The Mena star., 1898-10-12
FROM A MISSOURI BOY.
A Graphic Account Of the Battle of
fIanila by a Boy.

W a Ivy
From the Kansas City Journal
A graphic and interesting account of
the battle OF Manila is given by Rich
ard Il. WestbroolS. Pettis county boy,
who, although not yet TO- is a soldier
in the Eighteenth United States infant
ry. and participated in the engage
ment He tells the story in letter to
his mother, part of which is as fol-
lows:
ut has been one week and two days
since the battle. l will never forget
that day, Saturday. August ID We
got up about clock, ale breakfast
and were lined up awaiting orders to
march by GAO At o'clock we were
marching to the ntrenchnents, which
were about two and one half miles
distant. The mud and water were
knee deep. We arrived there at
o'clock and had to stand in mud and
water up to our knees for one hour.
A. o'clock the batteries opened fire
on the Spanish, who were in their in
trenchments, about $50 or 400 yards
away. They kept up continuous fire
from their three-inch guns. This last
ed one hour Ii was then 10 o'clock,
and the Spanish began TO retreat
There were about 5000 in mum Der, and
they had not yet fired shot. The
batteries ceased firing and the First
Go1i ntu toA
on the extreme left flank. next to the
beach They fired volleys for Ave
minutes, then they began firing ct
will and advancing on the city. Next
came the Eighteenth regulars, compa-
ny +, being the junior company. we
had to advance first The Span
iards had net until now fred shot
When they saw us advancing they be-
gan to fire rapidly. The bullets came
thick and fast, but they fred wildly,
none taking effect on any of us. We
now advanced with fixed baycnets and
got ready for the charge, keeping close
10 the bamboo trees. but our colonel
got tired of waiting and gave the or
der for the charge We took up double
time through the rice fields, and the
water was mp to our waists but we
went just the anne, firing as we went
We soon were to the intrenchments
There were but a few Spaniards left
here, and they were hidden behind
bamboos, firing wildly. We began
picking them off. one by one. until
they were all gone. All that were
not dead or wounded had fed to the
city. We lay there in the water with
only our heads sticking out, waiting
for the rest of the Eighteenth. AS
soon as they came up we started for
the city. We lodged around through
the streets to keep from being hit by
the Spanish, who were still firing. We
kept this up until we got to the walled
city. and then the white flag went up.
OF all the cheering that / ever heard,
it commenced now. Everyone that
could speak above whisper did his
utmost.
I'VE took possession of the Spanish
quarters immediately, and have been
here ever since Altogether there
have been 500 Spaniards killed and
wounded In all the fighting that has
been done here, on land and water,
we have only had twenty killed aud
wounded. | came through all right,
except ! tore my pants little. The
boys are all anxious to go back. 1t is
too hot here, although it rains almost
every day. There are lots OF sights to
see. 1t seems like the people all live
in cages The streets are very narrow
There are lots of Japs and Chinese
here The natives of this island are
very ignorant They are of dark
color and very small
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