockade, north of the camp,
The attacks were continued at inter.
walls through the rest of the night. with
nring by small squads in various di.
rections.
Toward morning the fire slackened.
Dawn is the favorite time for attack
I.Nl