The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-11-25
FIRST FIGHT OF
PHILIPPINE WAR
GRAPHIC STORY TOLD BY GEN.
ERAL FUNSTON.
The Experience of the Twentieth
Kansas Regiment on the Firing
Line After the Filipinos Had Be-
gun Their Initial Attack Upon the
American Forces.

command Of the First brigade of Gem
eral MacArthur's division, preparatory |
to entering the Second Reserve hos
pital, to undergo an operation for an |
old injury received in the campaign ,
with Garcia, General Frederick Funs- !
ton gave the following account Of the !
most dramatic scene of the Filipino |
insurrection.
At the time referred to--thc night of |
February 4 and the two days succeed |
ing-the now famous little general was /
the colonel of the Twentieth Kansas
regiment Of volunteer infantry. His
regiment was quartered in the Binondo
district of Manila, his own residence
being about three blocks away from
the building used as regimental head
quarters. Prefacing his account with
the plain and positive statement that
all of the American forces had firmly
believed for weeks that war was in
evitable and sure, he continued:
FUNSTON'S VERSION.
For some days previous to this time
the insurgents had almost hourly
grown more insulting in speech and
daring in manner. The conflict so soon
to occur had been nearly precipitated
on the I'd by an insurgent officer with
a detachment of about forty natives
all armed and very drunk attempting
to pass the line held by the Nebraska
regiment. On that occasion only the
tact and soldierly attitude of Colonel
Stotsenburg prevented a fight. But to
come to the night of the 4th. Thrice
challenged and told to halt by q SEN
tinel near the Santa Mesa bridge,
party of four armed insurgents at
tempted to force our lines, and estab-
lish an outpost actually within our
territory. 1t was about $40 o'clock,
and as a good soldier obeying orders
that man Of the Nebraska regiment
fired. and fired to kill, and the fight
was on. The Nebraskans having re-
inforced their line, awaited results.
They had not long to wait-perhaps
thirty minutes. AS they stood in the
deepening darkness from across the
river there broke ont long horizon
tai sheet of flashes, marking e brief
instant the line Of insurgent trenches.
Volley followed volley with deafening
crashes. A desperate attempt to cross
the bridge over the San Juan and in
the immediate front of the Nebraska
was soon made by the rebels, and very
nearly succeeded. They were checked
only when well near our side
SUDDENLY AROUSED.
"I had Just gone to bed when Major
Metcalf knocked on my door and said:
Colonel, it's on, It's on To tumble
out, strike a light and hastily dress
took but a very few moments-all ex-
cept the dressing--T couldn't find one
boot. You would think a man could
find a boot in n lighted room in two
seconds. I'm afraid that I was some-
what excited. It fOurd. I called the
orderlies to saddle the ponies, and, GO
ing out on a rear balcony of my head
quarters with the major, far away to
the east and working to the north
we could hear the 'PaC-Oww, pac- oww,'
that unmstakable double report OF
Mausers. AS we stood, even for that
brief while, the pors grew into a dull
roar. MY own regiment. though quar-
tered i'm town, maintained a strong out
post of seventy men on the Caloocan
road, and 7 felt that in but n short
time they, too. would he engaged. The
horses brought. down into the street
We clattcred. And strangely quiet and
deserted that street was-not a sound
not a native all gone-in hiding. The
three short blocks to the ragimental
headquarters required but q little time.
There we found the regiment under
arms; tho men laughing. joking, and
all impatient to move. They had stood
much in those last weeks but that had
been a personal grievance. Now It
was the nation that was being made
Il
broke into column of fours and took
up the route to our previously desig-
mated positions.
EAGER FOR THE FRAY.
"The men continued to chaff and
comment and were positively gleefuI.
They couldn't be kept quiet Their
eaGerness was unbounded. Arrivine
near our outpost, the firing that had
gradually crept toward our front from
away off on the right broke out ahead
of us. We could hear Captain Clarl,
with the greatest coolness giving his
commands for volley f1ring-and then
sst' spat' The bullets from the
enemy sped hv or landed in Nipa huts.
1t was odd how quiet had crept over
the men; and It crcpt so quickly, too:
l.
ness, But their eagerness was not
Rbated; and the check on their chatting
broke out again. To add 10 the
raclIet-therc was no confusion-at ir-
regular intervals there tore over our
heads shrapnel from the old smooth
bore that the rebels had planted about
three-fourths of a mile to our front
But on mp the narrow street we went
l..
hind walls and houses, we were I'm
position, a battalion on either side of
the street. That old cannon kent rip
ping out its Internal r''-r and the mon
were fairly crazy 10 locate It's position
once established, we opened with vol
levs, firing SLOWLY and we'll under con-
troll. but the insurgents, with plentv
of ammunition, kent the scenery pretty
thoroughly punctured with their rife
fire. They were using individual fire
and were reckless in the extreme in
their expenditure. Through the Ions
night their fire kent up--now ragged
and slow and then bursting into quick
| fierce volleys. Morning so long waited
for. finally dawned What n lone
/ night II wasi We made a slow, steady
advance Of about 400 yards. followed
snoftlN DN Sccond OF -"U Inen ] gOl
word from the Third artillery. on ouI
| right, that they were cramped by the
| ground and intended making a for,
ward movement 10 get into a better
| position.
THE ENEMY'S LINE.
Daylight showed us line Of the
enemy some 500 Yards away behind &
barrlcade-and daylight also brough
with 1t a terrific fire from the navy
| But my two advances had thrown the