The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-16

Lieutenant G. r Cave. in an enclosed
report made 10 Captain Stuart of H.
NJ s. Touranga, and contains no in
formation beyond that set out in the
report of the American officers. He
does not say that the friendlies boiling
through the British and American lines
rather broke it up; that Lieutenant
Freeman ordered the retreat after the
engagement had been in progress some
little time. because the men were run
ming short of ammunition, and dark
ness was approaching. He declares
All ranks behaved splendidly."
First Lieutenant Perkins. United
States marine corps, in describing the
fight says the enemy approached with
in fifty yards, left and rear when the
retreat was ordered, firing boldly. The
marines were compelled to pass into
deep ravine, commanded by bluff,
from which the enemy fired continu
ously upon them. Says he:
Had we been a few minutes later in
crossing this ravine. ii is my opinion
that we would have been cut off and
killed to a man.
Forster Held the Fence.
He commends the conduct of the ma
rine guards in the highest terms, par
ticularly mentioning Sergeants Michael
McNally and Bruno Forster, the latter
holding the stand OF the fence until
surrounded, and afterwards, when the
men reached the sea, volunteering TO
lead the friendly natives into the bush
to protect the flank. The gallantry of
Private Henry /. Hubert, who re-
manned behind at the fence to the last,
and was with Lansdale and Monaghan
when they were killed, is especially
mentioned.
The last report of the series is made
by Passed Assistant Surgeon Lung, who
was with the expedition, and details
closely every movement. He says the
greatest caution was used to prevent a
surprise while passing through the ra-
vine and along the cross road where
the affair occurred. Both sides of the
road were lined with heavy barbwire
fence which could not be broken down
The situation was most unfavorable
one for the expedition, as the hoStiles
were posted on the crest of the bluff
50 well entrenched that they could not
be seen, and their presence was only
made known by their firing. The
Americans and British, at the first fire,
advanced along the road a little, then
dropped in the ditch at the roadside and
returned several voileys. The Colt gun
failed again. and this fact, says Sur
geon Lung, probably helped to bring on
the disaster that followed.
The Enemy's Terrific Fire.
llOSiilCS were ClOSllS dIOQIlQ the
eastern end of the line, but they could
not be charged, because of the barb
wire fence. so a retreat was ordered,
which encouraged the enemy to in
crease their fire. The retreat was Or
dred first. and was agreed to by Lieu
tenant Cave and Lieutenant Perkins,
but, says Lieutenant Lung, in a few
minutes everybody remaining on the
high ground came through the second
wire in a confused retreat. floundering.
staggering and falling in the deep mud
among the trees. The enemy followed
persistently and poured in a terrific fire.
In this hollow, Lansdale, Monaghan
and Edsall received their death wounds,
Monaghan losing his life in a heroic
effort to save his shipmate, Lansdale.
Reaching the beach, Lieutenant Per-
kins gathered his few marines with the
British marines while the surgeon as
sumed command OF the bluejackets who |
had been led by Lansdale and Mona
CHAN, and also rallied some ten or fif- |
teen marines and sailors who were
without an officer.
Surgeon Lung expressed the convic- |
ton that the entire command would
have been killed had they not retreated
when they did. Considering the odds
they had to contend against, the enemy |
being about 300 strong, the men be-
haved remarkably well. The enemy be- !
headed the officers killed, and in the |!
case of enlisted men cut off the right /
ears of the British and both ears of the |
Americans