The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-10
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON. Aug. 9--Official advices
received by the government and press dis
patches tell of a desperate fight in the
trenches before Manila. in which the Ameri-
can troops conducted themselves with gall
lantry and routed superior Spanish force.
The fight took place on the night of July
in torrents and the lightning flashing al
most continually. About three thousand
Spaniards took advantage of the storm and
attempted to surprise the American pickets.
The latter fought bravely, but fell back to
the intrenchments. Then furious engage
ment took place. The small force of Ameri-
after volley into the ranks of the enemy,
forcing the enemy to retreat in confusion
with a loss estimated at between two and
five hundred The Americans casualties
were nine killed and nine seriously wound
ed, and about forty slightly injured In
skirmishes which followed our troops are
said to have lost six more men killed.
swelling the total dead to fifteen, and the
wounded to about fifty. The War Depart
mert to-day received the following from
General Merritt. dated Cavite, by way of
Hong-Kong, Aug. 8:
MacArthurs troops arrived here on the
31st. No epidemic of sickness. Five deaths
on the way. Lieutenant Kerr, of the en-
gineers, died of spinal meningitis Landing
at the camp was delayed on account of the
high surf.
To gain approach to the city General
Greenes outposts were advanced to con-
tinue the line from Canine Real to the
beach on Sunday night. The Spanish at
tackled sharply, but the artillery outposts
behaveds well, and held their position,
though it was necessary to call out bri-
gade. The Spanish loss is rumored to have
been heavy. Our loss follows:
killed
Tenth Pennsylvania-John Brady. Walter
E. Brown, William Z. Brinton, Jacob Hull,
Jesse Moss, William Stillwagon.
First California-Maurice Justa.
Third Artillery-Eli Dawson.
First Colorado-Fred Springstead.
Seriously Wounded
Tenth Pennsylvania-Sergea Alva Wal
ter, Privates Lee Snyder, Victor Holmes,
c. S. Carter, Arthur Johnson.
First Calfornia-Captain r. Richter,
Private c. j. Edwards
Third Artillery-Privates Charles Win
field, j. A. McElroth.
Thirty-eight men were slightly wounded.
General Merritt gave no details of the en-
gagement, and his dispatch did not convey
much information as to the condition of
the troops under his command. Lieutenant
Robert d. Kerr, whose death General Mer-
ritt reports, was appointed to West Point
from Greenbank, w. Va, and was gradu-
ated in April, so he and his class might
participate in the war; Lieutenant Kerr
was assigned to the engineer corps. Two
members of this class were killed at San
tiago.
General Merritt's force in the Philippines
consists of the three expeditions which have
arrived there. amounting to 46O officers and
10,464 men. They are the First California,
Second Oregon, Tenth Pennsylvania, First
Colorado, First Nebraska, Thirteenth Min
nesota, First Idaho, First Wyoming, Six
teenth, Eighteenth and Twenty-third
United States Infantry, the First California
Battery, the Astor Battery; Batteries
G, II, K and L, Third United States Ar
tillery, and Batteries A and B, Utah Vol
unteers.