Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-01

the starboard side and then followed the
rattle of the smaller quick-firing guns and
general spit ire action that looked as
though Wainwright We're trying to make
the Spaniards think that he and his outfit
were the whole United States navy.
Lieut. Huse and landing party of blue
Jackets We're sent ashore and captured the
Spanish port flag (now in the museum at
Annapolis while under fire of the sole de-
Tense of the tOWn-a small body of infan-
try. whose Mauser action, from places of
Concealment. became so eXaSperating that
Huse signaed for achievements Vain
wright a once signaIed the two transports
which were in advance, the Lampasas and
Nueces. the former carrying the provision
al battalion of engineers Including Com
pany h and the latter Battery Z. 9TH
United States Regular Artillery, and the
two ships, which, after slight pause at
the entrance, had followed the Gloucester
in, moved in, full speed, to anchorages near
the Gloucester.
District Troops Landed.
THE troops from both were instantly
rushed ashore in boats that were handy
at the davits there being no time for the
elaborate plan of landing in large force.
with the large number of ships boats and
pontoons carried on our decks, which had
all been studied out and rehearsed, and in
this scramble for the shore our Washing
ton boys, though in the rear transport.
beachcd their first boat ahead of all the
against the boats.
The moment that the various companies
secured enough men ashore to effect an
organization they We're thrown out as
SklrmiShers and nothing more was heard
of the Spanish until next morning at day
break when Garretsons brigade was am
pushed from strong rife pits within sight
and sound of the transports in the harbor
ana Tor q short time made an ugly resist
ance. While his own men We're ashore,
Wainwright put shell down amid body
OF cavalry, coming down from Yanco to the
help of their comrades, and sent them scat
tering. The strategical value of the hills
surrounding the harbor was at once recOg
nized by General Miles, who ordered the
construction on one of them of the redoubt
named Fort Capron and built mainly by
Company H. Torpedo defense was so easy
that had one of our own harbors been left
in such condition in the presence of hos
tile fleet, the responsible officer would have
been deserving of national eXecration. All
these marvellous capabilities for defense
must have been noted by Wainwright as
he ordered full speed ahead through the
rocky gateway, and to us who were fol-
lowing in plain sight, fearing that at any
moment we might see the Gloucester re-
duced to a shattered mass by mine, or
the object of the plunging fire of several
masked batteries, to us his utter disregard
of danger which we thought it criminal in
the Spanish not to provide, will live in our
memories as long as those other incidents
of his career in which the danger was real
and actually present.
By All Means, Sword.
by all means give him a sword and a
handsome one, and | have no doubt what
ever that no one would be better pleased
than he to have as many as possible of
that superb little crew of officers and sail
ors present at the presentation and honor
ed next to him, for in carrying out his
orders on the Gloucester they have forever
linked her name with that fine quality so
constantly eXemDlfied in the American
sailor, which takes account whatever
of the size or strength of his own snip. so
long as he can by any means get his guns
within range of the enemy. We are, by
the way, fortunate in the possession of two
photographs of this dash into Guanica har-
Dor, taken by my first sergeant from the
bow of the Lampasas, which show ad-
mirably the topography of the coast and
entrance. and but for lack of sharp out
line of distant objects would show the lit
tie Gloucesters guns in action. The ship
herself is discernible, but not the smoke
of the guns. / inclose my own mite toward
your most praiseworthy project.
Very truly yours,
HENRY B. LOCKER,
Captain Company H, District Volunteers"