Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-08-21

best OF the state regiments that IN 1861
were rushed to the defense of Washing
ton, man with the genius OF general
bottled down for generation under
the strap Of lieutenant, soldier In
whose hands Nathan had about is
much chance TO shirk as he had to fly.
The captains shore leave exp,.. | ut
dawn. aud the flotilla was To sail ut
noon the following day. The captains
dinner went on in style, with much na.
tive music and no little champagne, and
then In the wee sma' hours, after the
guests had been whisked away In Hon
| olulu "hies." the night clerk was sum
moned to the captains room and bid
den to fetch n doctor In haste. and {,
| local practitioner came and found the
officer In well simulated agony and pre-
scrlbed according to his lights and the
captains liver. He was amazed to re-
ceive a visit at breakfast time from a
Scotch surgeon In chief and stocky
little adjutant. who demanded sight of
and speech with his patient, to the end
| that Nathan was hidden to arise, quit
his bed and go to the dock and thence
to the ship. There was nothing the
matter with him, said Major Sawney
\ dose of salts would set him to rights,
and Nathan's pains and preparations
went for naught. He and his luggage
were on the ship and Off for Manila be-
fore the setting of the SUM- but there.
there did triumph await him In the
shape OF dispatches from the States to
the effect that he was commissioned
: lieutenant colonel Second Columbia
and on acceptance. which he cabled Mt
once, directed to report for duty with
his regiment at San Francisco. The
battalion went into the muddy trenches
and the assault of Manila minus one
aDiepodied captain, who minded moi
the dollars it cost him to fit ut once
Ito Hongkong and thence by an o. and
/ 0. liner hack to the States.
Not until among the last regiments
to reach the islands did the Second Co.
lumbias appear along in December and
We're pushed forward to the eastward
suburb In support of the First brigade,
for insurgeEt cannon frowned from
new made redoubts and bore full upon
the unprotected lines along the Con-
cordia, and 10000 swarthy, scowling
soldiery surrounded and hemmed in
the slender force of Invaders All too
late the government found its little ar
my OF occupation far outnumbered and
sternly menaced at Manila and so rush.
ed the regiments of regulars to the sea-
board au secours. But long before the
foremost could reach the shores of Luz
zon the blow had fallen. Aguinaldo
had dashed his devoted followers upon
the sturdy ranks in blue, and, regular
and volunteer, the two little divisions
about the beleaguercd city were crap
pling with the overwhelming force of
Tagalogs.
And in the dark hour just before the
dawn of that radiant and most event
full Sunday of the first week in Febru-
| airy strange thing happened. Away
out along the crooked estuary of the
Concordia. fronting on the left the
dim, gray stone walls of Santa Ana
and on the right interminable thicket
or well nigh impossible swamp, the thin
line of the First division stretched from
the Paslg at pandacan point far across
to old Fort San Antonio, ON the bay,
| officers and men alike waiting and
praying for the word that was to loose
them from the leash and let them go in
FURIOUS rush upon the swarms of dusky
foemen who since 3 o'clock had been
pouring In hot fire from the shelter of
their stone and earthen walls and driv-
ing storm OF steel clad lead upon the
Unprotected lnds In blue. In grim sub
oraihation they had obeyed the orders
that forbade their turning spade Of
earth Tor counter fntrenclments lest
the natives, who FOR weeks had been
puliding redoubts and planting can
mons, should accuse the Americans Of
hostile intent. Loyal to their duty and
opserVant OF instructions that were
nara 70 appreciate or understand. they
i'ad porhe the Drunt OF the storm and
seen some OF their best anu brayest
swept away but ground their teeth
una grippeu tneir Springhelds harder
ana TOOK heart In the promise passed
along the crouching line: Our time
WI come lads' wait til broad day
ight.
And now 1t was nearly 5, and from
the shelter of old earthern walls and
mounds across the crooked Tripa the
Tagal rifles We're pouring in heavy fire
on the flank and even the rear of the
Americans lying south of the bridge.
Every company of the great Ever
greens was holly engaged, and the