US Marine Corps - The Black Vault

The First Thifty Years 47
the total of commissioned officers to six, and Lieutenant (junior grade)
Turner was the Gunnery Officer of the six 4-inch guns with which the ship
was armed. Besides being given additional duty as Paymaster for the ship,
when the Paymaster had to be hospitalized ashore, Lieutenant (junior grade)
Turner was the Landing Force Officer.
The Marie~ta in August 1914, was at San Pedro de Macoris—a seaport on
the southeast coast of the island and about 40 miles east of the capital city,
called Santo Domingo in 1914. On the beach the government forces and the
rebels were maneuvering for advantage. Lieutenant Turner took quick ac-
tion. He reported that:
On [August 2, 1914] at about 3:20 p.m., an engagement having commenced
between the government forces and the revolutionists, I left this
ship . . in charge of a Landing Force [totaling >0] consisting of one
infantry section of twenty six men, and one officer, Ensign H. V. McCabe,
seventeen men with two Colt’s Automatic Machine Rifles, three signalmen,
three pioneers, two men forming an ammunition party and a medical party
of one hospital steward and two stretchermen in the charge of Assistant
NH 69102
Lieutenant ( jg) Turner at San Pedro de Macovis, Dominican Republic,
Azzgust 1914