The engagement began with desultory firing at the pickets, a 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 at 5 o’clock.  The sky was blanketed with clouds, and when the sun set a gale was blowing out seaward.  Night fell thick and impenetrable.  The Spanish squads concealed in the chaparral cover had the advantage, the Americans on the ridge furnishing fine targets against the sky and the white tents.

The Spaniards fought from cover until midnight, discoverable only at flashes, at which the marines fired volleys.  Shortly after midnight came 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 way up the hill; but they came so close at points that there was almost a hand-to-hand struggle.  The officers used their revolvers.  Three Spaniards got through the open formation to the edge of the camp.  Colonel Jose Campina, the Cuban guide, discharged his revolver, and they, finding themselves without support, beat a hasty retreat down the reverse side of the hill.  During this assault Assistant Surgeon John Blair Gibbs was killed.  He was shot in the head in front of his own tent, the farthest point of attack.  He fell into the arms of Private Sullivan and both dropped.  A second bullet threw the dust in their faces.  Surgeon Gibbs lived ten minutes, but he did not again regain consciousness.  Four Americans were killed and one wounded in this engagement.

Sunday brought no rest.  Every little while the p-a-t of a Mauser would be heard, and a spatter of dust on the camp hillside would show where the bullet struck.  During the day the enemy kept well back, scattering a few riflemen through the trees to keep up a desultory fire on the camp.  There was no massing of forces, evidently for fear of shells from the Marblehead, which lay in the harbor close by.  But when night came on again the Spanish forces were greatly augmented and in the dark were bolder in their attacks.

Lieutenant Neville was sent with a small squad of men to dislodge the advance pickets of the enemy, and his men followed him with a will.  The Spaniards, who had been potting at every shadow in the camp, fled when the American pickets came swinging down their way.  As the Americans pressed along the edge of the steep hill, following a blind trail, they nearly fell into an ambush.  There was a sudden firing from all directions, and an attack came from all sides.

Sergeant-Major Henry Good was shot through the right breast and soon died.  The Americans were forced back upon the edge of the precipice and an effort was made to rush them over, but without success.  As soon as they recovered from the first shock and got shelter in the breaks of the cliff their fire was deadly.  Spaniard after Spaniard went down before American bullets and the rush was checked almost as suddenly as it was begun, causing the enemy to fall back.  The Americans swarmed after the fleeing Spaniards, shooting and cheering as they charged, and won a complete victory.  The Spanish forces left fifteen dead upon the field.  The American loss was two killed and four wounded.