Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-05-06

REST.
San FRANCISCO. May 5.--The regular
correspondent of the Associated Press
writing from Apia, Samoa, under date OF
April 20, gives a detailed account OF
the fighting in which Lieut.. I.ansdale
and Ensign Monaghan, of the Ameri-
can navy. and Lieut.. Freeman, OF the
British navy, lost their lives.
On April /. a landing party made upN
of sixty American sailors and marines
and 62 English sailors and about 10
natives proceeded to Vaillee, to break
up an assemblage OF rebels 'who had
been committing depredations in the
vicinity. The party was under COM
mand of Lieut.. Angel Freeman, first
officer of the Tauranga. and With him
were Lieuts. Cave. of the Porpoise, and
Hickman, OF the Royalist. The Ameri-
cans were under command Of Lieut..
Lansdale, who had with him Ensign
Monaghan, and Lieut.. Perkins. of the
Marine corps.
DR.. Lung. of the Philadelphia. also
accompanied the expedition. When
the party had reached the German
plantation, Lieut.. Cave asked Captain
,Hufnagel, the German manager. if
there were any Samoans in the vicin-
ity. The manager said that none had
been there that day. At that very mo-
ment and within few hundred yards
of the expedition was large body OF
rebels Hufnagel advised that return
home be made by way OF the main
thing was quite safe and no rebels had
been about. Three other Germans
were with Hufnagel and heard this con-
versation. No one gave any warning
OF danger. The return march TO the
beach was commenced and no sooner
had the men got out of the plantation
away, large numbers OF rebels were
seen. A Colt automatic gun, OF which
the natives have great dread, was Inn
mediately brought forward. II refused
to act. The rebels got off clear and a
halt was made TO Ak the gum This
took half an hour and then Lieut..
Lansdale fired few trial shots. The
gun worked all right and the march
was resumed with the friendly natives
in the lead Misled by the Information
| of Hufnagel IL was decided to return
by the main road. The open space
where the Germans had been MASSAGE
red by Mataafans years ago was passed
and the troops marched down the road
TO narrow gulley, the sides OF which
were covered with buffalo grass.
On top of the slope, just after the last
of the troops had begun to march
through the gulley the rebels fred upon
them. The line was about 200 yards IN
length. The rebels were lying in the
long grass and some were In the top Of
cocoanut trees. The Colt gun again re-
fused to act and while Lieut.. Lana-
dale was trying to fix II he was wonrid-
cd in the knee. At the beginning Of
the fight Lieut.. Freeman was shot
through the chest and fell dead. Friend
ly natives retreated at the first fire. tho
white force was too weak to cope with
the rebels and the whole force was
thrown into confusion. To retreat was
imperative and the automatic gun was
accordingly abandoned after the am
munition had been scattered and the
breech taken away, rendering ii use-
less The allied forces were attacked
from three sides. Through the scrub
and grass retired Lansdale. being az
sisted by his men. The firing Of tho
rebels was severe. Lansdale, who was
being assisted by Ensign Monaghan
and two men, seeing that he could not
get away, urged them to leave him 10
his fate. One OF the sailors was shot
dead and the other, seeing he could
not save his officers. retrated and e.
capped. Monaghan refused to 70 and
stayed by his fellow officer.
Next morning their headless bodies
were found on the battlefield. Mona
ghan's revolver was empty, as was also
Lansdale's. Between them, lay tho
dead bodies OF three rebels. Monaghan.
before the last man left him. shot the
chief Aino dead as he was advancing
on Lansdale. Deserters from Mataafa'.
camp relate how Monaghan stood over
Lansdaie until that officer vas sho,
dead and then tried to escape himself.
but was unable to do So. When ths
American party reached the beach. il
was found four men we're missing be-
sides the officers. They were Edsell
and Butler. Of the Philadelphia. and
Long and PFout Of the British siaips.
Or. Lung. who had been conspicuous
for his GOODNESS and bravery under
fire. took command Of the American
forces, and on the approach Of resn-
forcemenfs, the rebels retired Several
OF the Malietoan natives lost their lives.
The decapitated bodies OF the three Of
fieerg were recovered nexf rnornfyv -