The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-08
A GALLANT DAKOTAN
THE CAMPAIGN IN LUZON BRINGS
OUT A NORTHWESTERN
HERO
PICKS UP A HoTCHKIss GUN

And Carries 1t Across a Dismantled
Bridge in the Heat of the Battle
of MariIas River-The Story of
Capt. Van Houghten's Brave Act
Told by Comrades of His Regi-
ment.
Acts of gallantry by our soldier boys
In the Philippines were so numerous that
it is difficult to get the officers to par
ticularize.
1T Is a delicate matter" said Col.
Frost, when questioned by a San Fran
cisco newspaper ''to discriminate among
the men who showed conspicuous brav-
ery-there were so many Of them. There
was one instance, however, that stands
out prominently, and no man Of ordinary
bravery or physique could have fitted so
we'll into the emergency. I refer to the
gallant feat of Capt Clayton P. Van
Houghten, of Company D, First South
Dakota United States volunteers, who
carried a Hotchkiss gun across dis
mantled bridge at the battle of Martlao
river under heavy fire"
The act referred to by Col. Frost IS
familiar to every man in the regiment,
and the following account is written
from the statements made by Col. Frost,
Chaplain Daley and Assistant Surgeon
Thompson:
The South Dakota regiment started
from Meycauyan March q, one bat
talon formed in skirmish line, the sec
ond held in reserve and the third add
vancing at right angles to the first
toward the river. The Filipinos occu-
pied two lines of intrenchments on the
opposite side Of the river and with their
Mausers opened a severe fire before the
South Dakota men could return the vol
legs with their Springfelds, so they Cad
TO advance and take the fire poured in
on them. When they had got pretty
close they were ordered to lie down. It
seemed equally perilous whether they
advanced or retreated, and the men Of
the regiment have the reputation Of
not knowing how to show their backs.
Retreat was never sounded in the
South Dakota regiment" proudly said
DR.. Thompson, who, himself, hardly
ever left the firing line. 1t was hoped
that the Hotchkiss battery Of the Ne
braska regiment, that had been sent
around on the left, would open fire and
distract the attention of the Filipinos,
but it was not heard, and after a very
few minutes the first battalion was or
dered to charge. Lieut.. Sidney E. Nor
rison, of Company E, was killed here
and several others were wounded. Adjt
and First Lieut.. Jonas H. Lien,
brother Of the mayor of Sioux Falls,
fell mortally wounded between the first
and second lines Of trenches which the
Filipinos had abandoned firing as they
retreated. AS the second line of trenches
were reached Lieut.. T. H. Adams was
killed instantly, and others were also
killed or wounded there. The Filipinos
had by that time crossed the river, and,
having reformed, were making for the
main body Of their troops, which was
heavily intrenched on the north bank
of the river. At this juncture Col
Frost took Companies D and to the
bridge, on our left, to see if they could
cross. His purpose was to get ralzing
fire in on the enemy's flank The bridge
had been dismantled all the ties having
been removed, but the stringers were in
place, and the men got across under
heavy fire. The rest of the regiment
had moved up to the river on the right
Lieut.. Huntington, who had left the hos
pital to participate in the attack, was the
first officer to get across and in a few
minutes there were forty or fifty men
who had waded in the water to their
armpits and Joined his little band, all
of whom were nearly exhausted by their
eXertions. They did not fail, however,
to improve every opportunity to make
q mark Of the Filipinos who exposed
themselves.
The mountain Hotchkiss gun Of the
Nebraskas had by this time been brought
UP to the bridge, and the men who were
occupying positions Of extreme peril On
the north side of the river were wonder
ing why 1t did not come to their aid
Capt. Van Houghten finally went back
across the bridge, accompanied by sew
eral of his men, and asked why the gun
was not brought up. He was told that it
was impossible to take it across the
bridge, as it would have to be dismantled
and carried in sections, and that 1t would
take two or three men to carry the gun
itself. "Unlimber it and put it on my
shoulder" said Van Houghten, who saw
the urgent need of it to save the day,
and III carry it over myself" And he
did, clinging to the railing with one hand,
and edging painfully along the narrow
stringer, about four inches wide, which
was all he had to walk on. The gun
weighs 240 pounds, and Van Houghten,
who was formerly a blacksmith and a
strained himself, not being fully recov-
cred yet.
The gun-carriage was taken over the
bridge by the men in charge of it, as
sisted by some men of Company D, and
scaling the distractions placed at the
end Of the bridge by the Insurgents, they
set up the gun, and with the aid of the
infantry fire the trenches were cleared
his little band, as WE'LL as Companies D
ry,I L 01loJa no off
as the enemy was reforming, and, see
ing the small force opposed to it, seemed
debating as to the advisability of
charge.
Van Houghten refuses to consider his
exploit anything out of the ordinary.
any one would have done the same
thing under the circumstances" he pro-
tests; but nobody else did 1t, and it was
an emergency that demanded prompt ac-
ton.
mot only Van Houghten, but others of
our officers, surprised The Filipinos and
Spanish by their feats of skill and
strength. While at San Felipe we fra
ternized with some Spanish prisoners
who were on parole and were CHARTERED
in the lower story of the building which
we occupied, the upper story being the
more desirable, having been reserved for
ourselves. At night these Spanish Off
GERS were accustomed to amuse them
selves with featS of strength and skill.
They invited US one evening to Join them,
and several of the young officers who
had recently left college and were trained
TO athletic sports entered rhe games.
The first thing they tried was high
kick. One of the Spanish officers held a
hat which another kicked After he had
done his best Capt. McGregor came for
ward. One of our tallest men held a hat
Is high as he could reach and McGregOr
kicked it. The Spaniards were much
surprised and gesticulated and chartered
at a great rate Then che of them went
t. Ili,.l ID -.