The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-06

San Francisco, May 5.-The regular
correspondent of the Associated Press,
writing from 4 pia, Samoa, under date
of April 20 gives detailed account OF
the fight in which Lieutenant Lans-
dale and Ensign Monaghan of the
American navy and Lieutenant Free
man of the British navy lost their lives.
On April l a landing party, made up
of sixty American sailors and marines
and sixty-two English sailors and about
120 natives, proceeded to Nailele to
break up an assemblage of rebels VINO
had been committing depredationS IN
the vicinity. The party was under COM
mand of Lieutenant Angel Freeman,
first officer of the Tauranga, and with
him we're Iieutenants Cave of the Por-
poise and Hickman of the Rcyalist. The
Americans were under command of
Lieutenant Lansdale, who had with
him Ensign Monaghan and Lieutenant
Perkins OF the marine corps. d.. Lung
of the Philadelphia also accompanied
the expedition.
When the party had reached the
German plantation, Lieutenant cave
asked Captain Hufnagel, the German
manager, if there We're any Samoans
in the vicinity. The manager said that
none had been there that day. At that
very moment, and within few hun
dred yards of the expedition, was a
large body of rebels.
Hufnagel advised 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
Bufnagel and heard this conversation
No one gave any warning of danger.
Caught In An Ambush.
The march to the beach was COM
Y11nnraI and had the men
got out of the plantation premises when
at a bend in the road 400 yards away.
large numbers of rebels were seen. a
Colt automatic gun, OF which the ma
tiveS have great dread, was immedi-
ately brought forward. 1t refused TO
act. The rebels got off clear, and a
halt was made to fix the gun. This
took half an hour, and Lieutenant
Lansdale fired d 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 Hufna-
gel. it was decided to return by the
main road. The open space where the
Germans had been massacred by Ma
taafa ten years ago was passed, and
the troops marched down the road to
a narrow gully, the sides of which were
covered with buffalo grass.
On the top of the slope, just after the
last of the troops had begun to march
through the gully, the rebels fired upon
them. The line was about 800 yards in
length The rebels were lying III the
long grass. while some We're in the tops
of cocoanut trees. The Colts gun again
refused to act, and while Lieutenant
Lansdale was trying TO fix it he was
wounded in the knee.
At the beginning of the fight Lieu
tenant Freeman was shot through the
chest and fell dead. The friendly ma
tives retreated at the first fire and the
whole force was thrown into confusion.
To retreat was imperative, and the
automatic gun was accordingly aban-
Goned after the ammunition had been
scattered and the breech taken away
rendering it still more useless. The al
lied 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 Ensign Monaghan
and two men, seeing that he could not
get away, urged them to leave him to
his fate. One American sailor was shot
dead. and the other. seeing he could not
save the officer, retreaUed and escaped.
Monaghan refused to so 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
Jansdale's. Between them lay the
dead bodies of three rebels.
Monaghan, before the last man left
him, shot the chief. Aiono. dead, as he
was advancing on Lansdale.
Deserters from Mataafa's side relate
how ManaGhan stood over Lansdale
until that officer was shot dead. and
then tried to escape himself but was
una HE to do so. When the main party
reached the beach it was found that
four n5en were missing besides the Of
fcels. They We're EdselI and Butler
of the PHILADELPHIA. and Long and
Prout Of the British ships.
DR.. Lungs Bravery.
Dr. Lung, who had been conspicuous
for his CooineSs and bravery under fire,
took command of the American forces
and on The approach Of achievements
the rebels retired. Several OF the AIalie-
toa natives lost their lives. The de-
capitated bodies Of the three officers
were recovered next morning on the
field and on Easter Sunday they were
buried with the heads. which had been
recovered by Il french priest All the
leading AmcGlcGl and British officials
aud residents wee present. The Ger
mans were conspicuous by their ab-
sence. the only one attending being
Pastor Margraf, who had known Lans-
dale in the United States. The German
warship Fake had her flag at half
mast and her officers sent ashore Two
wreaths entwined with the German ma
tianaI coiors. In the fight there Were
killed on the Mataafa side fortv-three
and fifty were wounded. A complete
list of the white dead and wounded is
as follows:
Americans Dead.
Lieutenant Phillip Lansdale.
Ensign J. r. Monaghan.
Coxsw ain /. Butler.
J-Ta1fr-irfar1 Norman + EdSolI