The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-03
GENERALS TELL OF
MANILA'S FALL
Reports Of Greene and
Macarthur.
VERY INTERESTING DETAILS
VALOR OF A FIRING LINE OF
FIFTEEN MEN.
Conspicuous Gallantry Of a Number
of Officers Is Strongly Com
mended-Utah Battery's
Good Work.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

| WASHINGTON, Oct. 1.-THE report OF
Major General F. V. Greene, who COM
manded the Second Brigade, Second Di-
vision of the Eighth Army Corps, al
Manila, at the time of the battle there
on the 18th of August last, has been
made public. General Greene was then
brigadier general. His brigade con-
sisted of the First Colorado. First Ne
braska and Tenth Pennsylvania and
the First and Second Battalions of the
Eighteenth Infantry, Batteries A and
B of the Utah Artillery, a detachment
of Company A, Engineer Battalion,
First California, First and Third Bat
talions, Third Artillery, and Company
A, Engineer Battalion.
General Greene describes in detail the
part performed by his command in the
battles about Manila He expresses ap-
probation of the services rendered by
Captain T. d. Mott, aide de camp to the
major general commanding, and to the
members of his own staf-Captain W.
@. Bates, assistant adjutant general;
Lieutenant Schuyler Schieffin, aide de
camp; Captain w. A. Harper, assistant
quartermaster, and Major f. S. Bourns,
surgeon United States Volunteers (the
latter on special duty not medlcaD-all
Of whom were with him on August 10.
They all carried orders under fire, for
tunately without any casualties.
The report of Major General MacAr-
thur, who commanded the First Bri-
gade, Second Division, Eighth Army
Corps, on the day of the battle of Ma
Mia, mention of which was made IN
yesterdays dispatches, gives some very
interesting details of the fight OF the
18th of August. Following are some
of the extracts:
Several hours before the operations of
the day were intended to commence there
was considerable desultory firing from the
Spanish line, both OF cannon and small
arms, provoked no doubt by Filipino SOL
dierS who insisted upon maintaining a
general fusilIade along their lines, with
which the American Hne connected just
east of the Passia road. The fire was not
returned by our troops, and when the for
nation of the day was commenced things
at the front were comparatively quiet
BY o'clock the position was occupied,
about 9:35 the naval attack commenced,
and some twenty minutes thereafter the
gun of Battery b, Utah Artillery, opened
on blockhouse IA the guns of the Aston
Battery having engaged an opposing bat
terry some minutes after the opening OF
the naval attack. There was no reply
from the blockhouse or contiguous lines.
either by guns or small arms. The OPP
position to the Astor fire, however, was
quite energetic, but after spirited con-
test the opposition, consisting probably
This contest was the only notable Tea
ture of the first stage of the action and
was especially Credita bic to the organiza-
ton engaged; The position selected by
Lieutenant March after careful recon
noissance was perhaps the only one pos
sible in the vicinity, and 1t was occupied
with great skill and held with Commenda-
BILE firmness with the battery, having three
men wounded, one of whom has since
died. The Utah gun on the road fired four
teen shots at blockhouse IA with good eff
feet, as was subsequently ascertained
upon inspection of the works.
Lieutenant Grow and detachment de-
serve great credit for the commendable
manner in which the piece was served
and pulled through the mud without the
o'clock concentrated infantry fire was
heard in front of the Second Brigade, and
Dictated substantial success for our arms
on the left. It was therefore assumed
that the enemy had been so shaken as to
make the advance practicable without
serious disadvantage to our troops At
about IL: 80 o'clock a United States flag
was placed upon blockhouse IA, thus con-
Guiding the second stage of the action
without opposition and without loss.
The general advance was soon resumed,
the Thirteenth Minnesota leading, with
Company Is as advance, guard; hen the
Aston Battery, the battalion of the Tween
ty-third Infantry, the battalion of the
Fourteenth Infantry and the North pa
named. AT a point just south of Sing
along a blocl1house was found burning
causing continuous explosion of small
arms ammunition, which, together witt
scattered fire from the enemy, retarded
the advance for time. All difficulties
were soon overcome, however, including
determined efforts of Lieutenant March
and his men, assisted by the infantry of
emplacenent which INSTRUCTED the road.
In the village of Sinsalong the advance
fell under loose fire, the intensity of
which increased as the forward move
T1pnt pressed and the
mand was committed to fierce combat.
This strong opposition arose at block
house 20 of the Spanish defenses, a de-
tached work. with emplacements for six
guns, which fortunately were not filled on
the 18th inst, but the work was occupied
strong rear guard. The advance party,
consisting of men of the Minnesota Reg
iment, reinforced by volunteers from the
and Captain Sawtelle Of the brigade staff
as individual volunteer, reached
point within less than eighty yards of the
blockhouSe, but was obliged to retire to
the intersection road In the village, at
which point hasty work was improvised
a9d occupied by s;da f firing line of about
dividual actions in the first rush, the we'll
regulated conduct of this. firing line was
it is proposed, If possible, to ascertain the
names of the men engaged, with q view
to recommending them for special dis
tinction.
ceased and two scouting parties Volun-
tarily led by. Captain sawtele and Lieu
tenant March soon thereafter reported
the retreat of the adversary The city
was entered without further incident
through the Paceo district. The contact
was made about - o'clock and the con-
test continued with great ferocity until
1:35-that is to say, about an hour and q
half The loss in the combat was three
officers wounded, four enlisted men killed
and thirty-three wounded.
General Macarthur takes occasion to
commend in strong terms the gallantry
of Colonies Ovenshine and Reeve, Cap
tains Sawtelle, Bjornstadt and Seebach,
and of Lieutenants March, Herman and
Whitworth.
Good Work Of Forest Rangers.