The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-10-14
The FIGHT
At MANILA
Described by a Son of Former Resi-
dent of Shenandoah.
HE WAS PROMOTED FOR GALLANTRY
Joseph Beaoham, of Brooklyn, Tells How
the Volunteer ARTILLERY men Chased the
spaniards and Gained Fame and Vic
tory by Their Pluck in Battle.

The thrilling charge made by the Astor
Battery at Manila is graphically described in
a letter received by Miss Sallie Beacham, of
this town from her nephew, who enlisted in
that battery at the outbreak of the war.
He is a son of Joseph w. Beacham, of
Brooklyn, n former resident of this town
and who is well and favorably known by
many of our citizens. Young Beacham is
now first sergeant of the battery, having
been promoted for gallantry in action.
Beacham is an athlete of national reputa-
tion. In 1894, he rowed on the Cornell fresh
man crew, while in the latter part of his
college career he took up base ball. In his
last year at Cornell, BeaCham received the
highest athletic honOrs which were in the
students power to offer, the foot ball and base
ball captaincies He was eminently SUCCESS
ful in both but especially so with the eleven.
The letter he wrote home from Manila is as
follows:
Manila p. o., August 81, 1898.
My Dear Aunt Every minute that live
| think is overtime. We have been in a
fight, were under fire for eight hours and
most of us escaped unhurt. l have been in a
battle, and | know what it is. When the
battle started we were notified to put our
guns in p' stion. We had to make the in
trenchments under fire, but no one got it.
No. gun was the first in position, and they
had fine place. My gun was the next and
last gun of the Astor Battery to get into
position. We were placed in very dan
gerous place; we were put in front of No. Is
intrenchments, with practically no protec-
ton. No. fired right over US, and every
time they shot their gun we had to crouch
down. | measured afterward the height of
their shot, and it passed over us just crouch
height The fellows on my gun were not
afraid it didn't seem real to them. | could
not realize we were in battle.
The Spaniards soon discovered us, and they
made it pretty warm l can tell. One shot
took two spokes out of my gun, and the fly
ing wood wounded Baker and Seymour of
my detachment. Another shot passed Just
over our heads and killed an Astor Battery
man in another detachment. A third shot
came and buried us all in sand. This was
the last, our gun had done its work. We
were firing on q Spanish block house. We
had knocked it all to -, and after that
third shot buried us in the sand the block
house burst in flame and the insurgents for
whom we were making place, piled over
the intrenchment and the Spaniards fled
helter skelter down the road. | was the first
chief of detachment. to get gun ready for a
chase, and we rushed down the road after the
Spaniards. When we reached the block
house it was all in ruins. We threw our gun
by main strength over the moat and up over
barricade about six feet high, and down the
road we flew, yelling and thrilled to the
backbone. The risks we took before this
the Spaniards had a beautiful barricade; il
was eight feet high and about twelve feet
| thick entirely safe from the fire of OuI
bullets. 1t extended across the road and fol
some distance on either side. On the let'
was another block house, with five gun
| Tod Tl,nN g,
is miraculous. Mind you, l am speaking o
only the right wing of our army, under Gen
eral Macarthur, kept the gun as near on
| gallant captain as possibly could
| Well, we came running down the road yell
ing. We came up to y big stone church whicl
was protecting our infantry that had beon re
pulsed, and they were seeking shelter benin,
the church and other buildings. The roa
was entirely clear. We were within 200 o
800 yards of the barricade. The Spanisl
bullets were raining like hail stones. Min
was the first gun up there. We quickl,
turned our gun around and sent shot smash
ing up that road, and, oh how the infantr,
did cheer. We sent three or four shots u
the road, and then General Macarthur allet
for nervy officer to lead a charge. Ou
captain jumped to the front and the fellow
after him. got three or four men on ou
gun and put up after them. We advances
within $50 yards of the barricade. Bullet
CpdDldTu
were hiding in the houses and we were she
at from in front and from the side. Tn
fellow right alongside of my left was shot i
the right side of the leg. The bullet jul
grazed me. With him out, one other fello,
and | were all that were left on the gun. w
deserted the gun and ran toward the barr
cade with pistols drawn. / did not shoot b,
cause there were so many fellows ahead
me that was afraid of killing our own mer
| retreated to the gun and tried to work il
l looked up and saw one of our men shC
right through the forehead and drop ston
dead only few feet from me-
We were then ordered under cover, and W
ran to the side of the road and lay fiat o
our bellies. Then the infantry behind L
} began to fire and we were between til
} Spanish and American fire. Before til
] firing was over we resumed our gun, an
when firing ceased we rushed down the rOa
and into the city. The Spaniards had a
: fled and we were IN possession. Here is
little piece of Spanish cOlors that one OF IL
= boys ripped on the way. The AstOr Batter
= had three men killed and seven wounded
+ didn't have scratch. When we reache
: barracks l volunteered to do anything
, Lieutenant Kohler, Burclich and | wei
! back along the road to camp to look up OF
dead and wounded. Nothing eventful hal
pened.
The next day the captain called me in
his office and asked me if would like to
,. into the Army, and said he was going to re
u Ommend me for u commission. He promOt,
0 me to first sergeant and | am now first sc
Q geant / don't have a detachment any MOI
but am ahead of all the sergeants. | tal
charge of all the details of the battery, II
}. the camp, attend to the cook house and ke
~ the battery in shape. l have clerk to he
: me out with all the battery papers. / ha
one of those big tents to myself
There were five promotions made in h
battery as the order states, 'for gallantry
. action" got the best, and four out of b
: five were made from the detachment l col
i manded. am very busy now and don't 4
= much time to write, but there is whole !
4 to tell about. Goodby,
Il JOSEPH w. BEACHMAN, JR.