The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-16

Washington, May 15.-Secretary
Long today made public so much of y
recent letter from Admiral Kautz on
the Samoan affair as touched the kill
ing of a number of American sailors
by Mataafa adherents near Apia on the
1st of April. The report is an elabo-
rate description of the affair, which
was cabled at the time by the Asso-
ciated Press from Auckland. No men,
| ton is made at any point of the re-
| ported participation in the affray OF
the German. Hufnagel, the manager of
the plantation where the hght oc-
| CURED. il is shown that the failure or
the Colt gun TO work properly was in
( a large measure the cause of the
| American and British defeat
| Admiral KautZ says the expedition
! was projected by Captain Sturdee OF
| the Porpoise. For several nights pre-
| ceding the sentries had been fired upon
by the natives and it became necessary
| to drive the aggressOrs away. Admiral
| kautZ says that it was the opinion
of all the officers who had the matter
in charge that the force was ample To
do the work without risk. especially
/ as it was to move out along the beach
and return the same way under the
| protection of the guns of H NJ s
| Royalist.
| 1t is safe to say. says the admiral.
| that after LieutenantS Freeman and
Lansdale had conferred together. they
| did what they deemed best under the
circumstances and the disaster that
/ followed could not be foreseen-
Bravery of DR.. Lung.
Admiral Kautz appends the reports
of the surviving officers Of the eXpe-
dition. which were transmitted by Cap
*I,rs 1.aIv In, h
letter of transmittal the captain COM
mends in the strongest terms the work
of Past Assistant Surgeon c. A. Lung.
He says:
AT times when the fire from the
concealed natives was thicketS and al
all times by his example, he encOur-
aged the young and inexperienced men
to proper performance of duty. on
the completion of the work of his pro-
fessiOn he assumed command of our
bluejackets and marched them to the
United States consulate
Captain White describes at some
length the happenings of April 1, as
gathered from a close examination OF
the petty officers and men engaged in
the fight. He says that several eX-
cursions had been made into the beach
back of Apia during the last ten days
of March. Very few natives had been
observed and when seen they always
W
matte gun. Lieutenant Lansadale set
great stores by the gun and frequently
operated it himself. Says Captain
White:
The Colt Gun Failed Them.
He appeared to depend greatly upon
the gun when the party was ambuShed
on April l. Twice it did not function
and time was lost in overhaulnS it
and great delay was consumed in try
ing to get it through the wire fence
Lieutenant Lansdale was lOath to
abandon it, but the fire was so CALLING
that before he was wounded he was
compelled to scatter the important
parts and leave it behind. Prudence
led him TO deploy his men in open or
der. The thicket was so dense that
after the orders for retreat were
sounded it was not possible for the
group to render each other mutual
support
Lieutenant Lansdale was wounded
below the knee soon after the Colt was
abandoned and rendered incapable of
marching. He was assisted by his
men. One of them, n. E. EdsalI Tor
binary seaman), was mOrtally wounded
while doing so. 1t is not clear when
Lansdale received the wound in his
chest 1t is in evidence most clear
that when Ensign Monaghan diScov-
cred that Lieutenant Lansdale was
wounded he used his best endeavOrS TO
convey him 10 the rear and. seizing a
rifle from disabled man made a brave
defense, but undoubtedly he fell very
shortly after joining him and the hos
tiles flushed with success bore down
on our men in this vicinity.
Monaghan's Heroic Act.
.sThe men We're not in sufficient num-
bers to hold out any longer, and they
We're forced along by a fire which it
was impossible to withstand Ensign
Monaghan did stand. He stood stead
fast by his wounded superior and
friend-one rifle against many. one
brave man against a score of ssivages-
He knew he was doomed He could
not yield. He died in heroic Perform
ance of duty. as
Private Henry G. Hurbert. Z. s. NJ.
c.. informs me that he saw both Lieu
tenant Lansdale and Ensign Monaghan
after they We're killed; that he had
been near few minutes before, and
that he had assisted in covering their
retreat He is mentioned by Lieuten-
ant Perkins for bravery and good con-
duct.
James Butler, coxswain. was killed
instantly while standing and firing
against the enemy.
II have to commend the steadiness
of F. D. Fisher. in charge of the Colt
gun for cOolnesS and brav-
cry. in twice dismounting and over
hauling the gun under fire j. s Ran
let, ordinary seaman, assisted Ensign
Monaghan in binding up Lieutenant
I.ansdales leg with a handkerchief be-
longing to b. Gala CHAN, blacksmith,
and assisted in carrying him when first
wounded.
The number of cartridges fired by
each of the bluejackets averaged fifty
From what appears to be reliable ali-
H..