Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-04-14

BY the Natives, who Ambushed Sailors
and MarInes---the Germans Alleged 10
Have Incited Natives to Make the At
tack.
Dispatches received Wednesday at
Auckland, n. H., from Apis, Samoa,
dated the LIST, say that party of 105
American and British sailors were forced
to retreat to the beach, after having been
caught in an ambush on a German planta-
tion that day. The expedition was led by
Lieut.. a. II. Freeman of the British third
class cruiser Tauranga. Lieutenant Free
man and Lieut.. p. V. Lansdale and En-
! sign J. r. Monaghan of the United States
| cruiser Philadelphia. were left deal on the
| field. Ensign Monaghan remained to as
! sist Lieut.. Lansdale and was shot in retir-
! ing. Two British and two American sailors
were also killed. The natives engaged
were some of Mataafas warriors. They
severed the heads of the British and Amer
! lean officers killed. Priests of the French
mission afterwards brought the heads into
! Apia. The manager of the German plan
tation has been arrested and detained on
board the Tauranga, on afiidavts declar-
ing he was seen urging the rebels to fight.
In a previous engagement p of Mataafa's
warriors were killed, and there were no
casualties among the European force. 1t
is estimated that about 500 warriors at
tackled the Anglo American party from
ambush.
A force of PA British and Americans
and $50 ''friendlies' was surprised the 1st
in ambush at the German plantation of
Veslelo. The rebel force opened fire on
the rear left flank. and front of the Anglo
American force. The "frendlies" bolted,
but the marines and bluejackets stood
their ground splendidly, Americans and
British firing shoulder to shoulder The
Colt automatic gun with the landing party
became jammed and the Americans and
British were practically at the mercy Of the
rebels. But retreat" was sounded three
times before the marines and the blue
jackets retired. Lieut.. Angel H. Freeman,
1st lieutenant Of the Tauranga, who was
in command of the allied force. was shot
through the heart. Lieut.. Philip V.
Lansdale of the United States cruiser
Philadelphia had his leg shattered while
trying to fix the jammed gun. Seaman
Hunt of the British cruiser Porpoise had
an extraordinary escape. He remained
with Lieut.. Lansdale until dubbed over
the head and knocked senseless. The
bluejacket revived as the natives were cut
ting IF his right ear and when turning
iuncture a shell from the British cruiser
Royalist burst on the battlefield, soaring
the rebels, and Hunt succeeded in escap-
ing to the beach, although severely stabbed
in one foot.
The same night the "friendlies' found
the bodies of all the officers headless. The
bodies were buried with all honors at Mu-
linuu on Easter Sunday. Their heads
we're subsequently brought in by some
French priests and the graves were re-
opened and the heads buried with the bod
les. Lieuts. Freeman and Lansdale were
capable and popular officers. The former
was single and the latter was married in
June. The officers who returned are
Lieut.. George Z. Cave of the Porpoise
and Lieut.. c. NJ. Perkins of the Philadel-
phia. All behaved splendidly. Lieut.
Cave took command of the retreat. Capt
Sturdee of the PorpOise was away on an
expedition with his cruiser and Gaunt's
brigade was also absent on duty. The
loss of the enemy is not known, but prob
ably so of the rebels we're killed and many
were wounded. The bodies of three reb-
els were found near the spot where Lieut..
Lansdale and Ensign Monaghan of the
Philadelphia were killed. The priests
buried SO other rebels and much blood was
seen on the road over which the Mataafans
had been dragging away their dead and
wounded There were also pools of blood
behind the cocoanut trees, the bullets
from the American and British rifles going
right through the thick trees and killing
men hiding behind them.
Some of the rebels fred from the tops OF
the cocoanut palms The rebels opened
fire near the town yesterday evening
March BY. 1t is now proposed to sum
mon another warship, to distribute more
arms among the "friendlies" and to import
additional "friendies" from Tutulea. Il
is also suggested that troops might be OBJ
tanned from New Zealand or Sydney, New
South Wales. If sufficient quantity o.
arms could be obtained about 2000 "friend
lies" could be used against the Mataafans
But they are not brave and have not shown
fighting qualities excepting those will
Gaunt's brigade, and that force may no
accomplish much.
The Samoans say Mataafa, on three occa
sions, had resolved to surrender, but tn,
German consul, Herr Rose, advised hin
not TO do so, and he now says he will neve
give in, but will fight to the death.
Further advices from Apia, Samoa, sal
that on the arrival of the British cruise
Tauranga at Apia, the British and Ameri
can consuls issued a proclamation to Civ
Mataafa a last chance and that the Frencl
priests also used their influence, but all eff
forts failed and the rebels continued thei
depredations. Property was destroyed an,
bridges and roads were barricaded. o.
March 20 the enemy was sighted at Ma
guigi and machine guns and seven
: FOUNDER were used The 'frendlies' ais
attacked the enemy during the latter's re
treat, and several rebels were killed c
wounded. The "friendlies" carried on
head through Apia. which made Capt Str