The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-14
ANACONDA NEWS.
HIS WAS THE FIRST SHOT
Captain Jensen of the Montanas
Killed First Filipino.
WAS NEARLY A YEAR AGO
Dramatic Bit of History Connected With
the Campaign in the Philippines
and Hitherto Unpub-
lished.
WAS NEARLY A YEAR AGO

That was the first shot of the war
x was the first Filipino ever killed by an
American"
In these words, uttered in an inter-
view. published in the San Francisco
Examiner, William Grayson of the Ne
braska regiment lays claim to shooting
the first Filipino in the great struggle
now going on in the Philippine islands
!. Doubtless he is honest in making his
/, claim, but he is mistaken, nevertheless.
The first Filipino shot by an American
was killed by men under command Of
Captain Andrew Jensen of Company E,
list Montana volunteer infantry, acting
! as ofncersof the day on the night of
Aug. "a. 1898. the day the Montana regi-
ment landed at Cavite.
Z The story of this first shot is a dra-
. matte one and has the merit of never
having been told in public before this.
While certainly contained in the official
reports, no word of it ever reached the
newspaper press, so while Grayson of
Nebraska is being marked as the man
who killed the first Filipino, his honors
are false. j. M. Kennedy, now police
judge of Anaconda, but, at the time of
the occurrence, first lieutenant of Com
pany 4, LIST Montana, vouches for the
truth of the story that Jensen and his
men slew the first Filipino of the war.
That story, with the recital of the en-
try OF the Montana regiment into the
Philippines, and its baptism of fire, is a
follows:
1t was on the morning Of Aug. "a,
1898, that the transport Pennsylvania,
ST mt
Manila bay and followed in the way of
Dewey At 10 a. m. anchor was dropped
about 100 yards off the sea wall pro-
tecting the old Spanish arsenal at Ca
vite. As the anchor imbedded itself in
the bottom and sent up a turmoil of
muddy water steam launch bearing
several officers hauled alongside the
transport and gave the news that the
war with the Spanish was over.
From one end of the Pennsylvania to
the other, from truck to keelson of the
big transport, there swept a wave of
disappointment. Manila had fallen
Aug. 10, the day after the peace proto-
col had been signed. The 10,000-m.le
journey across the sea was fruitless.
The eager soldiers from the mountain
state were to be shipped back home
without firing a shot. They had but
been playing at soldering.
Ihat afternoon caScO came along
side a transport full of dsheartened
volunteers with orders to the regiment
to commence handing. The first bat
talon, under command of Major Dren-
nan, was designated as the first to go
ashore. About p. m. that day the
first two companies-C and K-of this
battalion set foot on shore at the old
dock back of the governor generals
palace at Cavite, and Is minutes later,
SO swiftly did things move, they were
stripped for action and on the firing
line, while all about them musketry was
rafting forth. 1t is almost needless to
say their hearts were made glad by the
sound and the depression of the morn
ing gave place to one of elation.
AS the two companies marched up
from the dock and had proceeded per-
haps 100 yards, where the column was
in front of the handsome quarters for
merly occupied by the officers of the
Spanish garrison, they first heard the
firing
At this moment and as the head of
the little column was just entering the
walls of the ancient stone fortress, an
excited Red Cross nurse rushed to the
Montana boys and asked if they had
doctor in the command. A reply in the
negative was given and an explanatio
asked
"They (the F'ilipinos) are killing our
boys pretty fast back of that building"
said the nurse, pointing to the citadel
Then the firing became general in all
directions and it was learned a brisk
engagement was on between the Fill
pinos and the Americans. Presently
stretchers bearing two dead Utah SOL
diers and several wounded of the same
state came back from the front and
passed the Montana boys, who had been
halted.
An orderly from General Anderson
rushed up to Major brennan with or
ders to prepare his men for action. The
scene was colorful one to the newly
landed soldiers, standing there in the
plaza. Twenty-Five yards in front of
them was a line of dismounted troop
ers of the 4th regular cavalry, deployed
as skirmishers and about to rush for
ward, receiving final instructions from
their captain, who was harahguing
them in crisp. military sentences. Not
a native face was to be seen anywhere,
but from wall and window and door
came crash and crack of rifles and
bullets whistled everywhere.
Within the walls of Cavite there We're
but the following troops: Two compa-
MES of Montana infantry, one troop of
the 4th cavalry and some of the 9th ar
tillery. Surrounding them We're 1900
armed natives and 200 yards from
where the Montana boys stood was
Aguinaldo's headquarters 1t seemed
that the war with the Filipinos was on
in earnest.
"Unsling knapsacks!" came the stern
order. Every Montanan dropped his
knapsack and impedmentia and stood
ready for action. There We're excited
whisperings up and down the line,
'joshing" here and there, and through
the little column a spirit of exaltation
and eagerness.
The MontananS We're about to be
flung forward when a caramette under
a white flag and bearing two of Aguin-
aldos officers dashed across the plaza
with a message to General Anderson,
saying the firing was all a mistake:
that blunder had been made and that
Aguinaldo wanted no trouble with the
Americans.