Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-08-27
THE ASTOR BATTERY
DID HARDEST FIGHTING
General Macarthur CompIimented
Them for Their Bravery During
the Battle.
UNEXPECTEDLY FOUND SPANIARDS
Driven Back for a Time Leaving
Two of Their
Guns.
UNEXPECTEDLY FOUND SPANIARDS
CHARGED WITH THEIR REvOLvERS
Rccapturcd Their Guns, Turned
Them on the Enemy aud Did
Great Execution-Two
Were Killed.

New York, Aug. 20.-A Worlds Ma
nila special dated August 10, via Hong
Kong, says:
The hardest fighting at the capture
Of Manila was done by the Astor bat
terry, which led the advance. General
Macarthur, commanding the brigade,
complimcntcd the men i'm the highest
+ terms right in the midst of the bat
tie for their yalor and success. The
Astor battery led the column, sup
ported by the Minnesota volunteers
and the Twcnty-third regulars. The
Utah battery's guns were too heavy
to move through the swamps. The
march was along the Pasig road, on
the right Of the river Pasig, where
the feet could give no assistance.
Al the junction Of the Cingalon road
the vanguard came without warning
upon a strong Spanish intrcnchment.
Suddenly the enemy raincd Il deadly
fire upon the Americans, killing two
ll'I VI ilN AAHNOl b"'N'i 4 ~
geant Holmes ana second Sergeant
Cremins, aud one Minnesota man, Pri-
vate Patterson, at the same time
wounding y score of others. Sergeant
Cremins, alter he was shot, started to
his gun, fred it and the next moment
fell dead beside the piece.
Forced To Fail hack.
The Astor battery was forced to fall
back from the deadly fire, temporarily
leaving two guns. But the reserves
under Colonel Ovenshine came up
promptly and with their support the
Astors charged the enemy with only
revolyers as weapons quickly regained
their guns and put both into action
again with increased vigor. The Span
iards were then speedily put 10 flight.
The following Is the list of casual
ties in the Aston battery:
Killed
NJ. l.. HOLMES, first sergeant.
ID. CREMINS, second sergeant.
Wounded
X. II. Sillman, sergeant.
Il. Van Horne, corporal.
G. Baker, private.
g.. Bowtell, private.
G. Dunn, private.
II. !. Hayden, private.
w, II. Seymour, private.
q. ~ Van PeIl. private.
Private Dunn's wound Is serious.
The other wounded men will recover
The losses are pretty evenly divided
between the two %brigadcs. The fol-
lowing are the names Of the killed
and wounded soldiers outside the AS
tor battery:
SAMUEL HOWELL, Fourteenth
regulars.
EDWARD O'NEII, California volun-
teCrs.
A. i. PATTERSON, private, Mime
sofa volunteers.
pHENlX, private, Colorado volun-
tcers.
AUGUST THOLLIN, private, Tween
ty-third United States infantry.
Woundcd-B. Burser, captain, Min
ncsota volunteers, severely; o. See.
bach, captain, Minnesota volunteers
seriously; Baker, private, Twenty
third regulars; Carlson, private, Min
nesota volunteers; John DummOre
private, CalifC1nia volunteers; Albert
Hammerson, private, California volun,
tecrs; Kahl, private, Minnesota vol
untcers; Mccain, private, Twenty
third regulars; Pirate Moore, Mime.
sofa volunteers: Private Morgan
Twenty-third regulars; Private Parcr
Twenty-third regulars; Private Tet'
zoof, Minnesota volunteers.
The Spanish loss is estimated at not
less than 200, including both the killed
hood Of 5000 captured.
Vnst stores Captured.
Vast stores Of military and naval
supplies were seized. The casualties
on the American side were confined
TO the land side. Net n man on the
feet was injured. Through four lines
of intrenchmcnts extending for two
miles, the enemy was driven in
panic to the walled portion of Manila,
There the Spaniards surrendered. AS
the stars and stripes were raised over
the official residence of the governor,
Captain General ,Jaudenes. burst into
tears, and his suite hid their faces III
their hands. The almost impregnable
Notifications bad been stormed, IN
GLIDING the blockhouscs and innumer'
able street blockades. All were car
ried with the pluck and valor charac'
t~eristic of Americans.
In General Green's brigade the Colo
RADIO and California volunteers and the
Eighteenth regulars drove the Span
iards back in n panic. The east anC
west We'd in deeds of bravery. The sol
diers knew Friday night that the at
tack was to be made. The r~cviclle wa!
sounded at 4 o'clock. The troop!
arose, singing and cheering. Fol
weeks they had been encamped il
swamps or lying in bitches filled will
water, exposed to tropical rains. They
had waited patiently for the order tc
attack and when it came the demon
STATIONS were unanimous along thu
lines. A heavy rain set in as the troops
left the camp. The men marched tive
miles in the mud over their shoe tops
to the intrenchments. Each carried
two days rations and $50 cartridges.