New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-10-06
THE DEFENCE or VIVIAN.
AN HEROIC ACTION. MUCH RESEMBLING THE
TAKING OF LUNGTUNGPEN."
From The Chicago Tribune.

From The Chicago Tribune.
some day" said the man from Manila.
when the people get ready to listen to them.
there Will be some mighty interesting stories
written about the in the islands, which is
now over. There is the story OF the defence OF
Niviyan. for instance. which is as good yarn
as kipling's Capture Of Lungtungpen, and
has the additional advantage of being wholly
the truth.
1t happened when General Schwan's column
cleaning up the Province Of CaVite. in the
southern part of Luzon. one Sunday the col
uWu had had its fill Of hiking through the rice
paddles ard lighting 'nigGcrs.' 1t had already
captured tyo towns that day and had burned
one Of them. when. along about 80 o'clock in
the afternoon, il came to the village of NlNlyan.
All the natives in sight seemed TO be amigos.
There wasn't even a single shdrpshooter at
work auyWh around, and the boys We're hot.
dirty and dog tired. So, without relaxing proper
military vigilance, it Was decided TO give the
men q chance to rest up.
"On the edge of the town stood the store of a
big Chinese merchant, surrounded by low
stone wall outside the wall was a big artificial
fish pond. The store itself was crowded with
Filipino women and children. Three privates
were stationed as outpost pickets at the store,
and about thirty more We're left there to serve
as reserves. Accompanying the column a
newspaper correspondent who hurried into the
Chinaman's store for the purpose of buying a
hen and some other food.
"MeanWhilc the thirty reserves. including the
non-commissioned officers in charge of Them
took off their clothing and dived into the fish
pond for much needed and grateful bath.
while the correspondent was arguing with
the frightened Chiuamau there came suddenly
from outside the sound of sharp firing The
CORES pondcnt peekcd around the corner of the
wall to what was up What he saw would
have been intensely amusing under other cir
cumstances. The three pickets on guard were
aiming their rifles over the stone wall and the
pond in front full of men doing their best
to keep under the water and out of the way of
bullets
The correspondent carried camera case.
which somewhat resembled surgeons satcheI.
over his shoulder, and one Of the men who had
"a IL.
and said, taking him for a surgeon: Captain.
the nggers have opened on from the jungle.
They'll cut us to pieces, sure
"'Where's your officer? said the CORE
. spondent.
The sergeant is down there behind that
rock" said the private. saluting once more.
| Go down and tell him to report to me at
once
up from his rock came The naked sergeant
| Get your men out of the water ut once said
/ the correspondent. Let them get their guns
and put on their ammunition belts and deploy
( across the road. Don't wait to dress
'''Then followed of the most Iaugha BILE
sights Of the war, though then it was serious
enough out of the water at the word of com
mand came the thirty men naked as the day
they were born. With desperate haste they
strapped on their belts and shouldered their
guns. one or two of them added to the gro
! tesguc appearance by putting on their campaign
hats. Then the naked squad threw itself across
the road and lay down in the dust. guns ready
for action. Up the road they could see a couple
/ of hundred 'ni2y,ers' coming at doulde ouirl Z
and behind them and then they got a
glimpse of the American marines, who were hot
on their trail. The naked company was afraid
to fire for fear Of hitting the marines But
when the 'nisgers were one hundred yards off
/ the correspondent gave the order to his men to
set up They rosa lire of stark naked men
clear across the road. The 'niggers' gave a
single look. Then, with a yell of fear they
le2ped into the jungle at the side of the road
/ like 4 pack of foXhounds. The defence of Vivi-
yam was over
APPROPRIATE.