The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1899-10-20
SOUTH EAADEt's PRIDE.
500 SDstsi DakssaEs Drove
3.S09 of tsac Pick of A.sii-
uasio's Army from
tssc Trenches

1hlcagO lnlSf-DcHaQ,-l / ne lfSI
South Dakota volunteers have just re-
turned to their homes after honorable
service in the Philippines. The great
outpouring of people throughout the
state to welcome the returning vet
erans testiies to the pride which the
people of South Dakota feel in the
men who have won lasting glory for
the state as we'll as for themselves.
The record of the South Dakota
regiment during the l26 days that it
was on the firing line is one in which
every American can take pride.
There We're many cases of individual
gallantry. Those recommended for
brevets for distinguished bravery on
the field of battle were: Captains G..
l.. Brockway, Alonzo B. Sessions,
and William McLaughlin; Lieuten-
ants William A. Hazel ana Fred l..
Burdick: Sergeants A. II. Schlosser,
G. l.. Butler, George f. English,
Frank b. Stevens, Ernst Madden,
George p. Benedict, D. +. Wilmarth,
George w. Moulton, John r. Kelley,
Hugh McCosham, Gustav Reemer,
George G. Ainsworth, Anton Zurich,
and John w. Platt.
1t was in the opening fight of the
Philippine campaign, at the block
house No. 4. that the regiment suffer-
ed its first loss. Companies /, FL. and
f. were within 300 yards of the enemy,
with the remainder of the regiment
about 700 yards to the right and rear.
Almost at the first fire Private Fred
K. Green of company | was killed,
the first man in the regiment to fall in
battle. When the skirmishers in
front of Company | fell back Private
Lewis was killed.
CAPTURE OF LA Iona CHURCH.
The taking Of La Iona church was
one of the conspicuous affairs in
which the South Dakota regiment
stone structure, 100 feet square, was
surrounded by a heavy stone wall,
lined with insurgents, and in front of
the wall was line of rifle pits. Col
onel Frost formed the regiment under
fire for the advance on the church.
About midway between the regiment
and La Iona was a sunken road,
from four to sixteen feet deep.
Ou the farther side of this road a
large body OF insurgents lay conceal
ed in the brush.
Forward, in splendid line, the South
! Dakotans swept. Suddenly the regi-
ment disappeared as though the earth
had opened and swallowed it, but q
moment later the men scrambled into
view up the opposite bank Of the
the sunken road. With the steadiness
Of veterans the line reformed. Th'
rifle pits, scant l50 yards in front
blazed with the fire of the insurgents
but not man faltered. Up to thi
time Colonel Frost had withheld mos
Of his fire. The line having been re
formed, the order was given to hal
and fire by yolleys. The insurgent
fled from the the rifle pits. Then tn
, order to charge the church rang out.
, Forward Guide center: doub]
time Charge Straight for IL
dome Of La Iona the wave of Sout
: Dakotans swept on. up to the Yer
wall, while the insurgents in Il
a church dropped bullets in their rank
With the assistance of one of his mel
Colonel Frost succeeded III reachin
the top of the wall, waving his cap /
shouted:
up, men. Over the WALL" Alor
the entire length OF the wall the reg
ment swarmed. The church was wo
the enemy broke and fled toward c;
loocan, and the regiment had passe
through its baptism Of fire.
FIGHT AT THE MARILAo RIVER.
At Marilao river the regiment aga
: distinguished itself. The orders we
to move on the line of trees on t
7 south bank. There the regiment W
:. to halt if there was no opposition, b
if the movement should develop I
insurgents forces, to act according
!, circumstances. Suddenly from t
: rifle pits in the river bend, from 7
trenches on the farther shore, a.
!. from the stone church beyond shes
Of flame burst forth. The ene1
!, opened at roo yards range.
: 1t was the flower OF Aguinaldt
army that opposed the South Dak'
= ans that day. General Luna was
). command, and the fate Of Malol'
: the insurgent capital. was staked
!. the issue. The Marilao river, til
4 water stream, now up to the me-
4 arm pits, formed a sharp bend "
the bridge near its center and
enemy's trenches in a.. semi-clr
T. around it. From front and fanl
" terrific fire smote the Amerie
~ sOldinrS