The record-union., 1898-10-02
BATTLE OF MANILA RETOLD.
a SACRAMENTO YOUTH WHO
WAS IN 1T.
Elmer Morrill, Writes an Interest,"
4ng Description of the
Fight.

Mrs. ]. C. Cotton of this city has re-
cedved a. letter from her nephew, Elmer
Morrill,, a graduate of the High School
of this city. who is now serving IN
Manila I'M the Fourteenth Regular In
fantryi The letter is dated Malate, Au-
gust 18th, and begins with the e2cIa-
nation. "Hurrah for Old Glory! he
says:
Manila has fallen. and Old Glory is
flying over the city. The city sur
rendered to our arms at 2 p. M, Au-
gust 18th. We had three battles with
the Spaniards before we reached the
city proper. The first collision was on
the 9TH, the second on the Sth and
the last on the 18th. The first two were
fought at night, in each case the
Spanish making the assault but gain
ing nothing from US. We were notready
for them either time-that is, not ready
10 stampede them and take their
trenches. But on the 18th 1t was diff
ferent We were the party then TO DO
business, and we did it in the proper
manner.
At 6 a. m. every man not on the
sick list at Camp Dewey was in readi-
ness to go to the front and fight for
his country. BY half-past 8 every man
was at his post eagerly awaiting the
time when the battle would begin. AT
forty-iye minutes after a message
was sent to Admiral Dewey that we
were ready, and that he could begin
the bombardment as soon as he pleased.
About a half-hour later we heard the
reports Of his heavy guns, and in re-
turn the tremendous blasts from the
Spanish land batteries.
The ships cannonading ceased at
1870. All the intermediate time our
land batteries, infantry and light
artillery were doing their best to stand
Off the Spanish light artillery and in
fantry forces. We kept this up until
half-past l, and in that time we had
driven the Spanish out of their
trenches, as well as from their
outer line of forts, backward into the
suburbs of Manila, and at the same
time capturing the town of FL Pache
and raising our flag over the arsenal
there, amid the cheering of about 2,OOO
able bodied strong lunged American
soldiers, every one Of whom was faitly
wild with patriotic enthusiasm, and
eager to move right on into Manila
through the constant rain of bullets
and shrapnel.
Well, Old Glory fioated over the city
before the day had passed. Half an
hour later the insurgents came rushing
in behind US, waving their flags and
hats, and apparently as eager to enter
the city as we were. But General Nc
Arthur, General Merritt and General
Anderson, after ten minutes consulta-
ton. ordered us to keep the insurgents
back and TO allow no one to pass our
fighting line, or beyond our outposts,
and we were to shoot the first men who
insisted on going ahead. Our inter
prefer went out and conversed with the
insurgent leaders for a few minutes,
and they promised to obey the order.
BY this time the hands of my watch
read 11:45 a. m, and still we were
fighting from behind bushes, fences,
and from around the corners of build
ings, and fran any other convenient
place.
Soon the order came for our division,
in which is the Fourteenth Infantry,
to move south of FL Pache and take
the town of Malate. Well that was
hard thing TO face, as there was only
one road We could take to Malate. and
1t was almost impossible, for there
was a continuous rain of Spanish
bullets sweeping up ii and centering
upon different parts of FL Pache. The
two places are only about one mile
and a half apart The space between
is all marsh land, thickly grown up
with bamboo and willows.
At first our commander did not know
what to- do He did not want to march
our regiment right down that road,
and probably have a lot of his men
killed outright. The swamps were not
navigable, and so the only thing
seemed to be to face the foe wholly
exposed. Before starting on this per-
ilous march our commander asked the
several companies if they were pre-
pared TO stand by him. A hearty cheer
was given in answer with cries from
every soldier, Yes, every time!"
A moment later he gave the order for
the first two companies to charge down
the road about 200 yards in a sort of
kneeling or STOPPING position, and then
to drop fiat on the ground and fire at
the Spanish breastworks, which were
across the road or street and about
three quarters of a mile from us. My
company was one of those chosen for
this advance. 1 fought as every true
fought us desperately, but we soon
saw that their firing was poor, always
too high.
Presently following US came four
more companies pouring volleys into
the Spaniards. shooting over us from
a kneeling position We kept up this
kind OF an advance until we were with
in 300 yards of the breastworks, when
as they ceased firing, we charged upon
them. expecting to find them waiting
for US. But instead of that they had
all picked up their double time and
were making for Manila, about a mile
distant.
It was now about p. m, and we
could see the white flag flying over
the palace in Manila. e-quarters
of an hour later the Stars and Stripes
were flying over Malate Arsenal. That
ended our days struggle, but we We're
all putt on outpost duty that night and
a continuous guard has been main
tained about the entire city ever since,
one regiment relieving another reguz
larly in turn Our time comes once
every three days, and We have to stay
out twenty-four hours at a time.
Some OF the troops are stationed
within the walls of the city, some at
FL Pache, and some at Malate I am
at Malate. We have pretty fair quar-
ters but are ready to return home as
soon as the war is over, but not a
minute sooner AS ii is rumored here
that England and Russia are likely to