The Irish standard., 1898-09-24
HOW WIRISH-AMERICAN BOYS FOUGHT
IN THE PHILIPPINES.
CAPT. o'HARA, OF the THIRD ARTILLERY
lST CALIFORNIA. UNDER COL. SMITH
ORDERED TO THE FRONT.
HEROIC DEATH OF PRIVATE M'llRA1A
PRIV. ATE FINLAY, OF G COMPANY, Is
ESrECIALLY HRAVE.

Manila gives full account of the bat
tie of Malate, from which the following
is extracted:
For an hour the fight had been 60
ing on fiercely. The noise of it got to
the ships of the fleet, drifting against the
wind, and the searchlights began to
wink and to travel over toward the
Spanish position. Blessed relief to our
men. 1t gave them now and then Il
glimpse of the country ahead of them.
They could see something of where they
where shooting, but still they could not
see the enemy. Camp Dewey had been
awake a long time. Lying in his tent,
almost at the north end of the camp,
Capt. OIIara, i'll command of the bat
talon of the Bird artillery, unable to get
asleep, had been keeping track of the
firing. He knew our men had but fifty
rounds of ammunition with them, and
he realized that at the rate they were
shooting that would soon be expended.
He didn't know what the trouble was,
but he did know that if they We're at
tackled they would want help when their
ammunition was gone, and they would
want 1t mighty badly. Battery X. OF his
battalion, was in position as supporters,
but the orders were not to go unless the
Pennsylvanans were in a pinch. Capt
O'Hara counted the volcys until the fir
ing became indiscriminatc and he under
stood that the boys were getting ratified.
He had no orders, but he took chance,
and he took it just in time.
He sounded the assembly. AS the
bugTe call rose over the camp, out of
their tents tumbled the men of Battery
H and into line they ran, krag-Jorgen-
sen in hand and 150 rounds in their
double belts. Down in the camp brow,
the 3rd artillery, another buglcr picked
up the call. The list Colorado men heard
it and swarmcd out with their guns
Nebraska followed suit, and soon half
the camp was in arms.
Leaving Capt. Hobbs in command of
Battery II, with orders to be ready to
advance at the buglc call and to bring
10000 rounds extra ammunition Capt
O'Hara with his orderly and his buglcr
started up the road toward the front
A little beyond the corner of the camp
he met the orderly from Major Cuthbcrt-
son coming on the dead run. The Or
derly was blown and frightened. He
had run through rain of bullets on his
way back for help, and it had increased
his excitement and enlarged his notion
of what had occurred.
We're whpped!' he shouted to Capt.
O'Hara. "We're-"
But OHara didn't care what else had
happened. His bugler was already put
ting his soul into the command For
ward!" O'Hara heard the answer from
Hobbs bugler. and captain, orderly and
bugler charged up the road to the front
with all the speed their legs would give.
The bugles sang along the road in the
steady, reassuring song Of Forward"
and the men of Battery II, toiling up
through the dreadful mud, answered
with a cheer and a fresh spurt.
Someone ahead of O'Hara knew where
Krayenbuhl and his own battery were
If they had not gone in already he would
take them. He met men coming to the
rear with wounded, and now some COM
ing without wounded, struggling.
We're beaten!" they shouted, and the
ready bugler shouted the single reply of
Forward" The shamcfaccd strag-
glers fell in with the captain, the or
derly and the bugler, and the little pro-
cession swept on toward the fight.
1t was hot work in the Canine Real.
Much experience had given the Span
iards a first class idea of the range, and
they lined the road with bullets. for
they knew that reinforcements would be
likely to come that way. The mud was
ankle deep most of the way, and, in
spite of the rain, which was unccasing,
trouble ahead, and on they went, with
the exutlant bugle singing it's single
word "Forward!" Every time the an
swer came sharp and clear from Battery
II, and up the road they doubled for
dear life. At the cross road and the
first barricadc. where Kraycnbuhl had
been posted with his regulars, there
were only some stragglers, and Capt.
O'Hara thanked God and sounded "For-
ward'-the regulars had gone in. The
stragglers swung in with O'Hara, and
they went on up the road The bullets
spattered the mud in their faces, and
they hugged the bamboos at the sides
of the road. They advanced in double
column, one on each side of the road,
and so they escaped harm. Just beyond
this barricade Hobbs and his men OF
Battery H overlook them. The bugles
commanded Forward" and on they