, 1898-08-10

iiS'S 'h'''S' h'o
Nine dead and forty-six wounded
This tells the story of the baptism by
fire the American armies have under
gone before Manila. The American
trenches before Malite were thrown for
ward some days ago to displace the in
surgents, extending from the beach,
half a mile toward Pasay, where Gen
eral NCrial's headquarters are. They
were held last night by the Pennsyl-
v~anians and Batteries A and b of the
Utah artillery with three rapid fire
guns.
Between the American extreme right
and the insurgent barracks at Pasay
is about a half mile of bamboo swamp
interspersed with mango trees, which
the insurgents were supposed TO cover
and had covered heretofore.
After some desul;ory firing from the
iards replied at intervals, a heavy rain
fell and the insurgents retired to Pasay,
leaving the American right uncovered.
Colonel Hawkins Of the Pennsyl-
vanias had thrown three companies, d.
E and X, outside the trenches to cover
The right OF companies A, II, c and Z,
beach, with Utah's Company B lying as
a reserve back along Gale Real toward
Camp Dewey.
At half past II O'Clock at might the
Sraniards' front opened fire on the
American right. drawing the Pennsyl-
vanians' fire outside of the trenches,
thus getting their position. Then from
the dense bamboo thicket. $50 yards to
the American right. there blaZed the
fir of 1000 MauSers. while the MALT
batteries sent shrapnel shIieking in up
on the American works and from the
front came the CALLING fire of Norden-
feldts.
While the Spaniards swept Gale
Real. the insurgent batteries on the
Pasay side remained ominously silent,
protected by the thickets and covered
by darkness.
The Spaniards attempted to rush on
the American right. The plan appar-
emily was to double troops up on the
beach and sweep across the flats to the
camp.
Company d of the Pennsylvania vol
unteers. cut off from the main body,
fought its way back. The S%paniards
of the American intrenchments, but
fell back before the steady fire Of the
volunteers.
A shell from Malite buried one of
the Utah guns, and the volunteer bat
teries' position was rapidly becoming
untenable. when Colonel Hawkins dis
patched a messenger to the camp for
achievements. He struck the Third
artillery. Major O'Hart. without await
ing orders, hurried two batteries into
action, as infantry. in the trenches.
The Pennsylvania troops had our
rounds per nan when succored.
Major O'Hart Sent information to
General Green.
By this time the firing, heavy and
continuous. vastly different from the
usual outpost shooting Of the Spaniards
and natives, had aroused the camp, and
night.
The First battalion of the First Cali
fornia volunteers. closely followed by
the remaining battalions, marched to
the front, cheering. AS they crossed
the muddy fields in a pitiless rain,
marching beside Colonel James F.
Smith of the C%alifornians. reached
the trenches before the correspondent
OF any paper.
Going down Gale Real We met insur-
gents running away, firing as they ran.
The Californian First battalion was
thrown Immediately forward in the
trenches. | found the Krang-Jorgensen
rifles OF the regulars doing deadly work.
| have seen the new rifle fire and know
it is an effective weapon The Second
California battalion deployed on the
right, holding the line to Pasay, the
Third being in reserve, with the Colo
RADIO men in the rear.
Not n insurgent wa found in the
trenches. For three hours the Span
iards were maintaining a CALLING enfl-
aiding fire. but they shot high. making
a veritable hell OF the second line OF in
trenchments. held by the Second Cali
fornia battalion.
Crossing this line to the front,
crawled through the mud, while all
about me was scattered a storm Of bull
lets.
At this point the casualties occur
red to the relieving troops The Penn
%sylvanians were shot outside the
trenches.
The Spanish fire gradually slackened
toward morning. At daylight the gar
rison retired behind sand bag intrench-