Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-10-07
UNDER FIRE.
Long a Target Gen. Macarthur Has
Had Some Wonderful Escapes.


Had Some Wonderful Escapes.
Previous to the assault on Manila.
the Astor Battery was stationed behind
an old ruined convent, which was sub
sequently used as an emergency hos
pltal. AT 500 O'Clock Gen. Macarthur
arrived at this convent, having travers-
ed narrow mud road for a distance
OF half a mile or more, while the road
was swept by the fire from the Spanish
infantry. In personally transmitting
his orders to the battery commander,
Gen Macarthur stood by the roadside
In earnest conversation, apparently OBJ
livious to the fact that the bullets were
flying all around him, chipping the
leaves from the trees and breaking the
bamboo stalks which lined both sides
of the road. The Generals face was
calm and as tranquil in expression as
though he was passing the time OF day
instead Of ordering a battery into
action.
capt. March, do you understand
those ordersr said the General
Il do, sir"
"Well, go ahead; but you must not
lose your guns" was the parting order
OF Cen Macarthur, as ne turned and
mounted his little brown and white
pony and rode to the firing line hum
dred yards ahead
When the advance was made on the
right of the line the troops were COM
PEELED to pass burning Spanish block
house ID, and the exploding ammuni-
ton was filling the air with whistling
shells, which resembled greatly the
ping-swiz of a Mauser. As the troops
approached the zone covered by the
flight of these whistling shells their
f1v-esf 4,r,r, to-, -
the enemy must have been concealed
beyond the blockhouse, and il is an
actual fact that one company Of in
faDtry dropped into the ditch beside
the road and fired two volieys into the
burning blockhouse. A number Of
stragglers at each side OF the road were
hugging the bushes as closely as pos
sible, believing, no doubt, that they
were being fired upon by the Spanih
infantry. 1t was at this stage that
Gen. Macarthur came up the road,
sitting perfectly upright on his mud
despatched pony and seemingly I'M
mindful OF the shells which filed the
air on all sides. Turning to the men
huddled by. the roadside, he said,
Come on, boys, they'll need you at the
front" and that was more than suffi-
cient to start the men past the burn
Ing ruins. Through the mud the little
pony fioundered on, catching the head
OF the column just before reaching the
church at n Pace.
When the Astor Battery reached the
crossroads in front OF Ell Pace Church
two shots were fired from their 13-inch
guns, and then Gen. Macarthur rode
out and sat on his horse in the open
roadway in front OF the guns. Three
hundred feet ahead a breastwork was
thrown across the road, and on the
left side OF the road a bloekhouse was
swarming with infantry on the first
and second floors. Through the woods
on the right the sharpshooters in the
trees were pouring spiteful little
chunks of lead, which splashed the
mud all around and went ricocheting
through the jungle TO the left and rear.
The American infantry had marched
by the right and left TANKS and were
safely ensconsed BEND the church and
stone wall, against which the Mausers
were tattooing with a disagreeabIe
pang. During all this time Gen. Mac
Arthur sat like n statue in the centre
of the crossroads directing the move
ments of the troops toward the right
and left flank. Finally he moved to-
ward the road leading westward in the
direction Of the bay, and, as he did so,
road toward the fringe of fame which
marked the position OF the Spanish
breatsworlSs. Again, riding in front OF
the guns, in voice as calm as though
ordering a change OF movement at an
exhibition, the General said:
Cease firing, Captain; am going to.
storm these works.
Turning and measuring the distance
with his eye from his position to the
line Of trenches ahead, he drew his
horse to the left of the road and I'm a
clear, firm tone said, What officer win
lead a charge down this roadg'
It was to these words, spoken with
out a tremor, when the bullets fairly
flew by in clouds, that a response was
given by the Aston Battery in a pistol
charge. When the General was ex-
posed in the centre OF the crossroads
the men, forgetting discipline and their
own danger, were shouting at the Gen
eral, Look out! you'll be killedp' "'Get
of the h0rSep' and similar solicitous
expressions, all OF which made as little
impression upon the General as the
Spanish bullets which sung around
him like a thousand hornets and failed
to touch the mark so braveIy exposed
to them.
There can be no doubt OF this miracu-
lous escape from seeming certain
death, as a hundred pair of eyes saw
him then and number of times after
ward seated on the back of that brown
and white pony, facing almost certain
death, with an expression as calm and
collected as though IL was only q
sham battle with lots OF noise and no
ianger.-An Aston Battery Man, in the
New York Sun