Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-07-27
Miles ARMY LANDS
Lively Skirmish With the
IT," Enemy.
FOUR sPANIARDs KILLED.
lieutenant Commander Wainwright and
Its Men Again Distinguish Themselves. s.
Spirit OF American Troops Admirable.
Town OF Ponce to Fall Soon.
Copyright. 1898. by Associated Press.l

Copyright. 1898. by Associated Preas1
PORT OF GuANICA. ISLAND OF
PORTO RICO, July 20. . P NJ, via the
Island of st. Thomas u. w. l.. morn
iny.-The United States military exp~-
dition under command of Major Gener-4
III Nelson n. Miles. commanding the
army of the United States which lertf
Guantanamo Bay Thursday, July 21.s
was landed here successfully today af-#F
ter u Skirn,ish between a detachment
oi spanish troops and n crew OF 80 be-
longing to the launch OF the United
States auxiliary s,unboat Gloucester,
formerly MIR. j. Pierpont Morgan's
steam yacht Corsar Four of the Span
Americans Were. hurt. Troops were
forwarded promptly In order to capture
the railroad leading to Ponce, which is:
only about ten miles east of this place.
from Ponce there is an excellent r,ltlI-$
ta'y road. running SIS miles north to
san Juan The whole OF General
Brookes force. with the New Orleans.
annapolis. Cincinnati. Leyden and
Wasp. are expected here within twan-
ty-four hours The ships left Guanta-a
Hamo Bay suddenly on Thursday ey-
cntnE." With the Massachusetts, COM
mandcd by Cart. f: r. Higginson, Leads
ing Captain HggnSon was in charge
VI sii' ii'A|iii expedition, NuiCu COnSl8C-53
ed. in addition to the Massachusetts, of
the Columbia Dixie. Gloucester and
ale. General Miles was on board the
laI named vessels. The troops werS on
board the transports Nueces, Lampar
sas, Conanche. Rita. Unionst, SILVIA
ter City Of Macon and Specialist This
was the order as the transports enteradE
the harbor here. a III
The voyage from Guantanamo Raw
TO this port was eventual
At noon yesterday General Miles CALI
ed Il consultation, ann.uncing that he
was determined not to go by San Juan
cape. but by the Mona Passage in-#l
stead, land here. surprise the Spaniards$
ana deceive their military authorities
The course was then changed and the
Dixie was sent to warn General Brooke
at san Juan. Port Guanita has been
fully described by Lieutenant Whitney.
OF General Miles staff. which recently
made an adventurous tour of Porto
Rico S-@ss
Ponce, which is situated ten or fif--W
teen miles from this port, is to the east
and harder place to take In addition
the water at Ponce Is too shallow forss
the transports to be able to get close
inshore. Then Ponce Is some little
distance from where the troops would;
have been able to land. SS
EARLY this morning the CLIQUE .ater: In
charge OF Lieutenant Con. WANDER
Wainwright. steamed into Guanita ha.-
Dor III order to- reconnoiter the place.
With the fleet waiting outside the gall
liant little fighting yacht braved the
mines. which were supposed to be In Y
the harbor. and found that there were
five fathoms of water close inshore
Gnanita Bay is quite q place. sur
rounded by cultivated lands In the.
ressi are high mountains and close TO
the beach nestles q village of about
twenty houses. The SpanIards were
taken by surprise. Almost the first
they knew of the approach Of the army
OF invasion was the announcement con-sa
tanned in the firing Of a gun from the
Gloucester. demanding that the Span
Yards haul down their flag, which wac
ilJiltins from L ttagstnff in front OF a.
block house standing to the east OF 81
vlllage The first couple of 3-pounders
We're fired into the hills right and LEFT
of the bay and purposely avoiding the
town. lest the projectiles hurt women
and children. The Gloucester then iaova
TO within 900 yards OF the shore and 4
lowered a yacht having on board Colt
rapld-tire gun and thirty men under the 5
command of Lieutenant Huse. who was
sent ashore without encolntering oppo-
sition. 37is}ss5S,
Quartermaster Beck thereupon tcld
Woman Lacey to haul down the Span
ish flag. which was done. and the first
United States flag to float over Porto
Rican soil was raised on the flagstaff :
suddenly about thirty Spaniards$i
opened fire with Mauser rifles on the
American party. Lieutenant Huse and
his men responded with great gallant
~. the Colt gun doing effective work.:
Mormon, who received Admiral Ger
veras surrender, and Wood, a yolun-s3
teer lieutenant. shared the honors With y
Lieutenant Huse.
Almost Immediately after the Span
iards fired on the Americans the Glou-ss
cester opened fire on the enemy with 4
all her and 6-nounders which could be-
brought to bear. Smelling the town and Il
also dropping shells into the hills, west
Of Guanita, where number of Spanish
cavalry were to be seen fastening to-
ward the spot where the Americana
landed Lieutenant Huse then threw
up a little fort, Which he named Fort
Wainwright and laid barbed wire in !.
the street In front or it in order to repeI
the expected cavalry attack The leu
tenant also mounted the guns and slg-H
nailed for help. The Associated Press
dispatch boat Cynthia II was the only4s
beat in the harbor except the Glouces-a&
ten. Presently a few of the Spanish VI
cavalry joined those who were lighting
in the street of Guanita, but the Colt 8
barked to a purpose, killing four OF &
them.
Hy that time the Gloucester had the:
range of the town and of the block
house land all OF her guns We're splitting
fire. the doctor and the paymaster3 help
ing to serve the guns. 5Ts
Soon after white-coated galloping
cavalrymcn We're seen climbing fhe@
hills to the westward and the foot so1-%
diers We're scurrying along the fences
from the town. s#%99
Fly 9:4s. with the exception OF a few
guerilla shots. the town was won andss
the enemy was driven out of its neigh
sborhood. ss
'aaThe BED Cross nurses on the LamLa
s2s and a detachment of regulars We're
the first to land FROM the transport. s
After Lieutenant Huse had caphured&i
the place. he deployed his small force
into the suburbs. Bat he was soon sss-5
inforc..d by the regulars, who We're fol-Ssf
lowed by Company g. OF the Sixth IEEs-Sss
nois. and then by other troops in quick
succession. All the boats OF the Mons
of-war and the transports were used q