Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-05-04

gust wac so trief and the victory so easy,
that, coming soon after the desperate
struggles at Ell Caney and San Juan
ridge. it was looked upon as an unfair
test of the powers of the volunteer of to-
day.
But the Filipino war has supplied the
test, for the regiments conspicuous in
repelling the insurgents last February
and in rushing them In their jungles
and strongholds since were among the
captors Of Manila. The Pennsylvania
sofa boys now making records with the
crack regulars in charging the Filipino
lines were just taking their baptism of
fire when they stormed the intrench-
ments Of the Philippine capital under
Merritt, Greene and Macarthur, the
memorable 18th of August, 1903.
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 a party of
Spaniards held out after the flag of
truce had been run up, and when Colo
mel Hale called upon them to surrender
a voice cried out, "Divil surrender !"
The.speaker was an Irish captain of the
Spanish army
General Anderson tells in one place
how the Twentythird regulars and the
Thirteenth Minnesota carried the ad-
vance line of the enemy in the most
gallant manner In closing the report
he says: 1.-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 1.-The Thirteenth has been
under fire, and not only acquitted itself
with distinction, but with honor. For
three hours we were under steady fire,
and for a time the shot was falling
around us like rain. Bullets were whis-
thing above our heads, burying them
selves in the trees with 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
to a great extent to the example of
our officers. The company commanders
and their lieutenants were as cool
throughout the entire engagement as
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
ed time after time by the regulars
Friday night about 10 o'clock we
were told we were to 60 to the front
early in the morning. 1t was good
omen. The next day was Aug. 13, just
10 days after we had entered the har-
Dor, The mystic 10 was still with us.
At o'clock on Saturday morning the
beers of the Thirteenth, and five minutes
later every man was in his company
ptreet to answer as his name was
called. Every person was anxious &c
hear the fall in call. and they were
not kept uneasy for any great length OF
time. for at 8 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 Aston battery was located near q
church.
"Twice were the Spaniards driven
back. and twice did they rally, 1t wal
critical time, but the fire of the re-
endorsements was hot and furious. and
the Spaniards retreated to the bush
leaving their dead behind. 1t was al
this time that the four Minneapolis
companies were marching along the
road, and it was then that Archie Pat
terson of Company ! was killed. Some
Spanish sharpshooters We're in the treei
Ivy the roadside, and as the boys wen,
past they poured fire into their ranks
Patterson staggered and was falling a
Bryson, Company F, jumped forwar,
and caught him in his arms The sam
volley that took Patterson from n
wounded two of Company Private
Hansen and Little. Hansen continue,
the march .pntil he fell from loss O
blood. Little fell to the ground, and a
one of the boys stopped to assist him h.
cried out: Never mind me Go OF
and give them hot shot'
Captain Bjornstad and Captain
seebach were wounded at the sam