Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-02-16
VERMONTERS UNDER FIRE.
Capt. BrOwnell's Company Defeated a
Large Force Of Insurgents.

Enemy Fled. Leaving is Dead on the
FIeld---Corporal PenderERst the Only
American wOunded--.Insurgent Ex-
pected 10 AnnihIlate BrOwneIps Men.
j. N. TAYLOR, the Boston Globes special
correspondent with the goth United States
Volunteers in Panay, who wrote recently
of the engagement in which 40 Vermonters
under Lieut. Worthington of Bennington
defeated band of insurgents, now tells of
another experience under fire, in which
Capt. Brownell's men again distinguished
themselves. A cruel and crafty half caste,
named Soils, whose father was China
man, has the title Of colonel in the insur-
gents. He has been in command of a
force outside Jaro several months Com
pany d is quartered in Sara and Soils spent
several weeks organizing his forces near
that place in the expectation of annihilat-
ing the Vermonters Two of his officers
and bosom friends were among the men
killed by Lieut.. Worthington's command
Dec. 10.
The death of one of his captains and
lieutenant and six men at the hands of the
Americans was demoralizing to the rifle
and bolo men, and signs of discomfort be-
came daily apparent. To prevent deser
tions and further disintegration of his
forces, Col Soils changed the date of his
attack, and promised his men all kinds of
loot and amusements when the Americans
were whipped and routed. The time fixed
for the attack was daylight of Dec. %, but
he had talked too much, and a native who
had been on the lookout for an opportunity
to get away from him deserted and exposed
the plans. At dAybreak on the morning of
the 22d Brownell, with part of Company d,
got into a position commanding the road
over which the enemy was most likely to
come. Van CamD, civilian, employed by
the company as scout and interpreter, re-
connoitered and reported the number of
the enemy to be about 115 rinemen and 300
men armed with bolos.
Col. Soils was so confident of success
that he had advised his followers to bring
their families along Many of them, act
ing on his counsel, brought women and
children and some household effects, all OF
which were left about mile out of town.
1t was Just reveille time when the open
ing shots were fired. The enemy nut up a
desperate and determined fight, but when
a cross fire, was put in by a part of Com
pany under Worthington, Solis's men
wavered The very little volley firing was
noted as coming from the "krsgs, the men
pTtIeTTluE 10 SELECT LueiT lhEkbNh anu HLOot
to kill Brownell had cautioned the men
to keep we'll under cover, and to make ev-
cry shot tell This the men did, and so
well did they protect themselves that only
one man was wounded.
The battle lasted about 80 minutes, when
it came to close with the enemy flying in
disorder for the hills. Eighteen of the in
surgents were killed outright, and in near
" each instance the ball that did the kill
ing entered the head or chest. Several of
the rebels, wounded so severely that they
could not get away, were captured, and
are now being cared for by Dr. Hutton. a
contract surgeon.
Company DIS casualty was one man,
Corporal Pendergast, wounded. Had there
been detachment of mounted men con-
nected with the post the advantage gained
might have been followed up with crushing
effect. The command under the half caste
colonel might have been captured or cut to
pieces,