The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-04-11

with the Euemy-MsJ. Bierer Wounded.
Adjt Gen. Corbin has received the first
mall report f. regard 80 the military op-
eTations about Manila since the Filipina
instruction began, on the night Of the
4;h Of February II was made BY Gen.
Harrison Gray Otis, commanding The
First Brigade of the Second Division or
The Eighth Army Corps. and is dated. In
The field. near Caloocan, i. l., Feb =.
Isgs~ IL IS, in the main, a synopsis OF
the several resimentd reports describing
more particularly the movements Of MS
brigade in thu operations around Manila.
from the fta 20 the I'd OF February. The
regiments Included are the Tenth Penn
sylvania. Third Artillery, First Montana
Infantry, Twentieth Kansas Infantry, and
First Idaho Infantry.
when the alarm was given on the nlgnt
Of the 4th instant. Col Hawkins, com
manding the Tenth Pennsylvania infan-
try. whose troops occupied the right OF
The advanced line IN rear OF the Chinese
hospital. moved out four companies OF
his command from their city barracks to
support his outpOsts. which had sustained
A considerable obiique fire from block
house No. 4, and from a force stationed
at the Chinese hospital, directly at the
front. The enemy had, however, made no
advance and no casualties had been
caused By his FIRE. During the night The
enemy made two advances in considerable
force. but were easily checked Dy the line
az skirmishers without the main line mr.
ing a shot At dawn the enemy made
another and more determined advance,
which was also checked by the outpost
lines
After daylight the Utah battery, sta
TONED near the Chinese cemetery, shelled
the enemys position for half an hour,
and Col Hawkins advanced his entire
line rapidIy forward He was met with
heavy volley firing but when within 200
Yards of the insurgent line the enemy
made a preCipitate retreat The latter's
fire had been high and wild. and the only
casualties at that point were two men
wounded in the Pennsylvania command.
The PENNSYLVANIA troops continued their
advance 10 a valley in front OF the nos
uital where they were met with heaVy
fire from the insurgents in and about the
red church near The Chinese cemetery.
Mai. BIersr wounded.
At this point Mai. Bierer, commanding
the Pennsylvania left was wounded and
compelled to retire. Maj. Bell, OF the
Engineer Corps reported 10 Col. Haw- |
kins and was assigned 10 command the
left wing, where he rendered valuable
service. The line Continued to advance, |
its fire being replied to with spirit by
the enemy When within about go yards |
of the insurgent line the Pennsylvania
troops by a brilliant charge swept them
from their position. forcing them TO re-
treat in a northerly direction. Soon after
the regiment, together with a detach- |
rnent of the First Montana and First |
South Dakota, under Col, Frost, formei
a line to the north of the blockhouse,
facing Caloocan, was halted by the d.
vision commander, and started OFT IN an
easterly direction. A new line wds es-
tablished. promptly intrenching, and was
still held at the date of the report. Col.
Hawkins speaks In high terms OF the
conduct of the officers and men ~ his
command. and commends several o. these
officers by name.
The Third Artillery left its barracks in
Manila at 10 o'clock on the night ~ Feb
ruary and deplOyed in the darkness be-
hind the line of dikes situated upon rice
fields and bamboo thickets, its left rest
ing on the railroad tracks and its right
on the leper hospital The troops at that
point had already been engaged and
hostile advance repelled by our force.
The following day an almost continuous
fre was kept up by the Mantdna ana
KarSrs regiments, to the right and left. |
respectively. The dikes were heavily !
wooded bamboo thickets intervened, ana
rice fields dotted with numerous native |
huts extended some distance away. The |
concealed fire Of the enemy was very an |
nOying and caused many casualties.
Ousted by Volley Firing.
At this iuncture a company OF the
Twentieth Kansas Infantry, under the
veteran Capt. Elliott, appeared upon the
scene and was ordered 10 support the
First Montana, All three regiments went
forward at about the same time, sweep
ing the ground. driving the insurgents
from their cover and killing number of |
them. These movements resulted in es-
tablishing the line on better ground. Maj
hObbe having prepared 10 join in the at
tack on the insursent position at the Chi
nese cemetery on his flank, discovered a
continuous firing line OF insurgents posted
among the bushes and along the wall of
the Chinese church. the enemy directing
his shots against our lines in front Maj
KObbe forthwith ordered volley firing TO
begin from two OF his batteries, driving
back the enemy in considerable numbers
despite the efforts of their officers TO stay
the flight The forward movement was
continued as far as the stone blockhouse,
which was taken by Company C. of the
Twentieth Kansas, which company is
highly praised by its then immediate COM
mander Maj. Kobbe.
In the action of February TO- the Third
Artillery advanced, deploying on the
ground in front of its original position
ana opening fire by command only. As
IL cleared q raVine upon which il had pre
viously rested, Maj. Bell of the engi-
neers, led a company of the Montana
regiment forward out OF the ravine. AL
most at right angles 10 Mai Kobbe's right
'front.' whose nank then practically rested
IN the an, The Montana men were
hTlng as they advanced upon the in
AulEenj ntrenchmentS and by so doing
rendered timely aid 10 the forward move.
meni OF the Third Artillery.
On receipt Of information that his mt
posS' consisting or two companies. had
peeh attacked and had fallen back TO st
lSaZaro Cemetery. Col Keseler. of the
f'rst Montana. proceeded 10 re-enforca.
me same with two other companies Fir,
ing Nds kept lp throughout the night but
with small effect. and on the following
morning detachment made an advance
from 81. Lazaro Cemetery fired tbe
houses on its immediate front and retir-
ed 10 the cemetery subsequently a Ss.
taChment OF the regiment In canfunctio,
Nith The Tenth Pennsylvania, Captured
the Chinese hospital. The First Montans
Also participated In the movement which
resulted IN the capture of the Chimes
cemetery. ana also ia the general advance
OF me brigade upon caloOcan, Febrt-
airy 10. -..s .,s..- =, .......- - -
" Col Funstoh's Men in Action.
The outpost Of the Twentieth Kansas
located near the tFamNay car station nn
the caioocau road. was tired upon by in
sursent patrols sbont 10 o'clock d m.
February 4 An alarm instantly pit the
entire regiment under arms IN It's bar
racks la the city. one battalion was held
IN quarters and two others. under Col
Funston. marched 20 the support OF the
. oniDOsts Line. which by that time Was
sharRy engaged. They we're Joined by
a detachment from the Utah battery. The
enemy's f1re, which wss concealed, came
from the woods about 90 yards in front.
The IRE vas returned by occasional vol