The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-01-18


the American loss TO be fifteen dead
and fOrty-four wounded. Had the First
California and the Utah Battery been
less prompt in supporting the regi-
ment in the trenches the loss must
have been very heavy. as the Spaniards
We're until djslodged, in a position TO
completely flank the American line.
The Spaniards kept up their artillery
fire night after night for nearly a
week. The shrek OF shell became so
common that the boys felt lonesome
without it. The Spanish loss. accord
ing to their own account. amounted 10
three hundred and fifty killed and over
six hundred wounded.
Ten days before this I was down
with the fever, which kept me in bed
eight days much to my regret. l knew
the time was drawing near for the final
attack on Manila and was much afraid
that l would not be lin il"
On the afternoon of August 18th we
were notified that the fleet would shell
San Antonio battery at $50 next morn
ing. and the troops would advance TO
occupy the city. YOU can we'll imagine
with what feeling this news was re
ceiyed. The men were all hustle and
excitement, anxious to attack the
city, before the walls of which they had
spent so many weary days in the wet'
trenches.
August 18th dawned amidst steady
downpOur of rain, and although very
heavy. it did not dampen the spirits of
the men. nor interfere with prepara-
tions. At o'clock the order was given
TO advance. The First Colorado were
occupying the trenches. l took up a
position on the beach at the extreme
left of the American lines, where l
could see the fleet moving up, cleared
for action. At $50 the first shot was
fired at San Antonio battery by the
Olympia, after which the firing became
general. The Utah Light Battery was
on my right and / could hear them
pegging away for dear life. To that
was added the thunder of the big guns
of the fleet, also the rattle of the rapid
fire and machine guns of the Callao
and Rapido captured from the Span
ish) both of which had moved up far
in advance of the fleet and close in
shore, where they were able to enfilade
the Spanish trenches. All this time
the Spaniards were hammering the
American trenches with their KruppS
and showers of MauSer bullets, but the
Spaniards could not stand the shells
from the fleet or machine guns of the
gun boats. The big guns of the Olym-
pia wrought sad havoc with the old
fort, San Antonio, tearing great holes
in the masonry and ripping up the new
earthworks, but this was nothing COM
pared to the deadly fire of the machine
guns of the CallaO and RapidO, which
raked the Spanish trenches nearly a
mile inland. They were able to get
close in shore, as they were of light
draught and the rain of bullets drove
the Spaniards from their first line of
trenches, after an hour of stubborn re-
sistance.
According to Spanish report over four
hundred were killed by the guns of the
fleet alone before they abandoned the
outer earthworks. They carried the
greater number of dead away, but
many were left as they fell, presenting
terrible sight.
| Scrambling over the trenches ! fell
over pile of bodies that evidently had
| been killed by the same shell. Some
| were headless, some without legs or
arms, and some, merely the trunk left.
| Limbs were scattered over the torn up
ground. 1t was a sickening sight and
one not easily forgotten.
The Spaniards fell back on their sys-
TEN of trenches a short distance IN
rear of San Antonio, and these We're so
CONSTRUCTED that a thousand determined
men could have held them against ten
times that number. They We're built
of sugar bags, made of mating, filled
with sand, and so arranged in parallel
and thanking lines, that it would have
| been almost impossible to capture them
| had it not been for the murderOuS fire
| of the gun boats. All streets leading
into the city were so protected by
overlapping earthworks, but the Span
| iards were so keenly on the jump after
the fall of San Antonio battery they
had no time to make a decided stand
at any one place. The American troops
took the Spanish trenches on the run
never stopping to use their artillery
except at Blockhouse Fourteen, where
the Astor Battery made such a gallant
charge, recapturing two of their guns
which had fallen into the hands Of the
Spanish.
The hardest fight of the day took
place on the extreme right of the Am
erican line, over swamp and rice fields
made almost impossible by the heavy
rains. Here it was that the American
Volunteer showed of what stuff he is
made, fighting against great odds in
the open country against men behind
earthworks.
After the battle, a Spanish officer
said that his men could stand the bull
lets, but the Americans yell" as they
charged the trenches, was too much
for them. Every Yankee was a howl
ing devil" By IL o'clock almost all Of
the American troops had crossed the
river, by wading or over the bridge
scrambled over the trenches, marched
along the beach past the now deserted
San Antonio battery, where the Amer
lean flag was proudly flying, and were
pressing on to the city itself
On the parallel streets were thou
sands of men, eager TO see the inside
of Manila, but the Spaniards driver
from the street barricadas anC
trenches, had retreated inland and KEEP
Ipeppering away down the cross streets