The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-02

succeeded in taking the position with
heavy loss.
When the two commands had forced
these two passages across the river the
enemy fled in disorder, and the two
regiments were taken across and went
into camp to await further orders, we
having orders not to advance beyond
this river. At the place where we forced
the passage we found twenty-nine dead
EiGpinOS, including one officer. There
were also quite a number more where
the Third artillery crossed. Our own
loss were three enlisted men killed and
Capt. Clark and twelve enlisted men
wounded, nearly all of the loss in one
The next morning, March the Kan
Sas regiment and the Third artillery
We're moved up on the flank to fill up
the gap that had been made the pre-
ceding day, and changes had been made
in the other commands. so that we were
now resting on the left of the Tenth
Pennsylvania.
During the forenoon nothing was
done, but about noon the entire com
mand marched in column of tours
along a wagon road toward the town OF
MalintO. Shortly after the start the
Third artillery was deplOyed and be-
came engaged with the enemy in the
suburbs of MalintO.
One battalion of the Kansans was de-
ployed on the right of the Third, but
did not have much to do in the ensuing
fight, because the enemy broke and ran
about the time we got into position.
The loss was one man killed.
In common with the remainder of the
division we marched toward Polo, and
While Hale was engaged north of that
town otis went into camp along the
railroad, where the brigade remained
until the morning of the 9th. Shortly
after daybreak that morning the army,
which was now headed for MaIOlOs, re-
sumed its advance, Hale on the right
of the railroad and Otis on the left.
The disposition of Otis brigade was
Third artillery on the firing line, the
of ards
behind their line, following with the
First Montana. The troops halted for
three hours in the town of Meycauan
and shortly after dinner resumed the
MARCH.
The Third artillery became slightly
engaged with the enemy where the rail-
road crosses the NIarilao river, but sue
ceeded IN crossing They were subject
ed to a fire on their right flank from
the enemy across the river.
L took two companies from my regi-
ment and went over to see if we could
dislOdge the enemy. We found an i'm
passable stream in our front which was
about one hundred feet wide and ten
feet deep, the enemy being strongly in
trenched on the other side. We de-
termined to advance to the bank and
try to keep down their fire by sweeping
the top of their intrenchments
We advanced by alternate rushes fir
ing until we reached the bank where
the men screened themselves as well as
they could behind rice dykes and had a
hot fight with the enemy on the oppo-
site bank. Shortly afterward Major
Young came up with one piece of artiI-
lery, and Ensign Davis, of the navy
with a Colt automatic gun. Two more
companies of my regiment were also
brought up, and we opened a furious
| fire, keeping it up for two hours
CALLED FOR VOLUNTEERS.
In the mean time called for volun-
teers to swim the river and obtain a
raft that was moored within 80 yards
of the insurgent intrenchment. From
these four companies about 80 men vol
| unteered. Out of these I selected one
officer, the chief trumpter, a corporal
and two priVates. While the attention
of the artillery and infantry was direct
ed to keeping down the fire of the enc
my, the men Sprang into the water and
swan to the other side under heavy
fire. These men have all been recon-
mended by Gen. Macarthur for medals
of honor.
On the opposite side our men obtain
ed heavy raft, and while still under
fire managed to bring it over to our
side, protecting their heads under the
framework of the raft as well as they
could. When they got it over to our
side of the river it was necessary to
stretch a rope to the other side, and one
of the men who had been over swan
again and tied the rope to a tree.
took Lieut.. Hopkins and % men Of
company Q, got on the raft and crossed.
Most of the enemy fed as soon as we
got across. Reaching the opposite bank
and deploying we saw more than 300
men running across an open field. We