The record-union., 1899-06-17
GENERAL KING ON HIS MEN s
BRAVE WORK.

I
Of Brigadier- General Charles King, who
commanded the First Brigade, First Di-
vision, during the early fighting at Ma
nila, has been made public at the War
Department. This Brigade, composed
Of the First California, First Washing
ton and First Idaho, saw some very
hard fighting. It was while executing
an order of General King that Major
McConville fell, leading his men of the
Idaho Regiment.
General King calls attention to the
fact that the losses of his brigade were
greater than those of any other brigade
in the corps. He also says that the
damage inflicted ON the enemy was very
/ Sat, his men having buried 15S of the
y. pinos. He adds.
II beg leave 10 tdll attention to the
fact that this is the only exclusively
volunteer brigade in the corps, and that
the men fought with all the steadiness,
dash and discipline of their comrades,
the regulars.
And now there devolves on me duty
that I falter in attempting. I saw no
instance of shrinkingI saw many of
daring leadership on the part Of the
officers and of devoted following on the
part of the men. I shrink from dfscrim-
mating, yet l should not deserve the
faith Of the command of which am
so proud, We're to fail to publicly men
ton the officers who, acting under my
orders, We're most conspicuous. My reg
mental commanders, Colonel Smith,
First California; Colonel Wholley, First
Washington, and Major Higgins, First
TIol with Qd
bravery and ability, Wholley being
under the heaviest fire for the longest
time-his maiden fight at that. Major
McConville died proudly heading his
men in the dash on dangerous line
Major Weisenburger, First Washington,
WAS an example of soldferly bearing
throughout Captain Fortson was in
command in Pandacnn Island, which
was badly exposed, and he and Captain
Wilmington, First Idaho, won my ad-
miration for their daring assault on a
f1ercely- defended position, the redoubt
across the Concordia. Captain Otis,
First Washington, with his cheek and
ear SCARED by Mauser, led his COM
pany from start to finish. The loss Of
twenty-five killed and wounded in the
one company shows what they had to
fight through. Lieptenants Erwin and
Luhn, First Washington, the former Sc
verely wounded, We're notably cool.
Captin Dyer and Lieutenant Hawthorne
of the artillery won the plaudfts of the
men for consummate skill and GOODNESS.
For the commendation of others In the
line whom I did not see / must refer
you to the reports as to the bearing
of their officers and men.
Every man on my staff, from the
senior in rank, Brigade Surgeon Major
Shiels, down to our mounted orderlies,
won my thanks and admiration. Major
Shiels was constant in his attendance
on the wounded in the extreme front
and under heavy fire. Lieutenants Mer-
riam, Third United States Artillery,
and Hutton, First California, were time
and again compelled to risk their lives
in carrying orders along the line. Cap
tain Saxton was systematic in the field
hospital His horse and Lieutenant
Merriam's gave out at Concordia
bridge, but they followed afoot across
the fields. Captain Handy. Brigade
Commissary. carried out his orders un-
der the fire of the enemy instead Of on
the roof of his office, and the three
orderlies, Privates Clay G. Mills. Com
pany D, First Washington; Edward
C. Hanford. Company K, First Wash
ington, and Spencer G. Lane, First
California, were constantly under heavy
fire and are soldiers their States should
be proud of.
"One more name, that of Lieutenant
Colonel Duboce, First California, must
not be omitted. He had a difficult and
hazardous task in wiping out the cow
ardly gang that, under the sanctity of
a church roof and from within the walls
of apparently peaceful homesteads, for
a time kept up a treacherous fire on
officers and men hurrying by with or
ders or messages. I saw this work
was we'll done"
HEALTH CONDITIONS OF OUR
TROOPS REMARKABLY GOOD.
NEW YORK, June 16. = The state
ments to the effect that men around
Manila are dying like flies and that the
War Department has been compelled
to suppress the regulation health re-
ports, which it was formerly customary
to make public. turn out to be gratui
of bringing out the fact that the health
conditions in the American army under
General Otis are not only astonishingly
good, but have probably never been
equaled in any army in tropical coun-
tries, says the Washington correspond
ent of the Tribune" Compared with
the condition of things prevailing last
summer, the comparative immunity
from death or serious illness :, of the
American troops fighting outside of
Manila seems little short of miraculous
From the landing of General Ander-
sons first military expedition near
Cavite, on June Both, last year, up to
the last weekly report from General
Otis, dated June 9th, there have been
only 364 deaths from disease. although
his total force has been 10000 men. In
the same period sixty-nine have died
from wounds.
In view of the notorious salubrity Of
Manila and it's environs, these figures
are almost incredible They challenge
contrast with the best English expert
ence in Egypt or in India, and they
surpass even the excellent conditions
that now exist in Cuba, where there is
no fighting and the men are not ex-
posed to the elements, but have COM
Portable garrison quarters.
Men drowned, or who have died from
injuries received otherwise than in bat
tie. are counted in the total of 3fi4
This total is interesting, compared
with that Of the men killed outright in
action with the Filipinos from Feb
ruary 4th to June 9th, covering the