The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-05-10
MAJOR D|CGLES
SHOT IN THE HEAD
He Was Leading a Reconnoi-
tering Party
SURPRISED BY THE FOE
FIRED ON HIS MEN FROM BE
HIND A TRENCH.
SENT WITH TYPHOID CASES TO MANILA
American Bravery in the Philippines fxempli
fled by Captain Charles Clay, Grand.
son Of Henry Clay, and
Lieutenant Gregg.

Manila, May 9.-6:35 p. ma re-
connoitering party from Major General
Lawton's command, and which consisted
of two companies of the Minnesota
regiment and two companies of the Ore
gOn regiment, under command of Ma jOr
Diggles, of the Minnesota regiment ad-
vanced yesterday to a point near San
Miguel, which is about II miles north
of Balinag. There the Americans were
met with volley from force of rebels
behind a trench. Major Diggles was
wounded in the head and private sol
der was also wounded. Major Diggles
and the private, together with 10 typhoid
patients were brought by special train to
Manila to-day.
The Don Jose, the last of the missing
steamers under the American flag, which
were detained by the insurgents since
the beginning of the war was found by
the gunboat Manila at Batangas, and ar
rived here to-day
TWO DARING AMERICANS.
Manila, April 2.-Via San Francisco,
CAL, May 9.-Instances of personal
bravery have been quite as numerous
i'll the American army in the Philip
pines as during the Cuban campaign,
1t the correspondents have not had
opportunity to chronicle these deeds
of daring in the Orient, because of the
thickness of the country penetrated.
One soldier who has well illustrated
the quality of the Americans is Cap
tain Charles Clay, of the Seventeenth
infantry. Captain Clay is a native of
Lexington, Ky. and a grandson of
Henry Clay. He brought new honor
to the family name in Cuba, where.
during the hottest action of the San
tiago field, when his men were lying
behind cover for shelter from a
shower of bullets, he marched back
and forth in front of his
company as erect and cool as though
on dress parade, nor would he yield
to the appeals of the men that he find
shelter
''The captain never forgot for a
second that he was Clay" one of
them explained.
When General Hale was assigned to
a brigade in the Philippines he APP
pointed Captain Clay to the position
of adjntant. On the first day Of Mae
Arthur's advance, Captain Clay, rid
ing erect as usual, received a bullet
through the neck. He lay six hours
i'm the jungle before he was discovered,
and as the wound was dangerous
one at the best. his life was dspared
of. His only thought when he was
brought into the hospital was that
his family should be informed that he
was but slightly injured. He is now.
however, well en- the road to complete
recovery.
Among those officers who have fall
len, no one will be longer or more
Loyalty remembered by his comrades
than Lieutenant Gregg, of the Fourth
infantry, In the beginning of the
hot fight at Maraquina. which Gen
eral Hale conducted with such skill,
that it was worthy of more attention
than the overshadowing Importance
of MacArthur's advance permitted,
Gregg was near his chief. The horse
he rode had just been shot from un-
der him. IIS was taking OFF the sad
die when a man warned him that the
shot had been fired by sharpshooter
i'm tree near by. Refusing to take
cover. as most of the men were doing.
the lieutenant stepped forward and
standing erect, uncased his teld
glasses to look at the tree. .Jnst as
he raised them to his eyes, putt Of
smoke was seen in the tree. Gregg
put his hand to his breast, and fell
forward, instantly killed.