The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-22
A FIGHTING REGIMENT
GOOD WORK or TwENTY-THIRD IN
PANTRY N THE PHILIPPINES.
Only Regiment to Make Entire Cir
cult of ODE Number of Indi-
ana Men i'm Its Ranks.
Ann I'D 80 journal.

Army and Nay Journal.
Back of the simple announcement that the
Twenty-third. United States Infantry ar
rived a New York on Dec. / on the United
States army transport Buford there is a
story which constitutes one Of the most
picturesque chapters i'm the history of the
Spanish war. In the three and a half years
which have passed since it sailed from
San Francisco for Manila this regiment has
fought in nearly every island Of the Philip
pine archipelago which has been entered by
the American army. 1t has taken part in
more than fifty battles and innumerable
skirmishes, and though fighting "A half
savage enemy in an unknown country, it
has never known defeat. For eighteen
months il has pursued the treacherOus in
surgents through strange islands, thrashing
them wherever IL found them, and it now
comes home with the distinction Of being
the only regiment of the regular army of
the United States that has ever circumnav-
igated the globe.
At the outbreak of the war with Spain
the T~wenty-third Infantry was scattered
along the Mexican border, with ~headquar-
tiers at Fort Clark. Tex. 1t was promptly
modified at New Orleans. and. as this was
the nr5t time II had been assembled since
the close OF the civil war, many of its Off
GERS met there almost as strangers.
At that time the regiment was intended
for service in Cuba but because of rumOrs
of a Spanish naval approach il was sent to
the mouth Of the Mississippi to guard the
lads Jetties. II had hardly arrived at that
point when the news came of DeWey's vic
tory In Manila bay whereupOn the regiment
was ordered To Camp Merritt. San Fran
cisco, where IL was divided into three bat
taliOns for duty in the Philippines. The
First and Second battaliOns sailed for Ma
Mia In July, 1898. The Third battalion was
lert behind 10 recruit its entire strength, but
reached Manila on Thanksgiving day, 1895.
thus making the Twenty-third the first
complete regimen of American regulars in
the Philippines.
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENTS.
On their arrival the First and Second bat
talions went into the trenches at Camp
Dewey and did more OF less fighting every
day for weeks. Their hardest work was on
July 81 and Aug. 5. when they repulsed
furious attacks of the enemy and suffered
their first fatalities in action. In the as
sault on the city of Manila the Twenty
third supported the Thirteenth Minnesota
Volunteers and the Aston Battery, and
when the volunteer forces were checked by
the onslaught the Twenty-third rushed for
ward, capturing the wall and b-lOckhouses
and sweeping the enemy from the field.
One-hfth Of all the American losses i'm this
engagement were from the Twenty-third
Upon the occupation of Manila by the
American forces the Twenty-third Infantry
was made provost guard of the city and did
duty as such until the outbreak of the in
surrection. In addition TO this service the
regimen took a hand in every fight that
occurred near enough to the city 10 permit
the men to get there. At MalOlOS, Malinta
and MarOquina, at CalvOcan. San MateO
and San Pedro, at Macati, La Luna and a
dozen other nearby engagements the
Twenty-third was on hand and ready for
business. fighting desperately and sustain
ing heavy losses. One of the regiments
most precious souvenirs of that lively pc
riOd Is a letter from General Hale, who
commanded the American forces at Marc
1uina complimenting the Twenty-third
upon its gallant conduct.
In March. 1899, the third battalion Of the
Twenty-third, under command of Major
now COlOnel-Greenleaf A. GOOdale, cap
tured the city of Cebu, in the island of that
name, and drove the seven hundred insur-
Then for sixteen months the battalion
chased the enemy through SWamps and
every meeting. Through Cebu. Samar and
Leyte the battalion pursued the rebels with
relentless energy and finally rejOined the
regiment at JOlO. in the Sulu islands. which
had just been evacuated by the Spanish.
"As a result of the trying work of the
campaign five officers and 200 men were
sent home from JolO as disabled. and then,
after posting garrtSOns at JOlO. ZambOanga
and Mindanao. the three battaliOns sepa-
rated again to resume operations in the
field.
Then followed more than a year Of des-
perate but successful fighting with insur-
gents. pirates and slavetraders in Sulu.
Mindanao and other islands, and il is con-
ceded that this campaign in all that in
wolves courage, endurance, intelligence and
practical results stands among the most re-
markable OF military operations in the Phil
ippines. At no time in fourteen months
was the entire regiment sembl together
until il gathered on the BUfOrd for the re-
ruru v-oyaua IN Amariqa 90