The record-union., 1899-07-13

greatest credit on its commanding Ctfi-
Ger, Colonel Owen Summers, who now
ranks as Brevet Brigadier General Of
Volunteers. the Presidents reward :or
conspicuous gallantry In action.
At the Presidio the Oregon Regiment
had but little time to learn the attri-
butes of military life. On May I'D Of
| last year an order was issued from
headquarters directing that the first
expedition set sail for the Philippines,
and the Oregon soldiers were included
| in the detachment.
The lst of July of last year saw
| the Oregon Regiment encamped at G. a.
vite, ready for the fray. In Camp
Dewey the men learned the routine or
| military life. On August I'd the resi-
dent decided to hold the city of Manila
as.5 the Day, pending the acceptance of
terms of peace offered to Spain.
ga the ght of July 31st the Spanish
outposts and the American forces at
Malate engaged in battle, the Spanish
troops starting the fight. The enemy
was defeated, and the Volunteers from
| the Pacific States received their hap
tism of fire.
Events in the Philippines rapidly ap-
August 18th the American forces ad-
vanced to the attack on the Spa >;sh
trenches while the ships of the fleet
bombarded the enemy's position. The
fight was a sanguinary one, but ccth-
ing could resist the valor of the young
American soldiers. The next day the
whole world thrilled with the news
that Manila with 1000 prisoners had
| hkaav H.
loss was five men.
! The Oregon Regiment bore itself
bravely in the fray, and the dispatches
testify to the valor of the men. For
the six months following the capture
of Manila, while there was no fighting
with the Spaniards or the Filipnos. the
| time was trying one for the Amer
leans. On Saturday night February
5th of this year, the hordes of Agul-
naldo attacked the outposts and at
| tempted to capture Manila. General
Macarthur, in command of division,
in which the California and Oregon
Regiments played an important part,
sent the Filipinos pellmell up the Pasig
River.
Following up the victory gained after
the attack on Manila General Mac
Arthur was given the pick of the Agner-
ican army as flying column to clear
the country where the Filipinos were
entrenched. The Oregon Regiment was
part of this column, and in all the des-
perate fighting which followed it bore
itself bravely.
Or February 10Th General King
joined the brigade of General Over :
shine, after a fierce battle at ,Sua'.a-
loupe Church. The capture of the wat
ec works at Marcarti on February 21st
vas followed on the next day by a
desperate attempt by the insurgents to
set the city of Manila on FIRE. An
hour before midnight fires Were started
all over the city, and the American
soldiers were called upon to save the
city from destruction, and at the same
| time defend themselves from the at
tacks of the enemy who were en-
| trenched in houses. Volleys of bullets
We're showered on the men of the Ore
gcn, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and ar
tillery regiments detailed to put out
the fires.
In two days the Oregon Regiment
was called to proceed to the front and
take part in the desperate fighting in
the trenches at Caloocan. The cap
trre of Caloocan caused the enemy to
make pause. The month of February
ended with the loss of eighty-three
American soldiers and 347 wounded
March was to see some desperate
fighting General Wheaton's flying col
umn was ordred to carry the enemys
position at Mariquina which COM
manded the water works, which the
Filipinos still hoped to capture The
flying brigade consisted of the Oregon,
Washington, Twentieth and Twenty
second Infantry, Fourth Cavalry and
two battalions of artillery, and the
fighting which took place March 18th
to 10th was perhaps the most desperate
in the whole campaign. The Oregon
Regiment took part in the desperate
fighting which marked the advance of
the flying column, and participated in
the capture of Pasig and Guadatoupe.
On March 10Th the Province of Mo-
rong was in the hands of the Ameri-
cans, and the advance on Malolos,
Aguinaldo's capital, was commenced on
March 22d. On the 25th MacArthur's
division, consisting of 5000 men, gave
battle to the enemy in the trenches
before Malolos. At Bagbag and Polo,
test of arms was most severe, and the
Oregon regiment suffered heavily. The
bravery of the Oregon regiment was
the subject of much favorable COM
ment at the time.
Santa Cruz was captured and on
April 23d Lawtons forces met the
enemy at Quenga, six miles northeast
of Malolos. The end of April saw the
A Ar,AR
vince, and the army suing for peace.
The victory had cost from February
4th to April 2Sth, 1913 soldiers killed
and LII wounded.
On May 9th the Oregon regiment took
part in the fighting which resulted in
the capture of San Fernando The
Oregon regiment returned to Manila on
May 24th, and Major General Otis rec
commended Colonel Summers for pro-
motion.
After stay of two weeks in Manila,
the Oregon regiment received orders to
return home on the transports Ohio and
Newport. When the regiment sailed
from San Francisco in May last year it
had 951 men, exclusive of officers and
was recruited to it's full strength in the
Philippines. Fifty nine of the men
who sailed from here fifteen months
ago are now sleeping their last rest,
and when the regiment answers roll
call preparatory to being mustered out,
the solemn answer Dead on the field
of battle" or Dead from disease while
on duty" will be made when the fol-
lowing names are called:
Elias Hutchinson. Company M, peri
tonitis; Rufus X. Holcombe, C, ty-
phoid: Edgar j. Johnson. D, fever: Ed