The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-06-14

edge Of the camp. Colonel jose Cam.
pima, the Cuban guide, discharged his
revolver, and they, turning and finding
themselves without support, ran heller
skelter dowuthe reverse side Of the hill
IL was during this assault that Assistant
Surgeon Gibbs was killed He was shot
in the head in front Of his own tent, the
farthest 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 10
minutes, but did not regain conscious.
ness.
The surgeons Of the hospital corps
then removed their quarters TO the
trenches about the old Spanish stockade
north Of the camp. The attacks were
continued at intervals throughout the
night with firing from small squads in
various directions.
Toward morning the fire slackened
Dawn is the favorite time for attack
and as the east paled the marines, lay.
ing on their guns, were aroused. Some
were asleep, as they had had no rest
for IS hours and tired nature could no
longer stand the strain. But no attack
came.
Three new l2.pound field guns, which
could not be used during the night for
fear Of hitting our own men, shelled
several squads Of Spaniards after day.
light They dove into the bushes like
prairie dogs into bush rows as the shells
broke over them in the gray dawn.
As the correspondent OF the Associat.
ed Press talked with Major Cockrell
who was in charge Of the outposts word
came Of the finding Of the body Of Ser.
geant Smith. When and how he was
killed no one knows at this writing.
Neither had the men been mustered nor
had the outpost Of Lieutenant Neville
and Lieutenant Shaw been relieved.
Lieutenant Colonel Huntington and
Major Cockrell gave high praise to the
nerve and steadincss Of officers and men,
especially the young ones, as the engage.
ment was a baptism Of fire for large
majority The men were IN darkness
and in a strange land, but they stood to
their posts with courage and fortitude
and there was no symptom Of a panic
The marines, though much exhausted,
were eager for more fighting, promising
to infict heavy punishment. They com.
plimented the daring Of the Spaniards
with Characteristic camp profanity.
Today the amplest precautions have
been taken, and a. the Dauntless was
leaving reinforcements were landing
from the Marblehcad. A stormy time
was expected.
Estimates vary a. 10 the attacking
force, some say 200, and the figures run
a high a. 1000. Colonel Campina, the
Cuban guide, said the Spanish were
mostly irregulars, but the reports Of the
discharge of Mauser rifles would indi.
cate that they were regulars, as most Of
the gucrrillas carry Remingtons. The
Cuban guerrillas as rule have more
dash and courage than the regulars
The new campaign uniforms prove
satisfactory and are almost invisible at
a distance OF 200 yards The Lee guns
caused several accidents in drawing cart.
ridges Corporal Glass shattered his
hand
Despite the loss Of the men who were
koenly regretted, the marines rcjoice
that they have been engaged In their
first fight on Cuban soil. They sailed
from New York the day war was de.
clarcd, and expected to land within a
week at Havana. Since then until they
landed on the shore OF Guantanamo bay,
they have been coopei up on the Pan.
Their, and they had begun TO fear that
the troops would beat them after all.
Rear Admiral Sampson has secured
possession Of the Cuban terminus Of the
French cable TO Hayti. The apparatus
In the Office at the harbor mouth was
wrecked by a she'll, but the cable stcam'
err Adria has instruments and operators
on board and direct communication
! with Washington will be established by
"Wednesday or Thursday.