Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-08

PEELED Col. Bayliss with eight companies Of
infantry to return to the city of Cebu and
abandon the attempt to capture them. Col.
Bayliss had indeed driven the brigands from
the lower trenches on the Elpardo hills, but
they had taken refuge in the citadel and
all efforts to dislodge them with artillery
and rifle fire We're fruitleSs. The work was
well cut out for Col. Byrne and his men.
1t was to charge up height sleeper than
Lookout mountain and rush for 1000 feet
under the plunging fire of the bandits. Mill
itary men say that one man behind forth
fication is equal to four times many in
front of him and unprotected, and 1t is
claimed that only rarely is the ratio found
to be incorrect. This was one of those oc-
caSions. Commanded by the intrepid Byrne;
the men went up the hill with cheer.
across the open space and into the fort.
killing twenty-one, wounding many, cap-
turing large quantities of military supplies
and inf1ictng such a defeat on the bandits
that their spirit has been completely crush
ed. One officer and two men were struck
by boulders rolled down upon them but
there were no casualties. Had the charge
taken place on the Island of LuZon, full
particulars would have been received con-
corning it long ago; but it was made on the
Island of Cebu and the only facts trans
mitted came in Gen. Hughes brief report.
But brief as 1t Is it is enough to give fame
to Col. Byrne and the brave men who were
with him.
Col. Byrne's Career.
In 1873 Col. Byrne was appointed second
lieutenant in the regular army by President
Grant, who had been old friend and
messmate of Col. Byrne's father.
The young lieutenant, a boy just from
college. asked to be sent where he could
active service, and he was assigned
to the 9th Infantry then stationed at Fort
Buford. Dakota. He ordered into the
field Immediately and for four years follow
ed the Indians in what is known as the
campaign of '76. At time he was for
three months in the field, with the ther-
mometer ranging from ten to twenty de-
greeS below zero, suffering from the many
dangers known only to the Indian fighters
of those days. His colonel once said: IF I
should want an almost impossible thing
accomplished I would send Bernard Byrns
and feel sure of his success"
Lieut.. Byrne served thirteen years on
the frontier until 1883, when he was called
to Fort Leavenworth. Kan, by Gen. Alex
ander McCook and made adjutant of the
9Th Infantry and of the United States In
fantry and Cavalry School.
At the breaking out of the war with Spain
Capt. Byrne was stationed with his regi-
ment at Fort Thomas, Ky. He had been
chosen by the citizens of Cincinnati and de-
tailed by the War Department to take
charge of the Grand Army encampment to
be held IL that city. He voluntarily re-
liEquished that detail to accompany his
regiment to Cuba, although urged to avail
himself Of 1t and remain in Cincinnati.
In Cuba he commanded the second hats
talon of his regiment with distinction in
its famous charge up San Juan hill, in
which the 9th Infantry lost 30 per cent Of
its men, sustaining the heaviest loss of
any regiment in the war. He was after
ward in the trenches before Santiago, CONF
ing back to the states only when the resi-
H2ent returned While in the trenches he
contracted Cuban fever, from which he has
since suffered severely. He went to Cincin-
natl in time to be present at the Grand
Army encampment, although too i'll to take
charge of 1t. He consented to be present
at the opening and to raise the flag and
received an ovation
In November last the 9th Infantry was
ordered to San Antonio and in May to
the Philippines. Capt. Byrne went again
as acting major in command of the I'd BatA
talon to the Island of Negroes where on
the night of July 10 he took seventy men
and by forced march into the mountains
surprised a robber band of $50 men. killed
by actual count $50 and captured large
quantities of arms and ammunition and
burned the village with a loss of only two
soldiers killed.
Col Byrne is forty-fve years of age,
man of strong constitution, iron will
and excellent judgment. He comes of an
Old army family. His father, Major Ber-
nard Byrne, was a surgeon in the regular
army and died of yellow fever on duty at
his post at Fort Moultrie, S. c., in 1861.