The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-13
Editor Of a Manila Paper Tell;
the Story.
WAS BEHIND A TREE.
Writer Watched Progress of
Battle From Safe Place.
Commander Forced His Men to
Lie Down.
No Thought For His Own
Safety.

The Freedom. a newspaper published
at Manila. under date of March %, has
reached Topeka It contains 4 lengthy
description. written by the editor. who
stood behind a tree, as he says IN the
article, and watched the advance Of the
supporting battalion of the Twentieth
Kansas, under command Of Lieut. Col
Little In company with a surgeon,
the writer sought the camp Of the Kan
sans. and here Is what he says
1t was = o'clock Friday night March
20, when the doctor and I reached the
end OF our tramp from Manila and were
Hospitality received by u company
he adds No finer body of men ever
served Uncle sam"
We found that Capt Orwig OF Girard
had urged his men to secure all the
rest and sleep possible Many were
asleep, but he was busy boiling huge
cauIdrOn Of coffee and attending to the
fire The cooking completed, the word
was passed along the IInG anu IAen
men came forward for their midnight
supper. A chat of the uOrrOw's battle;
words of home and friends, and soon all
were at rest some to sleep no DOUBT:
but many thinking of those far away
The writer then explains that he could
not Sleep that he was nervous and IN
confortab bic. and that the man who
lad made up his bed had left four or
five small rocks and one or two large
ones in the mattress OF course mat
tresses were plenty in the camp He
also suggests that sleeping on the fir
ing line Of a company of soldiers is not
the most mOnotonous thing IN the world
He then proceeds as follows
At o'clock j. n the men were
called They soon rolled their blankets
coffee was served, canCeenS were filed
and all was ready at o'clock At $50
the cry came down the line to fall IN
Every man was ready. Forward
came the order. and every man stepped
wa p
Cling not one more eager than his
comrade- Each one seemed, not willing,
but eager The advance began
I white and trembling. and without
an idea in my head, followed I was
impressed with three things: The spirit
and eagerness with which D company
moved; the beautiful grand. inspiring
sight of that line of blue and brown,
reaching as far as the eye could see;
the third was the captains face 1t
bore a slight pa1lor, but If ever deter
uinatIOn was pictured IN a man ; lace
it was in his
soon the firing began. and our first
voIey was sent into the jungle Then
came the order to halt; then to lie down,
and then for the first time 1 heard the
eueuy's bullets.
we stood behind the breastworIzs
watching the advance till the support
ing battalion with cOlOrS flying came
marching proudly up. Lieut. Col Little,
bIue-shirted and inpetUOus. in COM
maud- Soon We advanced again We
passed through the woods and into an
other opening Il was IN this opening
that our first man fell By this time
excitement had conquered my fears
One mans bravery and sOIicirude for
others here impressed me- He had re-
ceiVed a severe wound We passed him
but a few feet and halted Then came
the hospital corps and stretcher bearers
His wound received fun care and he
was placed on the stretcher- Just as
they moved TO the rear, two men, about
twenty or thirty feet to the right fell.
He saw them and stopped the litter.
He insisted that he be left where he
was and that the others be taken first
The surgeon refused. but he persisted.
A superior officer settled the question
by sending the first man back
Now it was that men began to fall
all around Us On through brush and
over cleared fields and on to 4 deep
ravine, and then on TO the river they
went; men were falling everywhere
Here it was that the bIue-shirted Lieut..
Col Little Illustrated to me true
bravery
He had ordered his men to lie down
The bullets were whistling and crack
ling overhead and all around US. finding
here and there a victim The men were
uneasy restless; wanted to be up and
doing They would rise to their knees
always looking forward q was behind
a tree) Their actions seemed to anger
the lieutenant colonel. and he repeated
time and time again the order TO lie
down. He STROBE back and forth and
exclaimed.
Soldiers. if you don't lie down III
hit you a clip with this sword. and see
If yOuU then lie down
a pronounced smoker went down the
line. but the order was Obeyed- I no.
ticed. however. that the lieutenant col
oneI did not lie down He strobe Up and
down in front of his men. uucouCeruefi
for himself. but rsOIfCitOus for his men
That I think IS good soldering"
The Freedom contains no mention OF
reference TO any other officer of the
Twentieth Kansas. In summing up the