Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1899-05-25
GEO. LEWIS AT The FRONT
Was First Native Hawaiian to En-.
list In American Army.
Second Battle Of JarO Near IlOilo In Which
Lewis Took Part-lS With The 18th
Infantry As Musician.

A, 18th Inf, U. 8. A., now station
ed at Iloilo, sends to the BuLLE-
TIN the following account Of the
battle of Jaro, in which he took
part. Lewis was the first native
Hawaiian to enlist with the Amer.
lean forces. He writes 81 want
my friends and my people to see
what l am doing down here:
On Thursday, March l6, the sec
ond battle of Jaro was fouu hit and
proved the most severe engage
ment that has occurred since our
troops landed.
Word has been received that a
desperate attack was to be- made
by the Filipinos upon the city and
under the direction Of General
Miller arrangements were made to
meet the attack. Our force con-
sists OF two battaliops of the 18th
infantry, companies L, K, B, and
l, comprising the first battalion
under Captain Bates, and compa-
MES A, @, II, and l., under Major
Keller being the second battalion.
A detachment OF the 3rd artillery
aud battalion of the 1st Tonnes
see occupied the ground between
Jaro and Ilcilo.
AT about noon the native troops
were observed advancing from the
west and north. Companies Z and
| we're dispatched to meet them,
but after few shots the enemy
fell back. The work Of guarding
these points was then left to the
company on outpost duty there
and e and I were brought back
to Jaro, where, joining the re
mainder OF the first battalion the
command moved north on the
Santa Barbara road. Here again
the Filipinos offered no resista nce
but retired beyond the reach OF
our FIRE. '
At this time an attack was made
upon the outpost at the bridge
crossing the Jaro river, on the
northeast of the city. 1t lie in this
direction that the insurgents hold
their main body, their headquart-
ers being at San Barbara. At in
tervals of few hundred yards
they have thrown up strong en-
trenchments throughout the valley
and to the foothills. Part of our
troops were thrown across the
Jaro river to silence their fire and
drive them beyond the proximity
Of our lines.
The com mand was deployed in
line of skirmishers in the follow
ing order: Company X under
Lieut.. Hirsch on the right, then
about 30 men OF Company Fl, I'M
der Lieut.. Wells, then a detach-
ment of the Ord artillery, then
Company b, under Captain Girl
filth, while Co. I, under Lieut. Nc
Broom formed the left. After ad
vancing half mile in this order
the right was SWING around on b
company as the pivot to face near
ly mile OF the enemy's fire and
advance upon it.
The fighting at this stage be.
came furious. The natives had
our range and the bullets were
bummiug around our ears like
bees. They opened at about 1000
yards but our line advanced
to about 800 yards before return
ing the fire. Then the advance by
rushes began with volley firing at
each halt. The ground WAS terri
bly, rough and badly cut BY
sloughs and bitches through which
the men dragged themselves, be-
ing at times almost waist deep in
mud and water. We had advanc-
I'd to within 200 yards of their
firing line before they began to
run and then a charge was order
ed and the troops followed them
until they disappeared in the
woods beyond.
In the meantime they had
opened fire on our right from
line hatf mile in width at q dis