The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-02

these circumstances 7 telegraphed Mac
Arthur to countermarch and come 10 Ma
late by way Of g., Greenes lntre enc NJ
but soon after 1 learned that Macarthur
was too far committed to retire Inc
guns Of the Astor Battery had been
dragged to the front only after the Ut
most exertionS, and were about being. pun
into battery At the same time l receiN-
ed telegram stating that the insurgents
were threatening to cross the bamboo
bridge on our right and, to prevent this
and guard our ammunition at Pasay, /
ordered an Idaho battalion to: the point.
1t was evidently :injudic1ous, under these aa
circumstances, TO withdraw the first
brigade, so the order was countermanded
and dispatch sent announcing our sue
cess on the left.
along had been carried and that the
brigade was advancing on Pace. AT this
point it was subsequently met by one OF
my aids and marched down to the Guar
tel de Malate by the CalZado de Paco.
II had gone in the meantime to the south
bridge of the. walled city, and, learning
that the Second Oregon was within the
walls and that Colonel Whittier was in
conference with the Spanish. command
ant, l directed General Greene to proceed
at once with his brigade to the. north
side of the Pasig, retaining only the
Wyoming battalion to remain with me to
keep up the connection between the two
brigadeS.
A remarkable incident of the day
was the experience of Captain Stephen
OConnor of the Twenty-third Infan-
try. With a detachment of fifteen Skin
mishers he separated from his regiment
and brigade at blockhouse- No. IA, and,
striking road: probably in the rear Of
the enemy. marched into the city without
opnosition until he came to the Gale
Real in Malate. Along this street he had
some uniTnportant street fighting until he
came to the Paseo de la Calzada, where,
learning that negotiations were going on
for Surrender. he took post at, the
bridge of the north Safly-port, and the
whole outlying Spanish; force south of the
Pasig passed by this small detachment
hurrying in intramuros. Captain O'Con-
nor deserves recognition for the GOODNESS
and bravery displayed in this remarkable
adventure. ,
officers wounded, four enlisted men
killed and thirty-fiYe wounded. The loss
in the Second Brigade was one enlisted
total of five killed and forty-three
Tae 'antecedent loss IN the trenches was
fourteen killed and sixty wounded, max
ing a total of 122 casualties in the taking
of Manila This is only part of the price
we have paid and are paying Tor TINS
success, for men. are dying daily in our
hospitals from. disease contracted from
exposure In camp and trenches.
. All hardships and privations have been
borne by our soldiers with RE- remar Ill,
ton we met in battle was not SuffIc1ent
to test the bravery of our soldiers, but
all showed bravery and dash. The losses
show that the leading regiments of the
First BrigadexThirteenth Minnesota'
Twenty-third Infantry and the Astor Bat
tery-met the most serious opposition,
and. deserve credit for their success. The
Colorado, California and Oregon regi-
ments, the regulars and the batteries Of
the Second Brigade showed such zeal that
it seems a pity that they did not meet
men worthy of their steel.
My staff officers were active, jealous
and intelligent in the performance of their
duties, and the men and officers of the
entire division showed the best qualities
of American soldiers.
General MacArthur's report goes
more into detail concerning the opera
tions of his brigade. and commends the
bravery of a number Of officers and
organizations, mentioning Colonel
Overshine, Colonel Reeve of the Thr-
teenth Minnesota, Captain Sawtelle,
the brigade quartermaster; Lieutenant
Herman, Twenty-first Infantry; Lieu
tenant Whitworth, Eighteenth Infan-
try: Captains Bjornstad, Seebach and
lieutenant Lackore of the Thirteenth
Minnesota