Rensselaer Democrat, Volume 1, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 June 1898 — AMERICAN FLAG FLIES IN CUBA. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AMERICAN FLAG FLIES IN CUBA.

United States Marines Raise the Stars and Stripes Over Outei Fortifications of Guantanamo.

The invasion of Cuba by the American forces began in earnest Friday, when six hundred marines pitched their tents about the smoking mins of the outer fortifications of Guantanamo, and the Stars and Stripes for the first time floated from a Spanish flagstaff in Cuba. To Capt. Clark and the battleship Oregon belong the honor of accomplishing the first successful landing of the war. Forty marines from the«battleship wont ashore in the morning and occupied the left entrance of the bay until the troop ship Panther arrived with 600 marines. These, under the command of Lieut. Col. R. W. Huntington, arrived at 3 o’clock, and within half an hour they had burned the buildings of the Spanish camp and had set fire-to the miserable little village which crouched on the beach under the hilltop of Guatanamo. The first boatload had scarcely' landed when the village burst into flames. Company B, under Lieut. Hall ; was the first ashore, and without the loss of a moment the column started up the steep, rocky hillside to the earthworks. For an hour a brown column of marines filed up this narrow path, eventually taking up a position at the top of the hill. As soon as the American flag was swung out to the breeze from the flagstaff of the captured Spanish camp tire Oregon steamed away to rejoin the fleet off Santiago. The marines were instructed to hokl the position until the arrival of the expected troops. The whole operation of silencing the guns and landing the forces was as easy

ns placing a Sunday school picnic. The Marblehead, backed by the Vkten and Dolphin, opened fire on the earthworks the previous day. The shores to the'right of the entrance were lines with guns and rifle pits, but the Spaniards stampeded after a few shots. The city of Guatanamo lies four miles up the bay, and a little Spanish gunboat came down to help the shore batteries. But she stayed just long enough to turn around. Numerous shots were fired by the Spaniards. Lieut. Col. R. W. Huntington’s battalion 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, eutefrd in heading off a rush attack by guerrillas and regulars Saturday. The-fighting was almost continuous for thirteen hours, when re-enforcements were landed from the Marblehead. Four of our men were killed and one wounded. The Spanish loss is unknown, but it was probably considerable

The engagement began with desultory firing at the pickets, a thousand yards I inland from the camp. Captain Spicer's company was doing guard duty and was i driven in, finally rallying on the camp and repulsing the enemy. Each discovery of the enemy was greeted by the cracks of carbine fire along the edge of the camp ridge or by the long roll of the launch’s machine gun, searching the thickets with a leaden stream. Shortly after midnight enme the main attack. The Spaniards made a 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 up the hill, but they came so close that at points there was almost a hand-to-hand struggle. The attacks were i continued at intervals throughout the rest of the night, with firing from small squads iu various directions. Toward morning [ the fire slackened. Dawn is the favorite , time for attack, and ns tbe east paled the marines, lying on their guns, were aroused. Some were actually asleep, as they had no rest for forty-eight hours, and tired nature could no longer stand the strain. But no attack came. Tbe marines, though exhausted, were eager for more fighting, promising to inflict heavy punishment. This was the situation when the dispatch boat steamed away toward tile American fleet

MAKES AN ANSWER TO CRITICS. War Department Summarizes Work Done Since War Began. The War Department has caused to be published extracts from its various bureaus which give a resume of the work done and the results accomplished since war was declared against Spain. The object of the publication is to answer the critics of the department who charge that the army is unequipped and not ready to go to the front because of the dilatory and unbusinesslike methods of the officials at Washington. The contracts made for transportation, the ordnance ordered to be manufactured, the rations furnished, the operation of the engineer corps, and the records of all classes of work necessary for equipping an army are set forth in detail to prove it is always easy to find fault and that criticism is often strongest when made through ignorance. The department has also made public a dispatch from Gen. 11. V. Boynton, president of the Chickamauga Park Commission, successfully refuting the widespread charge that Camp Thomas is unhealthy, and that the troops are suffering for food, clothing and good water. WARNED NOT TO SINK HIS FLEET. Admiral Cervera Has Been Notified by Sampson. ~ The Navy Department sent orders to Admiral Sampson to notify Admiral Oervera that if the latter destroys his four armored cruisers and two torpedo-boat destroyers to prevent their falling into our hands, Spain at the end of the war will be majie to pay an additional indemnity at least equivalent to the value of those vessels. It has been realized all along that the Spanish admiral, rather than permit his fine fleet to be added to the United States navy, might at the last moment, when he saw that further resistance was useless, prefer to blow it up. It was assumed at first that if Cervera cared to do this nothing could be done to prevent it. The Navy Department hopes, however, to convince him by the above argument of the folly of doing anything so rash. SPANISH SOLDIERS ARE HUNGRY. They Beg on the Streets of Havana for Food. K The British cruiser Talbot, which reached Kingston from Havana, reports a flour famine in Havana, and says that there is a scarcity of nearly everything else in the line of food. One baker, who had a large stock, and proposed to hold it for customers with whom he had made contracts z when the blockade began, was mobbed by several hundred people, among the number being persons of means and respectability. They were hungry, a<d insisted on having their appetites satisfied. Blanco’s soldiers are still unpaid, and hungry, having only a small allowance of the poorest kind of rations. They have received no money for over nine months. It is a common thing. fqj a soldier to accost a civilian and beg for something to eat. 5 WILL ABANDON TAMPA. No More Troops Will Be Concentrated at that Point. Tampa will be abandoned as a camp for regulars and volunteer troops. Orders have been sent to Gen. Coppinger, who is in command of the force remaining at Tampa, to proceed to Jacksonville or Fernandina. One of these points will be made the port of departure of the troops under his immediate command intended for Porto Rican invasion. The force under Gen. Lee at Jacksonville will leave that place at the samb time. Feare Yellow Fever in Cuba. Surgeon General Sternberg of the army believes a great menace awaits our troops which are to occupy Santiago. He has been recently quoted as saying that yellow fever will not prove more harmful to the troops than diseases which are common in tKe northern latitudes. The reports which Gem Sternberg has made to Secretary Alger are quite to the contrary.

CAPTAIN CLARK.