The Irish standard., 1898-09-24


strength for new spurt in their tired
legs.
O'Hara was right about Krayenbuhl
The yound lieutenant had been keeping
sharp watch OF what was going on in his
front, and when the American firing
ceased to be by volleys and ran into
an indiscriminate hclter-skelter, he con-
cluded that it was about time for him to
go in. Then a man came back with the
report that everything was going to the
dogs, and Krayenbuhl started, sending a
message to Kesser, over on his right,
to come along in a hurry. Ncssler was
expecting the order and was ready for
it, and in went the men of Battery X
on the jump. kraycnbuhl got there first
and he was none too soon. Tho Penn
sylvanians were almost ont of ammu-
milton. Some of them had four or five
rounds left and some of them had none.
Those who still had cartridges were
potting away indiscriminatcly, firing at
will. Nothing was the pStter with them
but rattles. They had not been hurt.
The first vollcy of the regulars. fired as
if it was only one gun. brought the vol
untccrs back into shape. and they cheer
cd the mon of Battery X with cheer
that rang back along the road to O'liarn
and Hobbs. putting up With Battery II.
The roar Of the krag- -JorgcnsCn volley
told Ollara and Hobbs that their own
men were in action, and the cheer that
followed let them E1,ow that ii was all
right. But they did not slack up. Their
bugles sounded the old command of
"Forward!" and they kept on.
Col. Smith, of tho LIST California, WAS
ordered to go forward with his regiment
at once, and before the frightened cour-
icr had half finished his dreadful story
the LIST battalion. under Major William
Baxter, was doubling up through the
fields and the colonel in the road was
overhanlng the two artillery captains
and tho men of Battery II. The End bat
TALON, under Major Hugh Sine, follow
cd, to be held in reserve. and the 3rd
battalion. under Capt. Cunningham, in
the illness OF Major Tildcn, was left in
camp, it being booked for duty in the
trench the next day.
Before Capts. O'llnra and lIoff got to
the trench with Battery II kisslcr had
joined Kraycnbuhl with the second
platoon of X. Tho steady, heavy volcy
of tho Krag-lorgcnsen rifles of the rcgu
lars warned the Spaniurds that rein
forcemcnts had come. and that a new
force was against them. Then camo
Bottoms battalion of California men
and made a terrible mistake. They
marched up through the open field under
the hellstorm of shells and bullets from
the Spanish. Capt. llcinhold Richter OF
Co. !, was the first to fall, hit on the
top of the head on the right side by Il
bullet. The doctors hope he will re-
cover, but his condition is very critical
AS the men advanced, First Scrgt. Nor
ris Jnrth, of Co. A, fell, instantly killed
by a bullet through the body
When the California battalion finally
got to the front 1t was sent out with
part of the regulars to the support of ID
and L companies of the l'cnnsylvaninns
on the right. There and in the march
up through the open field most of our
loss was met with. But there were some
casualties in the trench Private
Brady, of Co. i, 10th Pennsylvania, was
killed in the trench, and Private Nell
rath, of Battery II, got the wound there
from which he died the next morning.
McIlrath had been in the regular army
for fifteen years, and was Il first class
man. He was acting sergeant In com
mand of twenty men. When his men
got to the trench there was great deal
of confusion and excitement among the
Pennsylvanians, and McIlrath jumped
on top of the pnrapet, and shouted:
ITS all right boys, now we've got
EN-. Get together and give It to cln
in vollcys."
He was walking back and forth on top
of the parapet, steadying the men, when
he was hit in the head by Il Mauscr bull
let and fell back among his comrades
He died in the Brigade hospital early
on Monday morning.
Private J. f. Finlay, of Co. C, 1st CAL
ifornia, especially distinguished himself.
For such work as his Englishmen get
the Victoria Cross I'inlay is detailed
to Major Jones transportation depart
mcnt as interpreter His mother was IL
Mexican. and he learned Spanish before
he did English. When ammunition was
sent forward Finlay was in charge of the
train. He had eight carromatta loads
of 1t, each carrOmatta with a native
driver. He started when the Spanish
fire was hottest and went straight up
through the open fields. The bullets
buzzed and whistlcd all about him.
They ripped through the tops of his
carts, and one of them hit one of his
drivers in the leg.
Finley kept on as if he We're going
after corn on a pleasant afternoon until
he reached the old insurgcnt trench.
Then he halted his train and went for
ward alone to find some one from the
10th Pennsylvania to whom he could de-
liver the ammunition. That last hun