The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-09-21
A Brave Private.

The New York Sun correspondent at
Manila tells the following story of the
battle Of Malate:
"Private J. F. Fiuiay, ofC Company,
First California, especially distinguish
cd himself For such work as his Eng
lishmen get the Victoria Cross. Finiay
is detailed to Major Jones' transporta-
ton department as interpreter. His
mother was Mexican, aud he learned
Spanish before he did English. When
ammunition was sent forward Finlay
was in charge of the train. He had
eight carromatta loads of IL, each ear
romatta with a native driver He
started when the Spanish fire was hot
test and went straight up through the
open fields. The bullets buzzed and
whistled all about him. They ripped
through the tops Of his carts, and one
of them bit one of his drivers in the
leg.
"Finlay kept on as If he were going
after corn on pleasant afternoon until
he reached the old insurgent trench.
Then be halted and his train went for
ward alone to lind some one from the
Tenth Pennsylvania tc whom he could
deliver the ammunition. That last
hundred yards into our trench was
what Captain o'Hara, grizzled vet
eran who has seen a-pIenty of hot work
called very hot place 1t was swept
lneessantly by Spanish bullets. But
Finlay hunted around until he found
his man, went back and got his car
romattas, and started forward. One of
his ponies was shot just in the rear Of
our trench. Finlay took it out of the
cart and with the native driver hauled
the cart along TO its place, delivered
his cartridges, aud started back.
ION the way he found Captain
Richter lying in the field where he had
fallen. lie jumped ont OF his CARO-
malta, put the Captain in, and started
on. Pretty soon he found another
wounded man. That one was picked
up, too, and back he went to camp
Then he turned the wounded over to
the surgeons and got orders to take ten
carromattas to the frontand bring back
the wounded. Back over that bullet
swept field he went again, as cool and |
unconcerned as if en- drive through |
Golden Gate Park, did his work,
brought in the wounded, and turned in
to get what sleep he could before the |
hard days work began soon after day
fight.
after he had sent forward every
thing that he could to help the men at |
the front, General Greene went out |
himself BY this time it was after
o'clock aud the worst of it was over.
The regulars were pumping in heavy |
vclleys and the Utah boys were crack
ing away at their undisturbed target |
practice and the attempt at fisnking'
was repuised.= G-2S-si Green stayed |
at the front until after O'Clock, and
then returned to camp At daylight
there was sharp burst Of firing by the
Spaniards, but our men did not re-
spOnd, and there was no damage done.
The wounded were all brought into
camp and the serious cases We're treat.
ed at the brigade hospital. The others
were taken care of at regimental hos
pitfalls or went TO their tents.
"In the afternoon the eight dead
were buried in the yard of the old con-
vent at Maribacan, back of the camp.
There were no collins available, SO each
man was-sewed upin his blanket, and
an Identification tag was sewed fast to
it. They were buried all in one trench,
and headboarfs were set up to mark
the graves, bearing the names of the
dead. The chaplain Of the Tenth
Pennsylvania took a careful descrip-
tion Of the place and the graves, with
the names aud records of the dead.
"The surgeons worked all day over
the wounded and did not get through
until in the evening. They found sew
eral very serious cases, some of which
have since resulted in death.
General Greene issued a general
order congratulating the Tenth Penn
sylvania and the Utah battery on their
gallant stand in the face Of superior
forces and their repulse of an attempt
10 turn our right flank He also COM
plimented very highly the Third ar
tillery and the First California on their
work in advancing under a CALLING
ire TO reinforce the Pennsylvanians.p