The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-27

will be following Kenly a long way of
The fun began in earnest by our line advanc
ing along its whole length Kenly and Capt Seay
started up the road For the life OF us we couldn't
make out the insurgent position, but wherever II
was we were in plain sight OF IL Their FIRE had
been intermittent and at no time extremely heavy,
but the instant we started ahead there was an out
burst that gave one n new notion az 10 the number
OF the rebels. II swept across the road from both
tho left and tho right, cnnladng at an acute an
gle but none came straight down the road That
was, as we aitcrward found, because Of the bridge
which was higher than their breastworks. We
were too near TO permit them TO come out Of their
trenches,
THE WHOLE LINE ENGAGED.
The first rush forward took us about fifty yards
The guns OF courst kept in the middle of the road.
but tho infantry extended on both sides Of it. The
rebels fired with will rs came and our fellows
answered with terrific volleys as they rose and
then went whoopng to the new position. AS soon
as we stopped Kenly let GO all four guns rapid.
ly as possible and the dough boys made their rifle
barrels 80 hot that they could hardly hold them.
Still the nsurgent fire did not 10 slacIen and
that was very queer and unusual for generally
when our awful voileys Begin they lie pretty low
behind their breastworks The whole line
engaged now and we could hear the volleys on
the right and very heavy firing on the left Over
il all the guns OF the navy kept cracking away,
and there was the steady beat Of the Colt rapid
fire. Our own fire made such noise thai il was
difficult TO disting uish the reports Of the insurgent
rifles but there was trouble in hearing the sing
Of their bullets Those kept coming across the
road in ever increasing numbers. and it suggested
the miraculous that any man escaped being
wounded.
II seemed as II we halted after this first rush 'or
several minutes. but as a matter Of fact the stop
was for only about minute, then everybody got
UP and ran forward again. The mules had been
left behind and the men were dragging the guns
themselves. We were getting mighty close to the
enemy now, for we heard them attempt to respond
to yells in kind started on the second lap
There is something very inspiring in the way onr
fellows yell as they go ahead, not only inspiring,
but also very reassurng to the plain non com
Blatant who has no business at the front except 10
see and be shot AT This thing Of making target
Of yourself when you have no way Of getting into
the scrap and never have the satisfaction Of shoot
ing back at the fellow who. you feel sure is TAX
ing as deliberate aim at you he can is likely
to be somewhat disconccrtug, and II does you al
most as much good TO hear your side yell like the
devil" one captain put it, as II does to hear them
fire like hell" as Wheaton commanded.
CLOSE TO THE ENEMY.
The second rush took us about forty yards To
where the road made a little bend to the right The
infantrymen on both sides OF the road had good
nee dikes behind which To e but in the road there
no cover for the battcrymcn, so they worked
their guns as fast as they could and those who got
the chance lay down. The rebel fire was getting
hotter as We got nearer and our own fire develop
ed into continuous Where the battery stop
ped this time the road was shut in on both sides;
on the right by heavy line Of bamboo and on the
left by cornficd in which there were three or four
shacks Near one OF these shacks lay wounded
Filipino His gun lay beside him and some of tho
men declared that he was the sharp shooter who
had had such lot of fun with us iust before the
advance began. They took his rife, and little
later. when saw him. he was dead.
Just back OF this corneld on the left OF the road
that Is on the side away from the enemy, there
was an open field, which was shut off from the
corn by a high. close bamboo fence so tough that
most OF men went around it and formed their
line in the corn again on the other side OF IT. A
little before we came Ia this cornfield | found Il
choice hummock OF dirt just beside the road.
From behind it | could see up the road to where
the battery just ahead Of me. and could also
see across the open field the whole left Of our line
to where II entered the woods at the extreme left
II seemed a mighty small hummock as lay there
WIFI INC DullttS was n
little bit OF bush top Of il and every once in
while bullet would clip some Of the leaves Be
hind me, on the other side OF the road were the
wagons or rather carts with ammunition for the
guns and some Chinese coolies with their filters
Whiting for the call TO take wounded men 10 the
rear. Each gang Of coolies was in the charge Of
a non commissioned officer, who looked mighty
sharp to see that none of them ran away. To the
credit Of the coolies II must be said however, that
they have seen the most arduous and dangerous
service and have gone again and again under the
hottest fire with very little shrinking and almost
no descriion.
HOTTEST FIGHT OF THE WAR
No telling in words can describe accurately
what going on that road just then. No
battle description. however graphic, that have
ever read gave me any sort Of an idea OF such
things as saw and heard and felt In the few min
utcs lay behind that hummock Of dirt with Keny s
battery in action about ten yards ahead Of me
and battalion Of infantry on both sides Of the
road, engaged in what proved TO be the hardest
fight Of the Filipino insurrection The roar
of the rifles and guns terrific and unceasing,
yet all the time 1t was possible to distinguish the
reports of individual shots Bullets made all
the noises that bullets can make all about and
il seemed continually II they came within
very few inches Of the place not only where
lay but where other men were lying. saw them
strike in the road right beside PROSTATE battery
men, in front Of and behind them They knocked
the bamboo Stats of the fence at the left, clipped
| the leaves all around and constantly split
and slivcred tho bamboos by the road. They
struck out in the open aalds with long, heavy
chug and ripped up the turf for two three fee,
at a stretch, showing that for once the Filipnos
were firing low. All the time our men were firing
as hard as they could and the battery was roaring
! continuously.
PROMPT AID FOR THE WOUNDED,
A big back-be soldier came along from
| the rear and lay down beside me behind the hum
mock. He had gun and wore n little striT
of red ribbon tied in the buttonholc Of his blue
shirt The two shirt pockets bulged out with
small brown wrapped packages
| This is pretty warm" he said
| just then n batteryman up ahead fell over in
| the road There were chevrons on his sleeves
! showing him to he a oncom. The man besid,
me jumped up and ran forward as fast as he coult
| go 10 the wounded man. As he ran noticed tina
hc stood bolt upright and did not du - % many
did, He was a sturdy, broad -shouLered fellow