The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-04-24


lying at Malolos in April. 1899, General
Macarthur ordered Bell to take some
mounted men and "develop the enc
my" That order, Bell says, meant
that he was to make a show of fight
so as to bring out all the strength of
the enemy. He was to do this along
the Quingia river road in front of the
Filipino trenches.
Marching along the road skirted with
banana and bamboo trees, the party
discovered at daylight a trench near
the town. Major Bell and five men
rode out into the open and reconnoiter-
ed boldly for half an hour without
drawing fire. The troop was then Or
dered into line. and as soon as it APP
peared in the open it was met by
front and cross fire. One soldier was
shot in the first volley, and when the
troop turned to retreat, as ordered, he
was left behind. Major Bell, followed
by two men, ran to the front and pick
ed up the wounded trooper but while
carrying him back two Of the men
were hit, and the wounded man was
dead when the rescuers reached the
horses. The two newly wounded men
We're placed on horseback, and the par
ty started to rejoin the infantry. After
marching some distance Major Bell
discovered that the body of the dead
trooper had been left behind and with
the aid of the infantry charged back
to recover it. On reaching the spot it
was found that the Filipinos had re-
moved it. A serious battle resulted
from this scout, and Colonel Stotsen-
berg of the First Nebraska was killed.
that the battle was not due to his recll-
lessness. but to his soldiery way of
obeying his orders and caring for his
men.
The gallant and adventurous career
and tragic death of Chief Scout Young
have often been told in print. Lawton
discovered Young soon after his arrival
in the Philippines and took him up at
once. Harrington was noble second
to Young, and both We're done to
death in the same campaign and died
at the same hour 1t was necessary
to have some one at once to replace
Young when he fell mortally wounded,
and after consultation among the
generals Lieutenant ]. e. Thornton, an
Oregonian. was selected to lead the
scouts whom Young had organized and
trained to operate after the manner of
the western plains.
Thornton laid by his uniform and
dressed as scout. wearing the bar of
his army rank upon the collar of his
hunting shirt. series of stirring ex-
ploits followed Thornton's assumption
of his new role. but the most important
was the capture of Tarbon bridge with
his handful of scouts. The only route
by which Lawton could reach San Isl
dro, the seat of the Filipino power in
the interior Of LuZon. was across the
Tarbon bridge. Thornton led the adj
vance Of the column and was far ahead
when he sighted the bridge in flames.
The river is 100 feet wide. and above
and below the bridge the enemy had
built trenches. which were held that
day by 200 native ex-Spanish soldiers
armed with Mausers. The river was
unfordable, and if the bridge went it
would delay the army several days to
rebuild it. The men were living on
short rations, so that every hours de-
lay was serious matter
Spreading his men over the whole of
the trenches. Thornton advanced
through the swamp grass lining the
river bottom. each man firing at a Fill