The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-03
UTAH BATTERY's WORK.
Gen. Macarthur Praises Lieut.. Grow
and His Detachment.

and His Detachment
+ Washington, Oct. 2.-The report OF
Major General Macarthur. who COM
nIanded the First brigade. Second di-
| vision, Eighth army/corDs, on the DAY
Of the battle of Manila, mention OF
which was made in yesterdays dis
patches, gives some very interesting
details of the fight of the 18th of Au-
gust. Following are some of the ex-
| tracts:
Several hours before the operations
| of the day were intended to commence
! there was considerable desultory nrlns
from the Spanish line, both of cannon
| and small arms. provoked, no DOUBT
by Filipino soldiers, who insisted upon
maintaining general fusilade along
| their lines, with which the American
line connected, just east of the Pasie
| road. The fire was not returned by our
| troops, and when the formation of the
day was commenced things at the front
| were comparatively quiet. By O'CLOCK
! the position was occupied, about S:55
| the naval attack commenced, ana some
| 20 minutes thereafter the gun of bat
! terry b, Utah artillery, opened on Dlock
| house IA, the guns of the Astor battery
having engaged an opposing battery
| some minutes after the opening o. The
naval attack. There was no reply from
! the block house or contiguous lines,
| either by guns or small arms. The
| opposition to the Astor fire, however,
was quite energetic; but after spir-
| tied contest the opposition, consisting,
probably, of two pieces, was silenced.
This contest was the only notable
feature of the first stage of the action,
| and was especially creditable to the
organizations engaged. The position y
| lected by Lieutenant March, after care
| full personal reconnaissance, was, per-
i f.frl
| ity, and it was occupied with great
| skill, and held with commendable firm
ness, the battery losing three men
wounded, one of whom has since died.
UTAH'S GOOD WORK.
1.-THE Utah gun on the road fired IA
| shots at block house ID, with good ef-
| feet, as was subsequently ascertained
upon inspection of the work Lieuten-
ant Grow and the detachment deserve
great credit for the commendable man
ner in which the piece was served and
pulled through the mud, without the
assistance of horses.
Some time about IL o'clock concen-
trated infantry fire was heard in front
of the Second brigade, and not long
thereafter an eXultant shout Indicated
substantial success for our arms on the
left. 1t was. therefore, assumed that
the enemy had been so shaken as to
make the advance practicable without
serious disadvantage to our troops
"At about 1870 o'clock a United
States flag was placed upon block house
IA, thus concluding the second stage of
the action without opposition and with
out loss.
THE general advance was soon re-
Sumed, the Thirteenth Minnesota lead
ing, with company K as advance guard
then the Astor battery, the battalion of
the Twenty third infantry, the battal-
ion of the Fourteenth infantry and the
North Dakota regiment following in the
order named.
AT a point just south of Singalong,
a block house was found burning, caus-
ing a continuous explosion of small
arms ammunition, which, together with
scattered fire from the enemy, retard
ed the advance for a time. All diff
culties were soon over, however, in
Guiding the passage of the Aston bat
terry. by the efforts of Lieutenant March
and his men, assisted by the infantry
of the Minnesota regiment, over the
gun emplacement which obstructed the
road.
A FIERCE COMBAT.
In the village of Singalong the ad-
vance fell under loose fire, the intens-
ity of which increased as the forward
movement was dressed, and very soon
the command was committed to a fierc1
combat. This strong opposition arose
at block house 20 of the Spanish de-
fences, a detached work with emplace-
ments for six guns, which fortunately
were not filled on the 18th inst; but
the work was Occupied by a detachment
of infantry-probably a strong rear
guard.
THE advance party, consisting of
men CT the Minnesota regiment, REIN
TAN.1 11xr IL .trr. H., 49,
battery, led by Lieutenant March and
Captain Sawtelle Of the brigade staff az
an individual volunteer, reached point
within less than so yards of the block
house, but was obliged to retire to the
intersection road in the village, at
which point a hasty work was impro-
vised and occupied by a firing line Of
about Is men.
Aside from conspicuous individual
actions in the first rush, the wall-regu-
lated conduct OF this firing line was the
marked feature of the contest, and it
is proposed. if possible, to ascertain
the names of the men engaged, with
view of recommending them for special
distinction.
''At about 1:S0 D. M all firing had
ceased and two scouting parties vol
UNFAIRLY led by Captain Sawtelle and
Lieutenant March, soon thereafter re-
ported the retreat of the adversary.
The city was entered without further
incident, through the Paceo district
The contact was made about II o'clock,
and the contest continued with great
ferocity until 1885, that is to say, about
an hour and a half. The loss in the
combat was three officers wounded,
four enlisted men killed and SO wound
ed"
General Macarthur takes occasion to
commend in strong terms the gallantry
of Colonies Overshine and Reeve, Cap
tain Sawtelle, Bjornstad and Seebach,
and of Lieutenants March, Herman and