Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1899-09-21

lines were just taking their papuisn oi
fire when they stormed the intrench-
ments of the Philippine capital under
Merritt, Greene and Macarthur. the
memorable 18th of August, 1898.
Regular officers are not given to ex-
aggeration in their official reports,
hence it must be taken as compliment
tary that General Anderson, the division
commander in the attack on Manila,
wrote with enthusiasm of the fighting
qualities of his volunteers The Ameri'
can plan of battle was simple, but the
day would have been bloody had the
Spaniards had the pluck Of their foes
On this point there was story current
in the American camp to the effect that
the only Spanish who can fight are
Irishmen. 1t seemed that party OF
Spaniards held out after the flag OF
truce had been run up, and when Colo
mel Hale called upon them to surrender
q voice cried out, ''Divil surrender
The speaker was an Irish captain OF the
Spanish army.
General Anderson tells in one place
how the Twenty-third regulars and the
Thirteenth Minnesota "carried the ad-
vance line of the enemy in the most
gallant manner. In closing the report
he SAYS: "The opposition we met with
was not sufficient to test the mettle OF
our soldiers, but all showed bravery
and dash. The losses show that the
leading regiments of the First brigade
the Thirteenth Minnesota, Twenty
third infantry and the Astor battery
met the most serious opposition and de-
serve credit for their success The Colo
RADIO, California and Oregon regiments,
the regulars and all the batteries Of the
Second brigade showed such zeal that
it seems pity that they did not meet
foemen worthy of their steel.
In battles with the Filipinos the First
Colorado, First Nebraska. Tenth Penn
sylvania and Thirteenth Minnesota
have been conspicuous These regiments
were among the first in at Manila, and
the result shows that the honor Of the
army was safe although resting chiefly
upon volunteers.
From the stories sent home by the
Thirteenth men it appears that the sol
diers were Of the right stuff, and were
we'll led. Private Luxton Of Company
f, in letter to the Minneapolis Trib.
une, wrote: "The Thirteenth has been
under fire, and not only acquitted itseli
with distinction. but Mita bapQS. E2|
and for time the shot was falling
around us like rain. Bullets were whis.
tling above our heads, burying them
selves in the trees with a spiteful snap
that to ears unaccustomed to the sound
was at first somewhat startling
"Our boys behaved like veterans, not
showing the slightest indication of fear
from start to finish This was owing
10 a great extent to the example OF
our officers. The company commanders
and their lieutenants We're as cool
throughout the entire engagement al
though on dress parade. Colonel Reeve
and his staff were here, there and ev.
erywhere. directing the action, and with
such success that we were compliment
cd time after time by the regulars.
Friday night about 10 o'clock we
n were told we We're to go to the front
early in the morning. II was good
omen. The next day was Aug. 18, jus
= 13 days after we had entered the har.
Dor. The mystic 13 was still with us.
At o'clock on Saturday morning the
f, notes of the bugle disturbed the slun
bers Of the Thirteenth, and Ave minute
r later every man was in his company
hreet to anGwer as his name was
q called. Every person was anxious to
hear the fall in call, and they were
not kept uneasy for any great length o.
time, for at o'clock we were on the
march with 100 rounds of ammunition
in our belts and rations for "a hours.
An hour later we were in the trenches,
and the First and Second battalions
were sent forward about mile, where
the Astor battery was located near a
Q church.
Twice were the Spaniards driven
back, and twice did they rally. 1t was
a critical time. but the fire of the re-
{ endorsements was hot and furious, and
= the Spaniards retreated to the bush.
r leaving their dead behind. 1t was at
:. this time that the four Minneapolis
companies were marching along the
q, road, and it was then that Archie Pat
terson of Company was killed. Some
Spanish sharpshooters were in the trees
by the roadside and as the boys wen.
D past they poured FIRE into their ranks,
= Patterson staggered and was falling as
10 Bryson, Company F, jumped forward
a and caught him in his arms. The same
T. volley that took Patterson from us
e wounded two of Company F--Privates
r Hansen and Little. Hansen continued
the march until he fell from loss of
= blood. Little fell TO the ground, and as
a one of the boys stopped to assist him he
{ cried out Never mind met Go on
e and give them hot shotp
e Captain Bjornstad and Captain
= 6eebach were wounded at the same
time. The former received two bullet,
Q --one in the arm and one in the breast
q He was standing at the moihent on tn,
- | Sroast works yhpra the hottest oonA;c