The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-10-03

HAStINNTION.o L.
of Major General f. V. Greene, who
commanded the Second Brigade, Sec
ond Divisions of the Eighth. Army Corps
at Manila at the time of the battle
there on the 18th OF August last, has
been made public
General Greene was then Brigadier
General. His brigade consisted of the
First Colorado, First Nebraska and
Tenth Pennsylvania and the First and
Second BattaliOns of the Eighteenth
Infantry, Batteries A and b, Utah
Artillery, a detachment of Company a,
Engineer Battalion, First California,
First and Third BattaliOns, Third
Artillery, and Company A, Engineer
Battalion.
General Greene describes in detail
the part performed by his command in
the battles about Manila, recapitulating
in the following:
This brigade reached Manila Bay
July 18th, landed and established camp
July 19-21st; was attacked by the
Spaniards July 31st, August 1st, August
I'd and August 9TH; led the advance
in the attack and capture of Manila
August 18th Our losses We're sixteen
killed and sixty-five wounded. 1t is
impossible to give any accurate figures
in the losses of the Spaniards. but it
is probably safe to- say that their losses
from August 1st to 18th were at least
forty killed and 100 wounded.
The manner in which the troops per-
formed their duties, whether fighting,
working in the trenches or sitting still
under fire with strict orders not to re-
turn it, is worthy of the very highest
praise
The resistance encountered on the
18th was much less than anticipated
and planned for, but had the resistance
been greater the result would have
been the same, only the loss would
have been greater Fortunately. the
great result of capturing this city the
seat of Spanish power in the East for
more than 300 years, was accomplished
with a loss of life comparatively insig-
nificant"
General Greene's accounts of the
events from the day of his landing up
to the 18th of August, the date of the
decisive battle, shows that his troops
We're constantly on the defensive and
that all of them were employed in
slIirmishes of greater or lesser import
ance. General Greene gives an account
of what took place on various dates,
until the 18th, the American forces re
manning on the passive defense. OF the
battle of the 18th, he says:
AT 1915 1 sent forward the First
Battalion of the First Colorado along
the beach and in the field on its right.
and followed this up with the Second
and then the Third Battalion of the
same regiment, at distances of about
200 yards They met a light fire from
the woods on their right flank, in the
rear of the Spanish trenches. and in the
direction Of Cingalon and Paceo. They
replied TO this with volleys. and the
companies nearest the beach forded the
creek. advanced through the water on
the beach, turned the right flank of the
trenches and entered Fort Antonio de
Abad from the rear, hauling down the
Spanish flag and hosting the Ameri-
can flag about II a. m Seeing the fort
captured without resistance, l ordered
the Eighteenth United States Infantry
TO move by the left flank over the
trenches and along the road to Manila
in column Of tours, not anticipating any
resistance AS they showed them
selves, however, a sharp fire was met
from the woods near Cingalon. and the
Second Battalion deployed to the right
of the road in the formation for at
tack Although the enemy could not
be accurately located on account of his
using smokeless powder, this fire was
replied TO by voleys, which had the
effect of subduing it, The battalion
then moved forward by rushes. fol-
lowed by the First Battalion, until it
reached the Spanish trenches which
had been abandoned, leaving three
dead.
when the Eighteenth United States
Infantry advanced / sent orders to the
Third United States Artillery to adj
vance to the front from its position on
the right. and their advance was made
I'm the formation for attack at the same
time as the Eighteenth United States
Infantry. They were subject to the
same fire from their right and front
near the Cingalon woods, to which they
replied, subduing it. and then advanc-
ing to the Spanish trenches, which they
found deserted.
Just as the advance of the Eigh-
teenth Infantry and Third Artillery be-
san, the commanding officer of the re-
serve, Wnlcn naQ Deen olueIeu up Dy
the Division Commander, reported 10
me, and I directed them TO follow by
the beach and ordered the artillery to
follow on to Manila as soon as they
could get the assistance of the infan-
try to haul their guns. As the bridge
near the fort appeared to be broken
by artillery fire, l directed the engineer
company to- carry forward some large
trestles and flooring of b-:nboo which
had been prepared the previous day,
and this was done under fire.
Having made these dispositions, i
rode forward rapidly by the beach and
through the creek to the fc.'t. A por-
ton of the First Colorado was in the
Spanish trenches replying to a fire
from a second line OF defense running
along the road from Malate 10 Cinga-
lon The rest Of the Colorado regi-
ment and all OF the California were in
the houses few hundred yards in our
front, replying TO this same fire from
the flank. The engagement here last