Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-08-11
But LITTLE LOSS OF LIFE.
lard Killed and Three Woundcd-Am-
buscade For the Americans-All OF
the south Porto Rican Coast
in Possession of Americans.

yet only three Americans were wounded
and only one Spaniard killed and three
wounded. At least these are all that are
accounted for
vilization to which they nave attained by
throwing the body of their soldier into u
well from which a part of the town gets
its water, evidently hoping to poison 1t. /
Guayama is Il city OF 1900 inhahitants,
and next to Ponce u the most important
town on the south side of the island. 1t
is thirty-slX miles east of Ponce. Arroyo
is the seaport OF the city, which is i've
miles inland.
Gen. Brookc's troops had landed at Ar
royo, and he wanted Guyana as "a base
of operations, it being the only town Of
large Importance ON the main road lead
ing to the military road running from
Ponce to San Juan. Gen. Brooke ordered
Gen. Hams to occupy the town, at Z
o'clock in the morning the Fourth Ohio
and Third Illinois regiments were ordered
out, the Ohio regiment being in tho van.
II was known that there were some
Spanish cavalry in the ncighbOrhood, and
SO the troops proceeded cautiously along
the road from Arroyo to within a mile
of the city. The road Is level to that
point, and there were no signs of Span
iards anywhere along the route.
The last mile of the road runs through II
cut in the mountain and up steep hill
Before this point was reached the Third
Illinois stopped. and Col. Bennett was or
dcrcd to guard the crossroads leading to
the rear of the city.
The advance guard of the Ohio ogimcut
then entered the cut and had proceeded
less than 100 yards when hail of Spanish
bullets on both sides from the mountain
whistlcd over their heads. The guards be-
Ing In very small force fell back. firing rs
they retrcuted and the main body at once
hurried forward. firing at lively rate
up the hillsideS as they advanced. \ hun
drcd yards further. just beyond sharp
turn in the road, they suddenly came upon
II barrcadc that had been thrown across
the road The barricade had been made of
sectional iron work, which had been filled
in with sand. The Spanards behind this
defence were shooting at the rate of 100
shots inmate, but every shot was aimed
too high though the American troops
We're within haling distance
Gen Hams ordered deployinC parties
sent up the hills to flank the enemy. The
road was lined on each side with bdrbcd
wire cntanglements such as the Span!ards
used at Santiago. but many of the troops
carried machetes, with which they attack
ed the fences. disrcgarding the bullets,
and In Il few minutes cut their way
through, and then 100 men made their way
up the mountains on both sides Of the
road.
The firing lire Of our troops held its po-
sition and poured bullets into the BARR
cado. The Spanish firing didn't last long
In fact, it stopped in less time than II
takes to tell of 1t, but what became OF the
Spaniards behind the harricadc is mys-
terry. They disapp AIRED as though they
had been swallowed up. Not single on e
Of them was seen during the skrdaddlmg
act The OHIO men Kept pcppcrins away
for half an hour.
In the meantime the deploycd force
reached the hilltops on both sides of the
road and began pouring rafting firc
down the mountain sides and ahead of
their position oil the nil. Our men thon
all advanced firing as they went. For Il
half hour there was very little return.
Then the Spaniards rallied and made 4
stand, but they were still unseen /; was
in this rally that three of our men wrrc
wounded. They are all privatcs in the it'll
ohio. and their names are;
John O. Cordner, hit below the knee.
g, w. Refer, wounded in both legs. Just
below the thighs.
:. w. Wolcott, wounded in tho right
foot.
None of their injuries are serious.
The stand made by the Spaniards was
of very short duration. Tho deployers
drov" the enemy along the hills ana the
main body cleared the road.
Al II Il. m, tine troops entered the town
For the last half mile there Yves very lit
tie shooting, but just as the town was
reached there was a resumption of desul-
tory firing, and at the same time an occa-
sionll shot came from the town itself
Every spanish shot was answered by a
Nollcy from our men. This was kept IN
for half hour, when our men on the hill
saw Il man on a roof in the upper part of
the town waving IA white shirt. A minute
later flag of truce came down the road
and its bearer said that the town surrcu,
dercd Internationally.
, Gen. Hams and his staff rode forva ri
= through the streets of the city. All of tho
, houses were closed, and the place LOOKED
ilke deserted town. Not Il person was
III sight. Gen, Hams rode TO the publ,
building, and by the time he got there tho
houses began to open. Everywhere head.
: were poked out of doors and quickly with.
drawa.
, Thcy were nokcd out again in a moment
ana again withdrawn. but this time tn,
= withdrawal was much slower. The thir,
time the heads stayed out, and were fol-
lowed by shoulders and then bodies. som,
| one yelled in stcntorian voice; "Nnot
los AmcrCanos,"
Thon, as II by magic, the. people cam,
! ont and rushed toward the General ant
his STAFF, shouting the same words Som,
) FRUSTRATED themselves in the road ant
: grabbed the Americans around Ne knee,
J while others threw their arms around tn,
I'' w. VI INC sDillltlS ana KISSED them, al
' the time shouting, Vivian los American
os,' sc, Their enthusiasm seemed un
bounded, and the scene at the surrcndo
! of Ponce was eClipScd.
I As soon as the Americans recovered
!, from this attack Gen. Aans ordered tn,
\ Stars and Stripes to he hoistcd over IN,
j public building, whcreat there was grea
p cheering and shouting. Gen. lIains co,
i lectcd men and stationed them in ever,
, street entering the town and then sen
g companies out scouting.
$ They had hardly got started when ;
I homhardment of the town was begun b,
l. the Spaniards, who had returned to tn
3 hills and poured shot down into the cit,
regardless of whether their own people o
the soldiers were hit, Luckily their ain
was bad and only one man was hit. ri
houses interfcred with our men firinj
c for some time, but they finally got wher
o they could shoot, and gave the Spanard
Y 4 voley for every shot.
:. This lasted half an hour with no sign o
!, its diminishing, when Gen. Hams ordcre
= up two dynamite guns belonging to tn
J. Ohio men. These We're aimed at the hill
= and each fired three shots. That settle
# the Spaniards. There wasn't sho
;, from them after the third shot from tn
/, dynamite guns.
t, It was then nearly o'clock. The Skin
d m!sh had lasted five hours and was a re
?, cord breaker for scarcity of casualties.
10 While the Spaniards were shooting int
their own town, Col, Colts Ohio men dis
covered some firing from house on tn
outskirts. The place was surrounded an
lead was poured into the house.
The fight was lively. but Mt last tn