The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-02-09

rave his body rest IN the consecrated
Trnund nf his churchyard. The only
liberty for the Filipino Is the Liberty
that the strong and just hand OF America
can assure him. The insurrectlon Is
over. but I win not attempt 70 guess
how long It viii be until the last I'M
placable iob-hunting patriot mas been
taken into custody and his sphere q
influence greater or smaller-to create
dlssenslon Is reduced.
Tribute to Wheeler.
General Wheeler. who has commando
ed this brigade for some months is
about TO 80 home. and my best wishes
60 with him. My responsibilities, Of
course, have been for the care Of the
sick and wounded. To me the concern
has been a serious one. but It otten
happens that one cannot induce an in-
terest on the part OF others that he
thinks his own affairs merit, must say
that Gen. Wheeler has taken In more
details that led to the better discharge
OF my responsibilities than any other
officer Of his rank that have served
under, He has soon the love and re-
gpect Of all in his command, and mas
proved himself thorough soldier, HIS
energy and vitality seem wonderful Tor
man Of his years.
Now, as the war Is over, especially
as far as the formal resistance Is com
cerned, which win give us anything
like formal engagement, must tell
YOU oe the last movement of this NORTH
ern column that is certainly worthy Of
note. It was the attack on Bamhan
Vfish you to know about, when for one
Of the very few times in this campaign
the game Of war was scientifically
played, and in a way that saved the
many lives that a direct attack would
have cost,
teer infantry, captain In the regular
cavalry, Is the hero. He prepared for
the day by scouting in person all over
the left frnnt of our lines. The division
lay at MabaIacat, with Bamban three
miles up the railroad, and then stripped
down 10 fighting weight with the inten-
tlon Of going through to Yarlae. the I'M
surgent capital. Col. Bell went out one
afternoon with about twenty mounted
men to reconnolter his left front. He
saw, without being seen, a trench full
OF Insurgents on the brow of a steep
hill mile in front Of Bamban. A de-
tour was made and the trench was at
tackled from the rear. The scouts dis
mounted and, rushing on the enemy
with pistols, not a man Of ours was
hurt. but ten or twelve insurgents were
killed or wounded. Several were iT-
1ured by jumping over the precipice.
and nineteen Mauser hhes. with $50
rounds Of ammunition, were brought IN.
One of the killed was captain VINO
had on his person the orders directing
him to occupy that position and watch
for the Americans, he being selected
L. an aNR01fnt
his recognized valor and capacity II
that trench had not been cleaned out
before the advance 1t would have given
the enemy a chance to deliver a flank
FIRE that would have been serious.
Attack on Bamban.
/ do not believe that l was alone in
the apprehension felt as we moved
ON Bamban. do not think was
afraid. but I felt the Twelfth infantry
would surely sustain many casualties,
as It was to attack the center of the
enemy's trenches. All the Information
from escaped prisoners and other
sources led Us tolbelieve that the insur-
gents would make their great hight at
Bamban. One scout had reported em-
placements for from ten to twenty Held
R1Ins and two rows of trenches from
two to three miles long, with garri-
son Of 1000 men. The prospective was
apparently serious. Fancy II you can
the theatre de operations (as the span
lard would say) to lie on either SIDE OF
a piece of railroad track three miles
long, Connecting the two lines At the
end Of the track Is river crossing at
rirht angles. On the right the distant
hank OF the river Is high and rises grad
ually. while on the left the same bank
rims into the foot OF high blum. along
the foot OF which the river continues
its course STIR farther to the left. Thls
FAR bank OF the river bears long, deep
trench. resting on the blum to the lett
and. crossing the railroad, extends with
the bank on a gentle curve away from
our front until 1t passes out OF slBlt
n mile or 81 away. This trench corn.
manded the opposite bank iron wnlen
our advnnre II to be made) for a ranEe
of 500 yards. as well as the wide snail
low bed of the river. through whlch we
must wade. 80,
To the right Of the railroad Is he
waCon roa and rice field. Srlnged Win
bamboo. while on the left OF the tr9ck
there are SEVERAL hog back hills coming
IN Mt right angles. One OF these mis-
looked ridlculously like West virginia
razor hacked hog, SO sharp was the line
~ its crest 1t was 500 feet high, ana
the range from the crest to the trenches
beyond the river WAS more than n nhtS'
knew nothing about the plan except
that the Twelfth infantry was 70 havs
the center, which meant thar we sho t,ll
march to the river bank; cross IN, Sns
stream and then charge the trenches
nm the other side. There seemed to pc
a main. simple front-end collisiom IN
vIpw and the commanding officer OF
NV battalion now heartily contesses'
With myself and Others that he con-
Sldered himself about that time TO De
S,1n against II" and poor risk Tor
life insurance company. Ny battalion
,yas halted in the road about 800 yarus
from the river, and I went forward IN
nm open field to the left OF the r0a1
towards the railroad and from poi ill
half way ~ the river witnessed tne
most superb and satisfactory pano .I',.,,
aYnpct Il ever again to be my pIlVl-
ieee 10 see, The thought Of reproduc-
ing Il would drive a Pain or kiralLy
into n spectacular nightmare.
Col Rell and his Thirty-siXth Volun-
teer infantry took the great green stage
M this point and the play began ne
SenIoyed a battalion along the crest OF
ire rSzor-back hill have described,
md the men from my position looked
not unlike n row of bIistles down tle
bnck OF the Imaginary hog. This posi-.
zion covered the insurgent trenches az
the long range OF over n mile. and tnen
the Rrags began to beat rattLnB
tattoo. had heard that the enemy
md n lot OF machine guns to receive
ns with. Just then the pnt-pnt-pat OF
ynpld are guns began. There we're on
iv two Calling guns with our column,
and they were In my battalion. look
al for them with the hope OF seeing
one gone, 10 as to account for the mr.