National Republican., 1883-09-15

treat Of ours. But Lieut.. Comdr. Wheeler
was the spider in this strategic dumpling,and
with five howitzcrs and three companies he
routed them out of their position.
It was midday when the troops were
halted behind tho crest of tho last hill to get
their breath and prepare for the assault The
air quivorcd with heat, tho Monocacy and
the howitzers sang their grim mathis
stropho and antiphon-and mingling with ii,
long drawn and inexprcssibly wild and
mournlul, 1oated down from the stronghold
of tho yellow flag the death songs of the
Coreans.
At the word of command our bluejaclSets
burst from their cover aud rushed up the
almost perpendicular wall of rock which led
TO the citadel. The assault was a nasty ono
to make, for the walls Of the fort Joined the
doclivity with hardly break, and the Coreans
maintained an incessant fire, loading and re-
loading with amazing rapldity. They were
rocklessly brave, exposing themselves on tho
parapots as If unincumbered with "perishable
ilesh," but they bad no artillery to speak OF,
and tho impetuous charge ofour forces finally
left them no time to prime their matchlocks;
then they spraug to the ramparts and threw
down stones and whatever heavy objects they
could lay their hands on.
The first man inside the fort was the gall
| la mt Lieut.. Mckee, and alas he was the first
man killed, being pierced through his heroic
| young heart by "brave," who thrust his
| spear to its cruel rest just as bullet entered
his body to help the work Of destruction.
Lieuts. Schley and Tilton followed closely,
and the Corcans had nearly robbed the service
of a second officer, but in thrustng at Schley
he slipp ed, aud the spear passed between the
body and arm of his intended victim, who
shot him down before he could recover.
Hard after their officers the sailors and
| marines came streaming over tho walls. Nc
KEGS death inflamed them with rage, and
| .. n..t.N Nl,.N l,,u
parallels in the history of our wars.
| The Coreans fought like devils, and though
charged again and again with fixed bayonets,
| they exposed their bare breasts to the steel
with utter indifference.
No time for loading and firing nowl The
air was dark with flying stones, clubbed mus
| kets, and dust for tho Coreans seized this
last by the handfuls and cast it into the faces
of our men to blind them. Cries of anguish
and victory mingled with the screaming OF
the shells and the short bark of the howitzers,
and through it all came clearly marked the
somber death chant of the natives.
Nearly 400 of the natives lay dead, and
more than twice that number wounded before
the survivors yielded. Then our dead
Mckee and two sailor men) were carried of
the field, and Private Purvis, of the Alaska
was declared the captor of the commanding
generals flag.
The affair" was ended and terms were
| made, but the death OF Mckee left every heart
sore, and gave to lovers of coincidence another
proof Of the truth of the saying like father
like son." for, to quote Admiral Rodgers, "HC
fell as his father fell in Mexico, at the head o.
his men, first inside the enemy's stormeG
works"
He has tablet in the chapel of the nava
academy, and the flag, which cost so dear
hangs in the gunnery. Its yellow field il
brocaded with the young heros blood, for i
was laid over his body while the wounds still
"let out his life" L. l.. ID.