The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-10-21
WON RECOGNITION
FOR eALLANTRY
First South Dakota Returned Sol
diers Complimented by the
War Department,
GRAVE BOYS RECEIVE PROMoTlON.
Taking OF In Iaeome Church n Won
derful Feat---Eonsllt Unlcr
Heavy Iire.--Their
.Homecasntng.

Sioux Falls, S. d. Oct: is,-fhe
members Of the Fist regiment; South
Dakota volunteers, have returned TO
their homes after long and honorable
service in the Philippines and they re-
ceived the greatest reception ever ac-i
corded troops returning from battle.
They have now dotted their uniforms
of blue and donned the habiliments of
the citizen preparatory TO once nor
taking up the:duties of civil life which
they left in the spring of 1898, to re-
spond to the call Of their country.
The great authorizing of the people
throughout South Dakota to welcome
and do homage to the soldiers testified.
IN q measure to the gratitude aud
pride which the people of South .Das
kota feel toward the regiment. Tie
record made by the South Dakota vol
unteers is not surpassed by that of any
other regiment which saw service in
the philippines. It is not only cause
for gratitude in South Dakota, but by
the country at large. By their bravery
in battle, and the dash which charae-
terized the men every strife and skir-
mish with the Filipino insurgents,
they have once more proved the in
v%incibility of the American soldiers.
Promotions for Bravery.
The record oftlie South Dakota regi-
inent during the LAG days that it was
bn the firing line is one in which every
American can take pride. 1t was one.
of the few regiments OF the Eighth
army corps to be commended by name
in general orders. IT wa the only n
that received the cabled commenda-
ton Of the adjutant general at WASH,
ington. There were many cases of in
dividpai gallantry. Those recon-
mended for promotion by bfeyet for
distinguished bravery OH the field of
battle were: Captains c. L. Brockway,
Alonxo B. Sessions and William Me-
LaughliA; Lieutenants William A..
Halle and Fred Il. Burdick; S%ergeants
a. r. Schlosser, c.. J.. Butler, George +.
English, Frank b. Stevens, Ernest
Madden, George r. Benedict, d. Il.
Wilmarth, George w. Moulton, John
r. Kelley. Hugh McCosham, Gustav
Reemer, George C. Ainswort1l, Anton
Zurich and John w. Plat.
r. \ NAlSh W Y
tenant Fred g. Huntington, Sergeant
.. M. Kelley, Sergeant Thomas Ma
honey, of Company II; Sergeant
Schulz Of Company H; and Sergeant
Bartlett, has until now been unwritten
history, and shows the character Of
the mel composing the South Dakota
regiment. The incident occurred dur
ing the battle OF Marilao river, All nc
ton which will be forever remembered
by the South Dakota volunteers. Here
1t was that the regiment lost nor
men than iii all the other battles in
which ID participated. The story DIS
told by Sergeant Kelley is a very Sim
pie one
When we began to approach the
river" said he, "the regiment headed
for the bridge, which was in the cen-
ter of a horseshoe formation of the
river. Lieutenant Huntington and my
self were OH the extreme right flank.
The whole country in front of us was
alive with niggers. They were popping
up from every quarter, firing a yolley
and then scattering III a second, only
TO pop up at another point.
When the regiment finally reached
the river bend. by some mistake our
whole right flank was u%nguarded. 1
happened to turn around, and there
not 500 feet from our flank was a band
of several hundred nlggers making a
bee line for our rear. Seeing that in n
few minutes more we would be flanked
and that we would have to stand a
cross-fre, I called to some of the boys
and Lieutenant Huntington and Ser
geants Mahoney, Bartlett and Schulz
came with me and we made a break
for the niggers.
we ian to the river and forded it,
The water being up to our necks. We
managed to scramble through, and
when the niggers came we began to
give it to them pretty hot. Some of
the other boys came and the real fight
began. ] guess I fired more shots in
three minutes that day than / ever
fred before in my life"
Regiments First loss.
1t was in the opening fight of the
Philippine campaign, at Blockhouse
No. a, that the regiment suffered it's
first loss. Companies I, II and F were
within 800 yards of the enemy, with
the remainder of the regiment about
700 yards to the right and9rear. AL
most at the first fire Private Fred E..
Green, of Company ], was killed, being
the first man in the regiment to be
killed in battle. When the skirmishers
i'll front Of Company | fell back, Pri-
vate Lewis met his death.
The taking of La-Leome church was
one Of the conspicuous affairs in
which the South Dakota regiment par
ticipated early in the campaign. The
insurgent line extended from the
Bruondo country to Caloocan. The
church and a trench midway be-
tween the church and the country was
held by n strong force. The church, a
strong stone structure 100 feet square,
was surrounded by a heavy stone wall
f~fty-eight feet nigh, forming an in
closed stone redoubt with bnllet-proof
walls, 800 feet square.
The wall was lined with insurgent
sharpshooters who were posted in the
dome, and in front of the wall was a
line of ri1e-pits Allied with men. 1t
was to the left of the Dakota's direct
line of attack, being in front of the
Pennsylvania regiment. The advance
of the latter regiment had drawn a
fire from the church, the Bruondo
country and the trenches between.
which forced the Pennsylvanians to lie
down. They poured in a heavy fire,
but did not charge.
Advance ON La LEONE Church
For the South Dakota regiment to
advance with the church left untaken
would expose its left flank to a cross
fire. Colonel Frost formed the regi-
ment under fire for the advance on the
church. About midway of the mile that
interviewed between the regiment and
La-Leome a sunken road, ranging
from four to sixteen feet deep, ran at
a right angle to the line of advance.
On the farther side of this road a large
body of insurgents lay concealed in
the brush. Forward, IN splendid line
regardless of the leaden hail, the
South Dakotans swept with resistless
force. AT the very instant OF starting
n man, Fay, of Company ], fell
wounded, but the daring advance dis
concerted the insurgents and their
yolseys generally passed over the heads
of the advancing troops. One company
was placed in the rear of the
flank to protect it. Suddenly the regi-
~. I4-TF..