Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1900-01-05
GALLANT SOUTH DAKOTANS.
How Our Boys Distinguished Them
selves In Luzon. Capt. Van
Houten's Brave Deed.

Philippines were so numerous that it is
difficult to get the officers to particu-
s]arize.
I. ..It is delicate matter" said Colonel
Frost, when questioned, Ito discrimi-
nate among the men who showed con-
:spicuous bravery-there were SO many
of them. There was one instance how
ever, that stands out prominently, and
no man of ordinary bravery or physique
could have fitted SO we'll into the emer-
Rency. refer to the gallant feat of
aCaptain Clayton p. VanHouten of Com
tpany D, First South Dakota United
States Volunteers. who carried Hotch-
kiss gun across dismantled bridge at
the battle of Marilo river under heavy
river"
The act referred to by Col. Frost is
familiar to every man in the regiment,
and the following account is written
from the statements made by Col. Frost,
Chaplain Daley and Assistant Surgeon
Thompson:
3, The South Dakota regiment started
from Meycauyan, March ~, one battal-
ion formed in skirmish line, the second
held in reserve and the third advancing
at right angles to the first toward the
river. The F'ilipinos occupied two lines
I Of entrenchmepts on the opposite side
Of the river, and with their Mausers
opened severe fire before the South
Dakota men could return the volley
with their Springfelds, so they had to
advance and take the fire poured in on
Them. When they had got pretty close
LIhey were ordered to lie down II
bemed equally perilous whether they
&dvanced or retreated, and the men OF
the regiment have the reputation OF
not knowing how to show their backs.
"Retreat was never sounded in the
South Dakota regiment" proudly said
DR.. Thompson, who, himself, hardly
ever left the firing line It was hoped
that the Hotchkiss battery Of the Neb-
raska regiment, that had been sent
around on the left, would open fire and
distract the attention of the Filipinos,
but it was not heard, and after very
few minutes the first battalion was or
dered to charge Lieut. Sidney E. Nor
rison Of E company was killed here and.
several others were wounded. Adjutant
, and First Lieut. Jonas H. Lien, broth.
er of the mayor of Sioex Falls, fell
mortally wounded between the first and
second lines of trenches which the Fill
pinos had abandoned, firing as they
Wretreated. AS the second line of
A.renches was reached Lieut. F. H.
Adams was killed instantly, and others
were also killed or wounded there. The
Filipinos had by that time crossed The
river and, having reformed. were max
ing for the main body Of their troops,
which was heavily intrenched on the
north bank of the river. At this juno
ture Col. Frost took companies D and E
to the bridge on our left, to see if they
could cross. His purpose was to get a
raking fire in on the epemy's flank.
The bridge had been dismantled, all the
ties having been removed, but the
stringers were in place and the men
got across under heavy fire. The rest
of the regiment had moved up to the
river on the right. Lieut.. Huntington
who had left the hospital to participate
in the attack, was the first officer to get
across and in few minutes there were
forty or fifty men who had waded in
the water to their armpits and Joined
his little band, all of whom were nearly
exhausted by their exertions. They
did not fail, however, to improve every
opportunity to make = mark of the
Tilipinos. who exposed themselves.
NThe mountain Hotchkiss gun Of the
Nebraskas had by this time been
brought up to the bridge, and the men
fwho were occupying positions of ex-
treme peril on the north side of the
river were wondering why it did not
come TO their aid Captain Van Hough-
ten finally went back across the bridge,
accompanied by several of his men, and
asked why the gun was not brought
mn. He was told that it was impossi-
BILE to take it across the bridge, as it
would have to he dismantled and car
ried in sections, and that it would take
two or three men to carry the gun itself.
'Unlimber it and put it on my shoul-
der" said Van Houghten, who saw the
urgent need of it to save the day. "and
ri carry it over myself" And he did,
clinging to the railing with one hand,
and edging painfully along the narrow
stringer, about four inches wide, which
was all he had to walk on. The gun
weighs 24O pounds, and Van Houghten,
who was formerly blacksmith and
very powerful man of fine physique,
strained himself, not being fully re-