Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-01
NOTHING COULD STOP THEM
Gallant Charge of the First South Dakota
Regiment
Drove the Filipinos Across Swamp
From u Cemetery's Walls.

The War Department has made public
another report from Gen Hale in the Phil
lDpines, transmitting reports from the Off
GERS of the 1st South Dakota Volunteers,
the 1st Colorado Infantry, the 1st Nebraska
and battalion of the I'D Infantry regard
ing thu attack of the insurgents on the out
posts of the city on February 5.
In the reports submitted by Gen. Hale,
Col. Frost of the 1s,t South Dakota Regf-
ment tells in detail the part taken by his
command in the early morning fight of Feb
ruary .. A part of the command ran into a
heavy insurgent fire before daylight, and
Col Frost found them i'll the dark IN
trenchinS themselves with their bayonets,
meat tins and the tools intended for polio
Ing the camp. Thay made good their posi-
tl0n till daylight. and then, with the sup
pert of the artillery, which shelled the in
surgent trenches, they made a gallant
chaTge across the swamps and fields, cap
turing the block house beyond Sampoloc
cemetery hill. A number of prisoners were
captured in this charge and sent to the re-
serve hospital. The advance was again re-
sumed, the regiment from the bad lands
coming into touch with the Pennsylvania
regiment and concentrating with them on
the Chinese cemetery. Col. Frost describes
this charge as follows:
A Gallant Charge.
Il made the halts of short duration and
made steady advance, the center squad
moving on the white dome of the Chinese
cemetery church. 1 ordered a charge on
the hurdle work of intrenchments at the
foot of the HILL where we dislodged a con-
siderable number of thu enemy. Our men
went over with cheers, driving the Fflipnos
before them, and following so closely that
they did not have time to get behind the
cemstery walls. We killed over forty of the
fUgitives. Our line ran UP to the cemetery
wall, part of our men going over it and
part OF them around the fianks The enc
my, having been driven from the cem,t terry,
quickly evacuated the large stone fort be-
yOnd it.
Il now formed the line on the right of
the cemetery wall and advanced over the
ravine, following the fleeing enemy with
rifle and Gatling fire over the slope be-
yOnd."
Col. Frost sums up the days operations
by saying: During these attacks every
officer and man had the true spirit of the
without hesitation, officers and men vieing
IN Iearlessly exposing themselves. Most
OF lhe advance was made at quick time
Where all showed ganantry il is diff
hcult to single out individuals for com
mendation. l can scarcely recall an ex-
ample OF gallantry on the part of one that
cannot parallel in the case of another"
They Opened the War.
Col. Stotsenburg, in a report dated Feb
ruary 6, gives a detailed description of
the first collision with the insurgents at
block house No. l. where the first shot OF
the present campaign was fired He saws
that Privates William Grayson and Miller
both Of Company d. list Nebraska were
the soldiers who fired on the Filipino pa
trol. GraysOn presumably was the man
who killed the first Filipino. Thsse two
pflFates were part of a patrol on the San
tol road and We're acting strictly in ac-
cordance with their orders in firing on the
armed bands of the insurgents who tried
to break the line at their outpost.