Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-03-22


About Present Conditions.
Capt. John Il. Moran, of Company
l.. dUh Volunteer Infantry, which has
recently returned from campaign
III the Philippine Islands, arrived in
irattlebOro sunday night for an in.
uehmte stay with his mother, Mrs.
NOrah Moran, and his sisters, Miss
Mary Moran and Mrs. John II. Kane.
/ ne 3th regiment was the first vol
unteer regiment to be sent home. {
was mustered out at San Francisco
IN February, after which Capt Moran
went to his home IN Great Falls,
Mont, where he spent two weeks.
lie also spent some time with rela-
tlVeS elsewhere before coming to
BraJtleborO. Capt. Moran went to
the Philippines in August, 1898, with
the tlrsJ Montana regiment and at
mat time he was captain of Company
\. lie took part in the operation
against the Spanish forces before Ma
MIA was evacuated. In August, 1899.
when the Montana regiment returned
to be mustered out, he volunteered
Tor further service and was appointed
captain of Company l., of the 37th
regiment, which was one of the new
provisional regiments. From Febru-
AIRY, 1899 to December of last year,
he was i'll the field practically all OF
the time and was IN a dozen or more
severe engagements and a large num-
Der of SkirmisheS. In his last en-
gagement, which was at MaVitaC in
southern LuZon last September, he
was shot in the left thigh, receiving
wound which partially paralyZed
the leg and from which he has not
fully recovered. in this engagement,
which is told in detail in the following
letter, the company of A men lost
SIX men killed and 10 wounded. and
II Capt. Moran had not been wounded
1t is probable that the whole company
would have been obliterated.
In Il letter dated at Santa Cruz
l.aguna Province, +. l., Nov. u, 1900.
con. Is. f.. Cheatham, commanding the
5,th regiment wrote to the ad ,utant
general OF the Philippines: Il have the
the honor to respectfully recommend
tnat John r. Moran, 37th Infantry
United States Volunteers, be awarded
the brevet rank of major for his eX-
ceptional gallantry under unusually
trying circumstances during the fight
near Mavitac, Laguna, p. l., Sept. H.
1900 On Sept. II Capt. ID. ID. Mitchell
attempted to take a strong insurgent
position by advancing in column of
iives over a causeway waist deep in
water that led directly toward the
trenches occupied by the enemy.
When the men of the 18th Infantry,
who were in the lead, had become de
mOraliZed and refused to go forward,
Capt. Moran was ordered by Capt.
Mitchell to go to the front and con
time the advance. Up to this time
Company |. of the 37th volunteer in
lantry had been in the rear. Upon
receipt of the order Capt. Moran
promptly moved forward, followed by
his men, and continued to advance
slowly through the water, the whole
time being under a severe fire. from
which there was absolutely no protec-
ton. When a man was hit it was
necessary to send him back by two
other men to prevent his being
drowned.
The column steadily advanced for
at least 600 yards through the water
until the head of it was about 80
yards from dry land and $50 yards
from the trenches. At this point a
well delivered volley killed the first
sergeant and two men and seriously
wounded Capt. Moran and several
near him. AS the captain was being
carried to the rear he found that the
18th United States Infantry had fallen
back and that his party of II or Is
men were practically alone. The
small remnant of the 37th was then
successfully withdrawn.
1t is only fair to say that this at
tack over the causeway was made al
the earnest protest of Capt. Moran
who had on the previous evening eX
planned how the position could be
taken from the flank without having
to wade through the water. When he
received the order to advance he
knew it was a physical impossibility
to succeed, yet he not only obeyed
but he did it in such a manner as t
inspire his men to such an extern
that had he not been knocked doWI
where he was it is my firm belief tina
he and the handful of survivors would
have gained dry land and died in thu
trenches in heroic attempt to perform
impossible.
1T is my opinion that Capt. Moral
deserves a medal of honor, but IN ORD
en- that he may receive an immediate
recognition | recommend that he D.
made brevet major. | was witness
Of the affair from the gunboat Florida
about 1900 yards from the causeway
and could, with the aid of my glasses
see everything that occurred
The 37th regiment was organize
in the Philippines in August, 1885,
It's total number of commissioned on
GERS was SO. OF these six were pro
noted from the ranks, two resigned
three were discharged, one died an
30 remained to be mustered on
There was a total of 1862 enliste
men, of whom 324 were discharged
many to re-enlist in regular regiment
at Manila; II were killed or died frol
wounds, 90 died from disease, II d.
serted and Gao We're left to be mu
tered out.
Capt. Moran believes that it is on
a matter of a few months when peaC
will be established in the Philippine
and he says that when peace has bee
once established the Filipinos WI
find that the Americans are the be
friends they have in the world. F'
a long time he says the insurrectlt
has been kept alive by the leader
who terrorize the people into acce
ing to their demands. They lost MOI
when they received the news OF u
result of the last election in the VI
ted States, and they are now surren
ering in large numbers and taxing q