The evening times., 1899-06-19
AN EARLY BATTLE IN MANILA
! Report of Lieutenant kessler. of Hat
| tcry L. Third ARTILLERY.

An interesting report on the part played
| by Battery l., Third United States Artil-
/ lery. in the early operations around Ma
Mia. submitted by Lieut.. p NJ Kessler.
has been made public by the War Depart
rnent 1t is dated ''in the field near CaIoo-
can. February 15." and reads
| Serious firing having been heard in the
| direction Of the outposts on the night Of
February 4. 1859. / was directed by the
commanding officer. Major Kobbe to have
the battery formed and await further in
! structions About 1890 p. NJ. the First
Battalion. under command of Captain
| O'Hara. left the Caurtel de Heisic and pro-
\ ceeded in column of fOurs, with l. Bat
| terry in the lead. up the road by the La
! Minerva cigar factory TO the outposts fur
| nished by the Third Artillery, located ab out
| midway between the Manila and Dagupau
Railroad and the Leper Hospital. The bat
tery took position behind dyke and pass
ed an uncomfortable night standing OF Sit
ting in mud and water. Occasional shots
were ired By the enemy. but in no case was
the fire returned. My battery remained in
the vicinity of the outposts until about
noon on Sunday, February ). 1899. Dur
ing Sunday morning occasional volieys
were fired by sections or by platoons. and
Il few Of the best shots were selected to
fire as opportunity offered. This firing was
for the purpose of clearing the woods of
shaTpshocters. who were very annoying.
About noon on Sunday | was ordered by
Major kobbe TO take my battery forward.
The stretch of country over which we were
TO advance was narrow strip about thirty
10 fifty yards wide with muddy rice swamps
on either side of it. II generally
densely wooded, but contained here and
there houses and small gardens. These
gardens were frequently surrounded by
hedges with but one or two practicable
openings. small detachment Of C Bat
terry having made a slight advance up this
strip earlier in the morning and having
met with serious resistance losing three
killed and three wounded my advance was
made with considerable caution. A few
men were sent ahead as scouts and then
followed the battery in column of sec
tions each deployed as skirmishers a dis
tance of about fifty yards between sections.
The width of the strip OF. dry land did not
admit a more extended line. No serious
resistance vas encountered on the ad-
vance. None of the enemy were seen. but
occasional halts were made while the lead
ing section raked the underground in it's
front with well-disciplined volleys. A
preceptible diminution in the eIemy's fire
was noticeable after each of these volleys.
Thus the advance was made until a posi-
tion was reached almost west of the Chi
nese Chapel on the hill"
Following with some details CT the enc
my's movement Lieutenant Kessler de-
scribes the conduct of his forces after hav-
ing accurately located the insurgert posi-
ton. the result of which was a retreat of
the Filipinos and their pursuit by the
American forces which was continued un-
til his battery was about 200 yards from
the stone fort known as blockhouse No. ?.
and about the same distance rcTth of the
Chinese chapel where they were subjected
to a heavy fire, but were well protected
by tombstones. The enemy at this time
had secured a refuge in the fort.
Lieutenant Kessler calls attention to the
fact that there was no officer besides him
self with the battery. and great dependence
was placed upon the non commissioned Of
ficers whose work he thoroughly cont
mends.