The record-union., 1899-05-01

right, and also the rear, beyond the
Ieradventure of a doubt.
The fighting itself? Well, 1 cannot
go into that in detail now; it would re-
quire much space. There is no trouble,
my boy, about the fighting on our side
Make a fairly good plan of battle, send
the soldiers in under their officers, hold
them we'll. in hand, give them good
rifles and keep them supplied with
plenty of ammunition, maintain strict
fire discipline, show them the enemy's
position and the men will do the rest.
THE nameless man behind, the gun,
and the all-too- obscure line officer have
far more to do with winning victories
than many poorly informed civilians
seem to understand"
Tine start; how was that NADER"
The first advance was partly through
the open, across rice fields and cleared
ground partly through timber and un-
derbrush and across marshes, lagoons,
dry barrancas and running streams of
varying degrees of depth.
THE river Tuliahan was passed by
the Third Artillery and the Twentieth
Kansas of my brigade While yet the day
was young, and by the First Montana
later on. The enemy's center had been
pierced
And then?'
1.-The victorious march continued right
along, day after day, until Malolos was
reached. The rivers We're crossed by
the infantry, either by fording, swim
ming or on improvised RATS or tempo
rary bridges; the artillery and supply
trains passed the streams on the iron
railroad bridges which the enemy could
not burn, and had been unable to blow
UP for want of time, because his burn
ing parties had been chased off too
promptly by our intrepid advance
guard. Besides the streams, lagoons
and marshes that had to be crossed or
thanked, thorny bamboo thickets, dense
banana forests and difficult stretches of
tangled chaparral must be penetrated
and cleared under fire. Our ever-ad-
yancing line took trenches, swept over
earthworks. carried fortified places and
contributed continuously to the eclat
of the conflict not to say the gaiety of
the nation; while over all was heard the
dreadful crash of our infantry fire and
the fearsome roars of the artillery.
Nothing could and nothing did restrain
the magnificent ardor of our magnifi-
cent men,
AT MaIolcS itself there was only a
feeble resistance by the enemy, whose
warriors had by that time grown dis
Outraged and become demoralized by
their repeated and unvarying defeats
and had proved themselves the premier
sprinters of our new colonial posses
sions
Just before we entered Aguinaldo's
abandoned Capital, it was fired. as all
the towns had been fired, by the rear
guard of the retreating enemy. My
brigade marched in on the side where
the Government palace is located, and
by the time the advance had reached
the public square, the big building and
scores of smaller ones. We're enveloped
in flames and too far gone to be saved.
This was shortly before 10 o'clock.
In the forenoon by that hour our stan
dards. with the Stars and Stripes in
the lead, We're flying from improvised
bamboo fiagstaffs erected on the public
square, and answering to the fervid
tropic breeze and the shouts of our vic
torious soldiers The beating sun and
the burning buildings made the very air
pulsate with heat
THE second brigade marched in al
most simultaneously, entering on the
opposite side of the city, east of the
railroad track. It's progress had been
retarded slightly by the greater resist
ance of the enemy in that direction
The casualties in my brigade dur
ing the weeks operations aggregated
136 in killed and wounded
and that is the way in which Ma
lolos was taken?'
Yes, so it fell. The Tagalo dictator,
who with his coterie of associated pat
triots for profit had been doing so much
last-ditch shouting, had escaped his
American pursuers.
I wish to be understood as desiring to
give full credit impartial1y to all the
organizations and all the troops that
took part in the brilliant and success
full campaign which in a single week
gave the United States possession of the
rebel Capital, and 1 cannot hope to do
them complete justice in this short talk
If I have spoken more particularly of
the brigade that had the honor to COM
mand, its work, its achievements and
Its battle roll, I will be pardoned. be-
cause to have done so is but natural.
since 1 am better qualified to speak
for my own immediate command than
'cA tOOpS Will WHICH, necessarily, L
did not come in such close contact"
You must appreciate the fact that
your brigade was composed of such
good men and officers?"
Il do, fully. The conduct of the
troops in campaign was distinguished
for cheerful endurance, subordination,
discipline, alertness, steadiness and
quick intelligence, and by the most
splendid ardor in the supreme hour of
conflict Nothing save orders, death or
severe wounds could keep them back
from the firing line, and nothing that
ever came out of Oriental losns could
Withstand their impetuous onsets along
and across the rough edge of battle
My regimental commanders: | am
glad you asked about them I could
not help but acquire respect. admira
ton and affection for every one of them.
They are all men of standing in their
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