The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-09-26

1
an inferior force. the last at short range
and against considerable force. In the
| first two fights the troops with which I
was Immediately connected were not d.
rectIy engaged but the bullets were
whistling around US. The third fight was
on the I'm about 1:SO p M Major Wheel
er, with three companies, c and l. Thirty
fourth, and F. Twenty-second. was de-
tached and directed to push en- east and
investigate in that direction, after which
he was to go south and II possible break
up the force Of Pablo Tacson and destroy
their barracks and stores This was on
the morning of the 21st. That afternoon
we located the firing and found it to be
band of Lacuna's force who were en-
trenched on a high hill about 500 yards
from our position when We located them
For some time there was a good deal of
long range firing on both sides, but fin
ally the major sent Captain Gibson ahead
TO charge the enemy. Company I mean
while covering their advance by voliey
firing from the hill which we occupied
When Gibson had gone about half way
the major began to get uneasy about him
and ordered F company to support him
and the major and. I went with them
Upon trying to get forward to their po-
sition we found the trail almost impas-
sable and that Gibson had broken a trail
down the side of almost a perpendicular
hill through thick bamboo brush to the
creek and up again on the other side
through an equally difficult place When
we emerged from this heavy brush we
found ourselves at the foot of the hill
that had been occupied by the enemy and
we found that Gibson had already charg-
ed and taken the hill. How he did it
cannot imagine without sustaining q
heavier loss than he did. He lost one
man shot through the knee. When the
major and 1 climbed the hill we had to
pull ourselves up by the long grass
growing on its sides. This shows that
the insurgents will not stand when they
see we are coming after them, no mat
ter what happens, and our fight the next
day proves the fight still further
1.-THE next morning thS$najor sent COM
pany I back to Penaranda with the
wounded man and we pushed on south
with companies C and F, numbering from
so to 100 men. About an hour after lunch
the trail we were following emerged on
the side of a denseIy tfmbered hill over
which we had come and wound down be-
tween two hills, over on the right free
from timber and very steep and on the
left heavily tinbered and across a little
creek which wound its way between~the
hills. We had no warning whatever, as
our advance guards had observed no
signs Of the enemy, but all at once just
as we had gotten down into the hollow
the most terrific fire opened upon us
from three sides, the insurgents being on
top of these hills and, as we afterwards
learned, entrenched. For a little while I
did not think one of US would get out
alive, but the major took in the situation
and ordered that we charge and take the
open hill on our right. This was done,
we being under fire all the time from the
top of the hill we were charging as well
as from the timbered hill which was now
in our rear. Upon reaching the top the
major directed some yolleys against the
other hill which silenced their fire for a
time until I started back down the hill
to bring up the wounded. We had no
more left the brow of the hill than they
opened up on us again and kept it up al
most until the last wounded man was
gotten to the top. One poor fellow who
started down with me was shot before we
had gotten ten yards from the top. He
died the next day while we were bring
ing him in on litter. We checked up
and found one man killed and seven
wounded Captain Gibson being among
the latter. He was shot through the jaw,
both sides of his lower Jaw being broken,
and also through the right shoulder. It
would be impossible for me to describe
our trip back home. 1t took us forty
eight hours to reach the ambulance and
the men were almost dead, having had to
carry the wounded on filters. I gave my
horse to a sick man and walked all the
way in, carrying one mans gun almost
all the way and two good part of II.
was about worn out and terribly foot
sore, but the poor men were much worse
It enclose herewith a copy of a paper
sent me by Captain Smith, General Fun
ston's adjutant general. The general told
Major Wheeler that he thought all the
officers who took part In the fight should
be recommended for brevet There were
four officers and one acting assistant sur
geon. HARRY"
' Ihave been sent here to Gapan in
command, now that Gibson is laid up"