The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-06-16
Fierce Battle Between Marines,
Spanish Guerrilas and Regu-
lars at Guantanamo.
1t Commenced at Three O'Clock Satur-
day Afternoon and Ended at Six
O'Clock Sunday Morning.
Four of Our Men Killed and One Wounded
Advance Picket Unaccounted For
Spanish Loss Unknown. hut
1t Was Probably Large.

On BOARD THE DlsPArcH BOAT DAuNr.
Lxss, Orr GUANTANAMO, Sunday, June
-, via MOLE ST. NICHOLAS, Hayti,
June 13-Lieut. Col. R. W. Hunting
toms battalion marines, which landed
from the transport Panther on Friday
and encamped on the hill guarding the
abandoned cable station at the en-.
trance to the outer harbor of Guiana
tanamo. has been engaged in beating
of bush attack by Spanish guerillas
and regulars since o'clock Saturday
afternoon. The fighting was almost
continuous for 13 hours until o'clock
Sunday morning, when reinforcements
were landed from the Marblehead.
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 been practicing in New York and
he entered the service since the war
begun. He was very popular officer.
The others killed are Serg. Charles H.
Smith, of Smallwood; Private William
Duuphy, of Gloucester, Mass, and
Private James McColgan, of Stoneham,
Mass.
Corporal Glass was accidentally
wounded in the head.
The Spanish loss is unknown, but it
was probably considerable. The
splashes of blood found at daylight at
the position the Spaniards occupied in
dicate fatalities, but their comrades
carried off the killed and wounded.
The engagement began with desul-
tory firing at the pickets 1000 yards
inland from the camp. Capt Spicer's
company was doing guard duty and
was driven in, finally rallyinR on the
camp and repulsing the enemy at 5
o'clock. The bodies of privates Nc
Colgan and Durphy were found, both
shot in the head. The large cavities
caused by the bullets, which inside q
range Of 500 yards have a rotary mo-
ton, indicate that the victims were
killed at close range.
The bodies were stripped of shoes,
hats and cartridge belts, and horribly
mutilated with machetes
When they were br ought in the
T. ct NJ
q hollow square about the camp on the
hill top. Below in the bay were the
war ships at anchor. Inland from the
hill camp is deep ravine and beyond
this are high hills. The adjacent coun.
try is heavy with thicket growth.
The sky was blanketed with clouds,
and when the sun set a gale was blow.
ing seaward. Night fell, thick and inn.
penetrable.
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
TENS The Spaniards fought from
cover till midnight, discoverable only
by flashes at which the marines fired
volleys. The repeaters sounded like
crackers in barrel
The Marblehead launch, Colt ma
chine gun in her bow, pushed UP the
bay enfilading the Spaniards, and it II
thought that some were killed. The
marines trailed much blood to the wa
ter's edge and there lost it. Sharks are
numerous in the vicinity.
The ships threw their search light'
ashore, the powerful electric eye
sweeping the deep tropic foliage ant
disclosing occasionally skulking par
ties of Spaniards. 1t all resembled I
transformation scene at the harbor
Each discovery OF the enemy wa
greeted by the cracks of carbine fir
along the edge of the camp ridge or b.
the long roll of the launch's machine
guns, searching the thickets with
leaden stream
Shortly after midnight came tn
main attack. The Spaniards made
gallant charge up the southwest slope
but were met by repeated volleys from
the main body and broke before the.
were one-third of the way up the hill
but they came SO close that at point
there was almost hand to hand struR
gle. The officers used their re
volvers. Three Spaniards got througl
the open formation to the edg
of the camp Col Jose Csmpinu
the Cuban guide, discharged his revol
YER, and they, turning and findin
themselves without support, ran helte
skelter down the reverse side of tn
hill. It was during this assault ths
Assistant Surgeon Gibbs was killed
He ives shot in the head in front Of hi
own tent, the farthest point OF attacl
He fell into the arms OF Privat
Sullivan and both dropped A se'
ond bullet threw dust in thel