The Florence daily tribune., 1899-05-11
A Letter from Roy McCsndicss
Describing Battle of MaEabon.
HE WAS IN THE FIGHT.
NEAR MANILA, March 26, '99.

pohil' l'ohy Wtht tiiouSuH ytottihdy
and last night.
Early yesterday morning an adj
vance was made upon the enemy,
who were gathered in large num-
bers between Malabon on the left,
and the Maraquina road on the
right. Our regiment is located on
the right of the Maraquina road,
guarding the water works, which
furnish the entire water supply of
the city of Manila, a position of
vast importance.
1t was not the intention of the
commanding general to have us
participate in the advance, but
simply to have us remain where
we were to guard the water works.
But at about seven O'Clock word
came that a large body ofinsurgents
had turned the right flank of the
Minnesota regiment, the extreme
right of the attacking party, and
were infiicting heavy damage upon
them from the rear. Colonel Nc
Coy Immediately ordered compa-
nies A and NJ to move forward
and drive the insurgents thanking
party back. Under command of
Lieut.. Col. Moses we formed in
skirmish line and started forward
on run, leaving our breakfast
untasted. We had not advanced
more than quarter of mile be-
fore we eencountereda n heavy rifle fire
from the enemy. We Immediately
returned the fire and then began
one of the fercest battles of the.
war. Time and time again we
sfu~ry- batk,,suuuutnIy ycontest,np
every inch of the way. We drove
them for over two miles. and then
they made their final stand behind
a line of earthworks and sent hell
OF lire into us at point blank range.
Then the order came to charge
and with yell that shook the hills
we started up the steep incline.
they stood their ground doggedly,
aud 1t was not until we we're with
in fifty yards of them that they wa
'ered, and then turned and fled.
eavipg their killed and wounded
upon the field.
1t was right here that Captain
stewart, of this company, fell, shot
lead by Mauser rifle. Here. al
%, fell Private Pitts, of this com
ANY, and two NJ company boys.
III of them dangerously wounded.
)ur loss was not very heavy, but
seems to me almost miraculous
nat any of us survived the battle.
We were only one hundred and
Ifty strong, while the strength of
ne enemy was over five hundred,
nree hundred and fifty of them
eing picked men under General
.izarre. Behind their trenches
lie empty cartridge shells were |
lied three inches deep. We cap
lred several rifles and few pris-
1ers. Their loss was about seven
Live killed and dangerously I
ounded. We have not buried
Ielr dead yet. Most of their
ounded were taken to the hospi- f,
this morning. One of them f,
as struck five times, three times a
rough the left leg and twice
rough the body. He is still p
i've. n
While we were charging up the es
st hill | halted long enough to
re pop at 'nigger" who was n,
st in the act of firing his rifle at
from a clump of bushes on our
t. l dropped him all in heap. 90
is good "nigger" now. After
had driven them out of ranoe
l rested for a few moments, we LEI
re ordered to move to the left
| join onto the right of the
nnesota regiment. We did so.
then we lay down and rested
II about E p. m, when General loo
fordered us to move forward sio
take mp our position for the Fis