The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-25
IHBCORKSCREW HILLFIGHR
A Manila Paper Tells of Major
Pickett's Phenomenal Exploit.
With Ten Wen n Force Of Three Hun
dred insurgents Is Held at Bay and
Finally Put to Flight in Disorder.
The Recovery of Valuable Papers.

| The Manila Freedom Of April. pub
! Iished at Manila, copy of which has just
| been received here, gives an interesting
! account of the Corkscrew Hill fight, in
1 which Major George z. Pickett additional
paymaster, l. S. Army, a well-known
! Washington boy, acquitted himself with
! honors- The story in Freedom is as
! follows.
/ The full particulars have at last been
received Of the fight of the command IN
/ der Major George z. Pickett, additional
| paymaster, l. S. Army, at Corkscrew
! Hill This command consisted of a de
| tachment Of only ten mounted men Of the
| Sixteenth Infantry together with two
| civilians, business men of Manila, who
| were with the party
To-day Il Freedom representative in
! terviewed s. NJ Berger one civilian who
! accompanied the expedition, and from
| what ne says, Major Pickett acquitted
himself with the same dash and daring
! which made his father famous during the
! war Of the rebellion
Mr. Berger said. In proceeding from
| Bagabag to Gordon on March 8, 1 accom-
panied a detachment of ten mounted men
/ of the Sixteenth Infantry which guarded
! the funds of Major Pickett, amounting to
! something like $4,000 About half way
| between the two posts, a short distance
| from Barrio Diadi, We were attacked by
/ three companies of insurrectO. in full uni
| form and well armed. Just as we arrived
| near the foot of Corkscrew Hill, where
the trail winds around the outer edge of
the Mills and crosses a small stream at
the foot and passes in front Of and around
the side of the range of hills on the OPP
posite side from CoTkscrew Hill, we saw
the entire rebel force. They were so close
that We could readily recognize one mem
Der of the force as wearing an American
uniform. The rebels deployed, one COM
pany going up one side of the nil and one
going up the other side OF the same hill,
one company coming over the hill from
| the rear, all just opposite u.s. The first
! two companies were mounted, while the
latter was unmounted- They fired on US
| while in a hollow where the trail crosses
| the stream, about forty to fifty yards
distant All of our pack animals were
stampeded at the first volley, and crossed
over to the foot of the hill occupied by
the rebels. After fighting them some fif-
teen or twenty minutes from the brush
and grass along the stream, they got our
range and poured in a deadly hail all
about US.
At this iUncture Corporal A. c.
Hooker was MORALLY wounded in the
throat, being only few feet from me at
! the time One packer to whom Major
Pickett gave his carbine soon reported
that II had bursted; two men had their ri
fes checked up, and one man broke his
gun in two parts at the stock This left
Us with less than ten rifles for the entire
party
at this juncture one man was sent
! back to Bagabag and Solano on swift
horse for re-enforcements- Major Pickett
0
ton on a low hill back of US, and some
80 TO 200 yards in front of the enemy s
position In doing so we had to pass IN
der terrific cross fire. While climbing
this hill the bullets plowcd up dust all
around and over US, and every moment I
/ expected the next would be my last.
Sc This position WIS held for half an
hour, when we observed detachment
leave the enemy's position, with the evil
dent purpose Of thanking US. They were
also making desperate attempts to lead
of our pack train which had haulted at
the foot of the hill which they command
/ ed, but each attempt resulted in the
woundiug OF death Of those who made the
attempt. Major Pickett called for two
volunteers who were willing to risk thei:
lives u save the train. William Cox, Pri-
vale Myron Cody. and myself volunteered
70 make the attempt to get the train
back as they were not so well equipped
to make a standing fight. We rolled down
the hill into the brush and grass border
iuZ the stream, and if the situation had
been less serious il would have CONFUSED
| the O8-iCokeTS.
.. we gathered in some of the horses
and Private Cody and Mr.. Cox made a
dash for the pack train under fearful
fire. and succeeded in getting them across
the river TO our side At this stage OF the
fight. Major Pickett ordered five men g
hold the hill which we were then occupy
ing while he proceeded win lJF- " aFWiCH
and the rest Of the men of the command
10 occupy a range Of taller nils IN the
rear which commanded the enemy post
[ tons a point also deemed impossible &c
flank without great loss to themselves.
" The insurgents could not get the range
on this new position; "nIch teSulSeC II
. their 3snnCTa izaIiOn when they saw the eE-
ecutiOa our troops were doing upon them
They could not Stanu cur FIRE any longer
a., / and stampeded in great disorder, proceed
! ing down the valley in the direction OF
/ Barrio Diadi disappearing IN the brush
$40 10 5,gIJ yards away along the contour
p ( Of the little stream
This relieved the strain which hat
: ] continued without inteTmisSiOn for i've
hours. Under the circumstances, hDWeN
/ er Major Pickett decided that 1t was bcS
TO await Tc-enforCements. but after haV
= ing remained inactive until 5 o clock, and
I re-enfoTcements had not appeared II wa!
= | decided TO take advantage Of the few min
{ Utes OF remaining daylight 70 hght OIL
f / way through the eneuly's lines. The en-
| envy doubtless believing that We had beer
2 re-cnfOTced. did not attempt TO modest US
= though we could hear them shouting anC
calling to each other in the brush clos
| by into which we sent a rapid fire
e = The command got through all Tlgh
J, ! with pack-train and money to Gordon
| without further adventure. Casualties OF
| our side were Corporal A G. Hooker
| killed, Payn.aster's Clerk J V. Oliver, lei
slightly graZed. one American horse kIIie'
and three mules slightly wounded
-' With Il force OF ten men, Major PICK
EFT stood off and licked 300 Well-armed IN
= surrectos after two hours of as haF'
| lighting as possibly could be conceived
Of
$ The APART News" published in Lu
, zon. speaking of the attack on the Amen
' can forces under command OF Maze
, Pickett, says:
las we 20 TO press the details of tn
e attack on the paymaster near Gordon, IN
dicates that the attacking party IS a Wei
p ! organized band of outlaws ImmeGlatel
, after hearing of the attack Captain John
SON commanding Company {. sixteenth
e Infantry, at Solano, sent detachmen
0 from his organization TO the scene OF tn
9 trouble and reports that this detachmen
? / ran down and captured q small band O
. / natives upon whom were found papers
/ reports. and statements that would r.
n the responsibility for the attack Thes
. | papers speak Of organizations of iuSuT
\ / rcctos in different towns in several O
* y