Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-03-21
THE GALLANT
AMERICAN men
Drove the Rebels Back From
Near IlOilc.
MANY WE'RE WOUNDED
But Only One Was Killed.
From Gen. Otis on the List of
Casualties in LuZor.
MANY WE'RE WOUNDED

New YORK, March 2l.-A dispatch TO the
Herald from Iloilo, island of Panay, says:
A battalion of the Eighteenth infantry, a
platoon of the Sixth artillery and the
machine gun battery made a reconnois-
ance in the direction of Mandurriao and
Santa Barbara Thursday. While they
were returning the insurgents attacked
the outpOstS on the right Although the
fatigue from the marching in the broil-
ing sun for two hours was great, the
| command proceeded to the assistance of
their comrades, the artillery pouring
shell and shrapnel upon the insurgents
who We're strongly intrenched in large
! numbers. Companies G, H and X of the
| Eighteenth depoyed to the right, driving
the insurgents back ana then wheeling to
! the left made a junction with companies
B and I. A heavy engagement ensued.
| Companies B. c, M and l of the Tennes-
see volunteers, Major Cheatham COM
/ manding, arrived later and formed on the
| left and two more companies of the
Eighteenth marched from Iloilo to act as
support to the other troops. Col. Van
| Valzah and Major Keller commanded the
battalions of the Eighteenth regiment.
| Gen. Miller was on the scene early and
directed the operations from Immediately
! behind the firing line. He had several
narrow escapes. The line advanced by
rushes three thousand yards under a hot
! fire. pouring in deliberate volleys upon
the insurgents position. the artillery MAX
ing good practice. BY the time the forces
We're within 300 yards of the enemy's final
position darkness prevented the charge
| for which the Tennessee men and the
companies of the Eighteenth on the right
| had already prepared by fixing bayOnets.
| The advance upon JarO was accom-
plished in good order. The engagement
| was brought on by the enemy's persist
ent attacks upon the outposts of Jaro
bridge. Nothing could be gained by
| forcing the enemy further back, as it was
impossible with the limited number of
| troops to hold the position. The Ameri-
! can troops were exhausted by the fight
ing and having to wade knee deep
through the rice fields and sugarcane.
| There were several cases of prostration
! by the heat.
The only man killed was Private Louis
Biehl, of Company B, Eighteenth infan-
| try.
/ The wounded of the Eighteenth We're:
! Private Joseph Daily, Company b, leg
and thigh.
| Private Theodore Burr, Company B,
arm and chest.
Private Preston Savage, Company B,
forearm.
Private William Bruschke, Company
b. chest.
| Private Max Holme Company L, fore
! arm.
Private Joseph R. McCrary, Company
/ c, hand.
! Private William Loremann, Company
! c, leg and thigh.
| Private William TriXman, Company c,
leg.
| Private Riley Callaghan, Company II,
scalp.
Private William Rovenbelg GER Co npany
H, wrist.
Private William Buster, Company E,
finger
Private William E. Markwood, Com
pany X, leg.
Corporal C. E. Bates, Company I, foot.
Private II. A. MarlOwe of Company l.,
First California. serving with the artil-
lery, was wounded in the side and back.
Private Samuels of Company f, Ten
nessee volunteers, was slightly wounded
in the face. The bullet passed through
Rovenburger's wrist and entered his
mouth between the gum and cheek with
out injuring his head. There were other
miraculous escapes as the men advanced
in a perfect hail of bullets. The severity
of the engagement may be judged by the
fact that the Eighteenth regiment alone
fired 62,SUO rounds. 1T Is estimated tndL
the insurgents, with their more than 1000
rifles, fired more than double our total Of
ammunition.
Private Biehl brought in DAILY wounded
and gave warning to hurry up some am
munition as most of the men were short.
He then returned to the fighting line and
was struck in the chest. He fell, saying:
I'm done for" and died in 10 minutes.
It is impossible to tell accurately the
insurgent losses as the American troops
conyerged at given point without
trayersing the ground shot over, but on
the day after the battle l could see from
Jaro belfry the enemy carting away the
dead The minimum estimate of their
losses is 200 killed and 800 wounded. The
evolutions were prettily executed and the
highest credit is due the battalion and
company commanders.
The men are chafing at being robbed
of the fruits of their victory. A charge
probably would have resulted in the cap
ture of the enemys arms and ammuni-
ground and the position of our troops it
was impossible to allow an advance in
the darkness The behavior of the troops
was admirable.
There has been only desultory outpost
shooting since this engagement. The in
scriptions printed on the captured cases
of ammunition We're in German and
showed that the cartridges came from the
artillery depot at Mayence. 1t Is suspect
ed that the ammunition and arms have