Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-06-16
FIRST LAND BATTLE.
American Marines and Spaniards
Fight for Thirteen Hours.
Position of Our Forces mt Entrance
to Guantanamo Bay Sustained
Enemy Repulsed with Heavy
Loss-Four Am ericans Killed.

patch Boat Dauntless, Off Guantanamo,
via Mole ST. Nicholas, June 13.-Lieut.
Col. X. w. Huntington's battalion of
marines, which landed from the trans
port Panther on Friday and encamped
on the hill guarding the abandoned
cable station at the entrance of the
outer harbor of Guantanamo, has been
engaged in heading off rush attack by
Spanish guerrillas and regulars since
three o'clock Saturday afternoon. The
| fighting was almost continuous for 10
hours until six o'clock Sunday morning,
when reinforcements were landed from
the Marblehead.
Four Americans Killed.
Four of our men were killed and one
wounded. The advance pickets under
Lieuts. Neville and Shaw are unac-
counted for. Among the killed is AS
sistant Surgeon 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 lately
been practicing medicine in New York
city. The others killed are Sergeant
Charles II. Smith, of Smallwood;
Private William Dumphy, of Gloucester,
Mass, and Private James McColgan, of
Stoneham, Mass. Corporal Glass was
accidentally wounded in the head.
The Spanish loss is unknown, but is
probably considerable. The splaskes
of blood found at daylight at the posi-
tions the Spaniards occupied indicate
fatalities, but their comrades carried
off the killed and wounded.
Story of the Engagement.
The engagement began with desul-
tory firing at the pickets, thousand
yards inland from the camp. Capt.
Spicer's company was doing guard duty
and was driven in, finally rallying on
the camp and repulsing the enemy at
five o'clock. The bodies of Privates
McColgan and Dunphy were found,
both shot in the head. The large cavi-
a range of 500 yards have rotary mo-
ton, indicate that the victims were
killed at close range.
Bodies Robbed and MuItiIated.
The bodies were stripped of shoes,
hats and cartridge belts and horribly
mutilated with machetes. When they
were brought in the whole battalion
formed three sides of a hollow square
about the camp on the hilltop. Below
in the bay were the warships atanchor
Inland from the hill camp is deep ra.
vine, and beyond this are high hills
The adjacent country is heavy with q
thicket growth. The sky was blanketed
with clouds, and when the sun set a
gale was blowing seward. Night fell
thick and impenetrable.
Americans at a DISADVANTAGES.
The Spanish squads concealed in the
chapparel cover had the advantage, the
Americans on the ridge furnishing fine
targets against the sky and the white
tents. The Spaniards fought from cover
q, till midnight, discoverable only al
flashes, at which the marines fired vol
leys. The repeaters sounded like fire
{ crackers in a barrel.
The Marblehead launch, a Colt ma
chine gun in her bow, pushed up tn,
bay, enfilading the Spaniards, and it i!
thought that some were killed. TIL,
marines trailed much blood to the wa
j ter's edge and there lost it. Sharks ar,
d numerous in the vicinity. The ship
S threw their searchlights ashore, thu
y powerful electric rays sweeping tn,
deep tropic foliage and disclosing oc
g casionally skulking parties of Span
e iards. 1t all represented a transfer
nation scene at the harbor. Each dis
:. covery of the enemy was greeted b.
Il the cracks of carbine fire along the edg
g of the camp ridge or by the long rol
of the launch's machine gun, searchin
l. the thickets with leaden stream.
3 Driven Back.
Shortly after midnight came the mai
l. attack. The Spaniards made a gallan
u charge up the southwest slope but wer
Is met by repeated volleys from the mai
n body and broke before they were one
+ third of the way up the hill; but the
came so close that at points there wa
'r almost hand-to-hand struggle. TIL
e officers used their revolvers. Thre
he Spaniards got through the open form;
ton to the edge of the camp. Col. Jos
'r Campina, the Cuban guide, discharge
Of his revolver, and they, turning an
&c finding themselves without support, ra
helterskelter down the reverse side {
Id the bill.
IL The attacks were continued at int
vals throughout the rest of the nigh
10 with firing from small squads in V;
or rious directions. Toward morning til
at fire slackened. Dawn is the favorit
time for attack, and, as the east palet
at the marines, lying on their guns, wei
Mt aroused. Some were actually asleep, {
ch they had had no rest for 4S hours, an
IS. tired nature could no longer stand I'll
It's strain. But no attack came. Thre
IL new two-pound field guns which coul
ne not be used during the night for fear
hitting our own men shelled sever
at squads of Spaniards after dayligh
rs They dove into the bushes like prair
dogs into burrows as the shells brol
so over them in the gray dawn.
cu -
ar Starvation and burial while alive wei
ne often resorted TO by the Hirdoos. Lee
as ers usually chose fire to end their su
ch ferinpS for the reason that il W1S 7