The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-03
IN FORTY-FIVE MINUTES
TIME FOR GEN. GREENE's MEN TO
TAKE FIRST FORT AT MANILA.
Went Through the Trenches, Occu-
Ancient Spanish City i'm Two Hours.

the Second Brigade, Second Division of the
Eighth Army Corps, at Manila, at the time
of the battle there on Aug. IL, has been
made public. General Greene was then
brigadier. His brigade consisted of the
First Colorado, First Nebraska and Tenth
Pennsylvania and the first and second bat
talions of the Eighteenth Infantry, Bat
teries A and B of the Utah Artillery, de-
tachment of Company A, engineer battalion,
First California, first and third battaliOns,
Third Artillery. Company A, engineer bat
talon. 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
IL, landed and established camp July 1921
was attacked by the Spaniards July 81, Aug
l, Aug. and Aug. 5; led the advance in the
attack and capture of Manila Aug. Is. Our
losses were sixteen killed and sixty-six
wounded. 1t is impossible to give any ac
curate figures of the losses of the Span
iards, but it is probably safe to say that
their losses from Aug. 1 to 10 were at least
forty killed and one, hundred wounded. The
manner in which the troops performed their
duties, whether lighting, working in the
trenches or sitting still under fire, with
T.,
the very highest praise.
1.-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 three hundred years, was accomplished
with Of fn rat xyaI in eli fl
can't"
General Greenes account 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 were constantly on
the defensive, and that all of them were
employed in skrmishes of greater or less
Importance. General Greene gives an ac-
count of what took place on various dates
until the 18th, the American forces remain
ing on the passive defense. OF the battle
of the 18th he says:
'At 10:15 o'clock I sent forward the first
battalion of the First Colorado along the
beach and in the field on its right, and fol-
lowed this up with the second and then
the third battalion of the same regiment,
at distances of about two hundred yards.
They met light fire from the woods on
their right flank, in rear of the Spanish
trenches and in the direction of Cingalon
and Paco They replied to this with vol
legs 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 Santonio
de Abad from the rear, hauling down the
Spanish flag and hosting the American
flag about IL a. m.
Seeing the fort captured without resist
ance, 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 fours not anticipating
any resistance. AS they showed themselves,
however, a sharp fire was met from the
woods near Cingalon and the second bat
talon deployed to the right of the road in
the formation for attack. Although the
enemy could not be accurately located on
account of his using smokeless powder this
fire was replied to by volleys, which had
the effect of subduing it. The battalion
then moved forward by rushes, followed
by the first battalion, until it reached the
Spanish trenches, which had been aban-
doned leaving three dead. When the Eight
zenith United States Infantry advanced
sent orders to the Third United States Ar
tillery to advance to the front from its posi-
ton on the right, and their advance was
made in 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, sub
DUNG it, and then advancing to the Span
ish trenches, which they found deserted.
Just as the advance of the Eighteenth In
fantry and Third Artillery began, the COM
manding officers of the reserve which had
been ordered up by the division command
er, reported to me, and 1 directed them 10
follow by the beach and ordered the artil-
lery to follow on to AAanila as soon as they
could get the assistance of the infantry 10
haul their guns. AS the bridge near the fort
appeared to be broken by artillery fire, l
directed the engineer company to carry for
ward some large trestles and flooring of
bamboo which had been prepared the pre-
vious day. and this was done under fire.
Having made these dispositions, 1 rode
forward rapidly by the beach and through
the creek to the fort. A portion of the
First Colorado was in the Spanish trenches,
replying to a fire from a second line of de-
Tense running along the road from Malate
to Cingalon. The rest of the Colorado reg
iment 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 lasted about fifteen
minutes before the enemy's fire was sub
dued.
THE First Nebraska and Eighteenth
United States Infantry having come
up, | directed them to move forward, the
former along the beach and the latter along
Gale Real. The Colorado regiment was di-
rected to protect the right flank from any
possible attack from Cingalon and Pace.
The California regiment was already in adj
vance on Gale Real. In this way the bril-
gade moved through Malate from street to
street. meeting a struggling fire from the
direction of Pace. but no serious resistance
After advancing through Malate and Err
mita, the open space at the Luneta, just
south of the walled city, was reached, about
l D. N. A white flag was flying at the
southwest bastion, and l rode forward to
meet it under a heavy fire from our right
and rear on the Pace road. At the bastion
| was informed that officers representing
General Merritt and Admiral Dewey were
on their way ashore TO receive the surren-
der. and l therefore turned east to the Pace
road.
ION the morning Of Aug. IA | was ap-
pointed senior member of the commission to
arrange the details of the capitulation The
commission met at the Ayuntamento Getty
and signed the capitulation at p. M on
the same day..
General Greene expresses appreciation of
the services rendered by Capt. L.. T. Mott.
aid-de-camp to the major general command