The record-union., 1898-06-13
THIRTEEN
HOURS OF
FIGHTING.
Spanish Attack the Ma
rineS at Guantanamo.
-Four Of Our Men Killed and
One Wounded.
Assistant Surgeon John Blair Gibbs
One Of Them.
Guerri|las Made a Rush Attack and Drove
in the Pickets, but Were
RepuIsed With Much
Loss.
Assistant Surgeon John Blair Gibbs
One Of Them.


(via Mole st. Nicholas), June II, s
D. m.-(Copyright. 1898 by the Asso-
ciated Press.)-Huntingto marines
continuously engaged for thirteen hours
from 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon,
fighting Spanish guerrillas and regu-
lars at the entrance of Guantanamo
harbor. The Americans finally landed
reinforcements. Spanish losses be-
leved to be heavy We lost four killed
and one wounded. Our advance pick
cts unaccounted for. Among our dead
is Assistant Surgeon John Blair Gibbs
Of Richmond, lately practicing in New
York City.
Lieutenant Colonel Huntington's bat
talon Of marines, which landed from
the transport Panther on Friday and
encamped on the hill guarding the
abandoned cable station at the entrance
to the outer harbor of Guantanamo,
succeeded in heading off a rush attack
by Spanish guerrillas since , o'clock
Saturday afternoon. The fighting was
almost continuous for thirteen hours
until 6 O'Clock this morning when re-
Inducements We're landed from the
Marblehead Four of the men We're
killed and one wounded. The advance
pickets under Lieutenant Nevil are un-
accounted for. Among the killed is
Assistant Surgeon John Blair Gibbs,
son Of Major Gibbs of the regular army
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 Charles
II. Smith of Smallwood. Private Will
lam Dunphy of Gloucester, Mass, and
Private James McColgan of Stoneham,
Mass.
Corporal Glass was accidentally
wounded on the head. The Spanish
loss is unknown, but it was probably
considera ble The splashes of blood
found by daylight at the positions the
Spanish occupied indicate fatalities,
but their comrades carried off the killed
and wounded.
The engagement began with desul-
tory firing at the pickets. thousand
yards inland from the camp. Captain
Spicer's company was doing guard
duty and was driven in. finally rallying
on the camp and repulsing the enemy
by ) o'clock The bodies of Privates
McColgan and Dunphy We're found,
both shot in the head. The large cavi-
ties made by the bullets, which inside
a range of 800 yards have rotary mo-
ton, indicated that the victims were
killed at close range
The bodies were StrinDad shoes
hats and cartridge belts. and were
horribly mutilated with macheteS.
When they were brought in the whole
battalion formed three sides of a hol-
low square about the camp on the hill
top. Below in the bay were the war
ships at anchor. Inland from the hill
camp is a deep ravine, and beyond this
are high hills. The adjacent country is
heavy with a thicket growth
The sky was blanketed with clouds.
and when the sun set a gale was blow
ing seaward. Night fell. thick and i'm
penetrable.
The Spanish squads concealed in the
chaparral cover had the advantage.
the men furnishing a fine target
against the sky. The Spanish fought
from cover till midnight. discoverabe
only by the flashes of their guns The
repeaters sounded like crackers in a
barrel.
The Marblehead's launch, with a
Colt machine gun in her bow. pushed
up the bay. enfilading the Spaniards,
and it is thought> that some were kill
ed The marines trailed much blood
to the waters edge. and there lost It.
Sharks are numerous in the vicinity.
The ships threw their searchlights
ashore the powerful rays sweeping the
deep tropical foliage and disclosing oc-
casionally skulking parties OF span
iards IT all represented a transfor-
nation scene at the harbor.
Each discovery of the enemy was
greeted by the cracks of carbine hfe
along the edge Of the camp ridge Or
by the long roll of the launchs ma
chine gun. searching the thickets with
leaden stream.
Shortly after midnight came the main
attack. The SpaniarGs made gallant
charge UP the southwest slope. but
were met by repeated volleys from the
main body, and broke before they were
one-third of the way up the hill; bu,
they came so close that at points there
was almost hand-to-hand struggle
The officers fired their revo1vers. The
Spania- -ds got through the open forma-
tion to the edge of the camp. Colonel
Jose Campina. the Cuban guide. dis
charged his revolver and they, turn
ing and finding themselves without