The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-08-19
FIGHT NEAR MANILA
Spaniards Make a Night Attack
on American Troops.
Although Greatly Outnumbered
Uncle Sans Boys Stood Their
GrOund-A Nebraska Volunteer
Reported Killed.

Hong Kong-Special-The attack on
Manila awaits the landing of the Amer
lean troops now in the harbor.
The monitor Monterey has arrived
and Admiral Dewey is more than ever
master Of the situation. All the strain
caused by the possibility of German in
reference has been removed by the
arrival of the fighting monitor.
At the same time the hope that Gov
ernor General August would surrender
without a fierce battle has been dis
PEELED, compelled by the arguments of
the military officers under him. forced
by the martial demands Of the arch
bishop Of Manila, and perhaps prompt
ed by the sullenness of Aguinaldo and
his insurgents.
August opened II. fierce assault OF
our lines during the storm of Sunday
night, July 81. OF course this battle
has been the principal subject of COM
ment, so I send o more particulars
Of the engagement.
Malate is a fortified town on the road
to Manila, and it represents the closest
approach of the attack on the city
proper. The insurgents had invested
the place and fought holly there, losing
many men. Then they gave way, and
the American forces were pushed into
the place they vacated.
GREEN'S FORCES ADVANCE.
NH xo@~{1--~ ,,~lo. ~1oo. ~oo
intrenched themselves, threw out pick
cts and began to slowly, but systemat-
ically advance while awaiting the ar
rival of reinforcements.
On Sunday the Spaniards saw that
the Americans were getting ready to
land a superior force, and h a every
few days brought them reinforcements,
so an attack was ordered.
A typhoon had set in, the rain was
descending in torrents and the night
was black as a hole in the universe
when 5000 Spaniards attacked the
American position on it's right flank.
The insurgents had withdrawn for
feast day celebrations and their with
drawal left our right open. But a line
of vigilant pickets was out, and these
men fired on the Spanish advance and
then retreated slowly, firing as they
came in.
All at once there was a great stir in
camp, but no confusion. The Tenth
Pennsylvania bore the brunt of the at
tack and checked the Spanish advance
until the Utah battery, the First Cal
ifornia volunteers INC two companies
of the Third artillery, fighting as in
fantry, could get up to strengthen the
right Of the line. 1t was a dreadful
night, and the Spaniards came on bold
ly through the dark right up to the
American intrenchments.
VOLUNTEERS LIKE VETS.
The volunteers fought back like vet
though his was the first time
they had been under fire. Captain
Young got his Utah battery into po-
sition with some difficulty, on account
of the mud, but he soon was %enfilading
the enemy's ranks. The Americans
were outnumbered, but they did not
yield an inch, and their fire was fear
fully destructive. After a stubborn
fight the Spaniards were beaten off on
the run.
They reformed, however, n came
again. By this time the Americans
were in position and under complete
discipline, and their fire was all the
more deadly. They poured volley after
volley wherever the Spanish rifles
flashed, and again the enemy retreated.
They tried a third attack, but. it was
very feeble, and some of the Americans
pursued their retreat, doing much ex-
ecution.
HEAVY SPANISH LOSS.
The loss was more than ordinarily
disproportionate, though the exact
Spanish figures cannot be obtained.
The British admiral says the general
estimate in Manila is that between 800
and 400 Spaniards were killed and near
ly 1000 wounded.
These figures are altogether possible,
even in a night engagement, as there
were between three and four hours of
continuous fighting, some Of it hand-to-
hand and all of it at murderous range.
1t must be remembered that there
were from 5000 to $500 Spaniards in
this attack, and only 900 Americans,
and that the Spanish were veterans,
while all but two companies in the de-
Tense were American volunteers and
under fire for the first time. but. the
American victory was complete.
Then, too, the Spanish had the advan-
tage Of artillery. When the First Cal