The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-09-01

VNRO only in a gener-
al way is the
story of ONT. the story of all.
When Gene.nl anderson told Of the
capture of sia.:.la from the Spaniards,
he said that So much enthusiasm and
valor among the volunteers was curb
ed for lack Of a worthy foe that he felt
sorry that the fighting was SO brief
and one sided. The First California
was mi of the regiments sent to the
front into the trenches where the
Spaniards attempted to break through
the American lines on the night of
July 1. 1t lay there under fire until
the Americans charged the intrench-
ments Of Manila the 18th Of August.
In the attack led by General Greene
upon the Malate suburb the Califor-
mans were by no means among the
disappointed soldiers. With troops Of
other regiments they first marched
along the exposed beach covered by
the naval fire. The Spaniards vel
coined these troops at the edge Of the
city with a sharp fire. which it was
difficult to locate owing to smokeless
powder and the groves screening the
Spanish lines. Heavy volleys were
poured in, however. and the First Cal
ifOrnia, in volunteer storming parties,
rushed into the houses from which the
Spaniards fired on them and killed or
captured their defenders.
After the successful skirmish ut the
gates the Californians formed a line
and swept down the main street to the
front Of the works, which the Span
iards soon surrendered to General
Greene.
The Crst veteran of the California
regiment to come home with his per-
sonal story of the war in the Philip
pines was Captain A. j. Kelleher. The
captain was disabled by the climate,
but not until after the Californians
had met the new enemy, the Filipino
insurgents. Speaking for the regi-
ment in its whole career up to the time
he left Manila, he said: 1.-THE First
California won it's spurs early in the
game. The first volunteer regiment
to go to the front, it has been always
at the front, and it's rank and file, to-
gether with It's officers, are now sea-
soned veterans. Not q few have died
from bullets and disease. but death
has not terror for the California boys,
and they have met the enemy with
the same GOODNESS. that they did the
orders for drill when they were en-
camped ON the Preside grounds res
ervation awaiting transportation to
the far east.
"Our boys are veterans, every n Of
them. Why, I've seen them make a
charge on the enemy just as If they
were enjoying drill. In the attack last
February at Santa Ana / heard Cen
eral King say. There go the California
boys. and hades itself cannot stop
them They are game to a man. Ev-
cry n of the regiment has a record.
sThere is one thing l have had q
chance to observe In u boys. and that
is their absolute obedience to orders
and control of temper. The Filipinos
have never missed a chance to insult
them, and they hate the Californians
most heartily. No wonder. But our
boys have avenged these insults only
when they have had orders to charge
and open fire. Then the way they did
1t was just like the work Of veterans
General Charles Kings own story of
the prowess Of the Californians ap-
pears in his graphic account Of the
Filipino campaign. In writing of the
insurgent outbreak in February the
general sketches the strange situation
as it is known to all. then continues:
1.-THE intelligence bureau had notified
me that there were two redoubts close
to the river to my left front and M
Krupp gun, but we were confident that
there existed still another and larger
redoubt on a mound which we could
not see, either from blockhouse No. 2
or any point within the village Of
Paco. 1t vas sheltered by trees along
the Concordia. When at last we were
permitted, after patiently standing
their fire for six hours. to dash in to
the attack, WI found three redoubts
and two Krupp guns instead Of one.
As the insurgents rushed away before
us in their attempt to escape the charg-
ing lines 1t was comical to see them
shedding their blue uniforms, throw
ing off coats and trousers and appear
ing in spotless white. the everyday
dress Of the native Filipino. But our
men were too close on their heels to be
deceived by any such artifice. The ST.
m%ultaneous wheel to the left of bat
talions Of my brigade, just as planned
beforehand. enabled me to pen the in
surgents between my line and the riy-
er, and that was how we were enabled
to take SO many prisoners as well as
to infict such fearful damage upon
those who stood and fought, and fight
they did pluckily and well that day,
because they had been sedulously
coached by their officers in the belief
that the Americans dared not stand up
before them II they stood together and
piled their Mausers.