The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-14

tons, should ford the Concordia and at
tack from The west the first and most
formidable of the redouDts-now fully 10
Gated on a singular mound rising from |
| the midst of level plain.
''Yonder are the works, major, were
| the words of the order Gross the helds |
in front of the Norwegian consuPs house
| Ga big stone affair that stood close to the |
| stream 300 yards to the left of the road, |
J land charge everything into the river"
| California was to support on the right, |
| Fortson on his eft, but he never stopped !
| TO inquire. Eagerly he answered All |
| right, sir" and Fastening to the head OF
his men. Eagerly he led them over the
! field and in his eagerness, got mixed as
| to the consuPs house and passed behind |
| instead of in front of it, so that 1t took
ten minutes to straigthen him out, but
| then with cheers and volleys the lines
! rushed in. Just as the center of the Ida
| hos reached a little clump of trees and
| shrubbery half way across the plain they
| were greeted by a sudden and furious vol
| ley that staggered them. In an instant
| McConvilIe .eaped to the front, waving
! his sword over his head and shouting TO
! his men Come on! Come on Idaho!'
| and then, he turned and led the rush
| into the shrubbery, a shot struck him
| square in the breast and down he went.
| Even then, they told me, he strove TO
| was mortal, and presently the brave old
| fellow realized that he had but an hour
| or two live. never saw him again. The
| order he received from my lips on the
| Santa Ana road was his. last and TO the
| letter had he striven to obey It. Five in
! surgents lay dead about the Krupp in the
| middle redoubt, where, side by side, Cali
| fornia and Idaho leaped in to the capture,
| and dozen lay strewn over the field in
| front of where the honOred old major fell.
| The big redoubt on the mound
TO his left was Uttered with the
bodies of the insurgents Hemmed
| in between McConville, Fortson and the
| river and unable to beat back the dashing
| charge of the "Americanos" they raised
the white flag and then shot dead the first
soldier to reach the work. The roar of
| musketry was resumed for three minutes
| and followed by scattering shots as the
| fugitiyes ran for the stream, but there was
| a smile on McConvilles grizzled face as
they bore him off the field Everything
had been swept to the river All these
redoubts were won. Both the Krupps
were ours and there were places where the
insurgents lay two deep in the trenches.
AS the main line made its grand wheel
to the left and, charging into Santa Ana,
from the south, rounded up the insur
gents who strove to escape along the
| bank Capt. Cunningham of the First
or barge crammed with the enemy pol
ing over 10 the opposite shore. In less
| than no time he had his company lined
| up behind the convent Enclosure through
which they had fought their way and
oDened fire. In FIVE minutes up went the
| white flag across the stream, and, under
cover of the rifles of a whole battalion by
this time ranged along the bank, Cunning
| ham went over, found the ms lrgent cap
tain and five men dead several MORALLY
and seventeen slightly wounded, and made
the whole detachment prisoners.
But while the first brigade had carried
out its plan of battle without appreciate
! check there was some hard work in front
: Of the Fourteenth Infantry (regulars) of
} Ovenshine's (second) brigade farther 10
! the right Here in the thick woods the
| insurgents had thrown up breastworks and
possessed themselves of block house If
e once occupied by our men, but later aban-
5 doned because of the length OF the line
0 and the small number of troops to defend
it. Both in front of the First and Sec
S ond brigade, but especially in front of the
7 First at Santa Ana bridge, the same con-
1 ditiou of affairs was found to exist. The
, insurgent officers had taught their men
3 to believe that the Americans were cow
l ards who dare not fight-who would prob
e ably run if attacked and would certainly
$ recoil before a. determined stand. For
|
: would come out to the bridge, whet their
[ "bolos" on the stone parapet and dare our
l. | sentries to fight As they drove or rode
T. through our lines and our sentries saluted
c the officers as they were ordered, the lat
5 ter often jeered and taunted them, though
; they behaved with exemplary propriety
Z when meeting parties of our officers. The
FilipInos, seeing and hearing all this, were
l. inpatient for the attack to begin, be-
y leving all Manila would be theirs and
e the Americans even easier victims
y the Standards This was the eXplana-
ton of their dash and spirit when assault
: ing early Sunday morning and of their
= obstinate defense, for while at least
when our lines advanced. Now car
+, | only tell. from hearsay of the gallant act
= of young officer of the Fourteenth Reg
= ulars, but it is the talk of the First Di
= vision and has won him the recommen'
e dalton for the medal of honor A bat
e TALON of the regiment, checked by the
| fierce fire from the tickets in their front
: | and dIspirited by its severe loss in killed
y | and wounded was lying down for shell
u ter One of its best and bravest officers
Lieut. Mitchell lay dying in their midst
| when Lieut.. Perry l.. Miles an Ohio boy
II only four years out of West Point, was
suddenly called upon to report TO his com
" handing officer. In brief words the bat
u talon chief gave him orders: That
: |
d want you to do it," Miles is one Of The
e "quetest' young fellows in the service
s and he probably went off with
: out a word. As the story comes
n 10 me, it was decided that he
n should call for volunteers, and he did
/ The men looked at the bristling BLOCK
e house a few hundred yards away ant
o shook their heads. IL was crammet
II with insurgents, and the only way &c
! reach it was a straight road, with dense
: bamboo and underbrush on each side II
was a lane of death and the soldiers
e knew 1t. only five men responded to the
d call and with these five Miles made hi:
h dash. Full tilt they charged through thC
Is storm of kissing lead that greeted bu
s could not stop them. First one, then an
II other, two of the daring five dropped il
l. their tracks, but Miles darted on and the
n Filpinos amazed at such dauntless
) courage and fearful of their fate wher
: the Amercanos reached the block house