The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-06
Americans.

Americans.
Dead
PHILIP LANSDALE, lieutenant.
]: r. MONAGHAN. ensign.
Il. BUTLER, coxswain.
NORMAN h. EDSELI,. electrician.
THOMAS HOLLOWAY, private, marine
corps.
JOHN z. NUDGE. private, marine corps.
Wounded
j. II. WELLINGTON, coxswain, shot in
z. ANDREWS. fireman. right leg.
]. c. JOHN, landsman, left shoulder.
j. w. LAIRD, landsman, left hip.
JOHN M. MCARTY, marine. right wrist
English.
Dead
E. 4; FREEMAN, first lieutenant.
EDMOND HALLORAN, ordinary sea-
man.
MONTAGUE ROGERS. ordinary seaman
JOHN LONG, leading seaman.
JOHN PRUT, leading seaman.
Wounded
JOHN FOXWORTHY, marine.
ROBERT HUNT, marine.
The last-named was knocked senseless
during the ambush. The ~natiyes thought
him dead and. cut off his right ear. The
shock brought him to and he escaped
STORY OF THE FIGHT.
On April 1 landing party made up<of
sixty American sailors and marines and six
ty-two English sailors and about 40 natives
proceeded to Vailele to break up an assem-
blage of rebels who had been committing
depredations in the vicinity. The party was
under command Of Lieut.. Angel Freeman,
first officer of the Tauranga, and with him
Were Iieutenants Cave, of the Porpoise,
and Hickman. of the Royalist. The Ameri-
cans were under command of Lieutenant
Lansdale, who had with him Ensign Monag-
han and Lieutenant Perkins, of the marine
corps. DR.. Lung, of the Philadelphia, also
accompanied the expedition.
When the party had reached the German
plantation Lieutenant Cave asked Captain
Hufnagel, the German manager, il there
were any Samoans in the vicinity The
manager said that none had been there that
day. At that very moment and within a
few hundred yards of the expedition was a
large body Of rebels. Hufnagel ,lG Gvised that
a return home be made by way of the main
road through the plantation. as everything
was quite safe and no rebels had been
about Three other Germans were with
Hufnagel and heard this conversation. No
one gave any warning of danger.
The return march to the beach was COM
menced, and no sooner had the men got out
of the plantation when at bend in the
road four hundred yards away large num-
bers OF rebels were seen. A Colt automat tic
gun, of which the natives have great dread.
was Immediately brought forward 1t re-
fused 10 act. The rebels got off clear and
a halt was made to fix the gun. This took
half an hour and then Lieutenant I.ansdale
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, it was decided to
return by the main road.
The open space where the Germans had
been massacred by Mataafans years ago
was passed and the troops marched down
the road 10 a narrow gully, the sides OF
which were covered with buffalo grass On
the top OF ,he slope just after the last of
the troops had begun to march through the
gully the rebels fired upon them The line
was about three hundred yards in length.
The rebels were lying in the long grass,
while some were in the tops OF cocoanut
trees. The Colt gun again refused to act
and while Lieutenant Lansdale was trying
to fix 1t he was wounded in the knee.
FREEMAN SHOT DEAD
AT the beginning OF the fight Lieutenant
Freeman was shot through the chest and
fell dead. The friendly natives retreated
at the first fire and the whites were toe
weak 10 cope with the rebels. and the whole
force was thrown into confusion. To re-
treat was imperative. and the automatic
gun was accordingly abandoned after the
ammunition had been scattered and the
breech taken away, rendering il still more
useless. The allied forces were surrounded
on three sides. Through the scrub and
grass the sailors retired, Lansdale being as
sisted by his men. The firing of the rebels
was severe.
Lansdale, who was being assisted by En-
sign Monaghan and two men, seeing that
him TO his fate. One OF the sailors was shot
dead and the other. seeing he could not
save his officer. retreated and escaped
Monaghan refused to go and stayed by his
fellow-officer. Next morning their headless
bodies were found on the battle field Mon
aghan's revolver was empty, as was also
Lansdale's. Between them lay the dead
bodies OF three rebels. Monaghan. before
the last man left him, shot Chief Aiono
dead as he was advancing on I.ansdale
Deserters from Mataafa's camp relate how
Monaghan stood over Lansdale until that
officer was shes dead and then tried TO es-
cape himself. but was unable TO do so.
When the American party reached the
beach 1t was found four men were miss