The National tribune., 1902-09-18

threw one battalion upon the outer wall
and the other two into the Victoria
| trenches, making a display of force that
| was overwhelming.
From our somewhat elevated position
on the wall we had a good view of the
city on all sides, and could hear the
sounds Of battle along the outskirts. For
time there was brisk firing, indicating
several thousand guns in action, then came
a lull for little while, and then heavy
| firing broke out again, and thus it contin-
ued till nearly morning. We who had
| listened to the Filipino night attacks upon
Manila recognized the sounds, and joked
each other about it being the same old
| thing" The sound made by the Mauser
educated ear readily distinguishes them
and by careful listening we could tell that
the firing was being done almost exclusive
| ly by the insurgents.
| In our minds eye we could picture them
lying snugly under the shelter of their
trenches and poking the muZzles of their
guns over the top and blazing away in the
general direction of Manila. In this way
they poured several million Mauser bullets
into the city at random, making it very
| unpleasant for the residents of that por
ton of the town within two miles Of the
Filipino lines, chiefly natives and sympa-
| thiZers, who covered within the protection
of cement easements till morning. To
this almost purposeless fire the Americans
made but little reply, an occasional volley
being sent to show that they We're alert
and ready for an attack. There were but
few casualties on our side, notwithstand-
ing the fact that we had no defenses Or
| breastwOrks. Our men lay upon the
ground, seeking such natural shelter as
| could be found, and waited for daylight,
not caring to waste their ammunition in
the dark.
| The confidence of the Commanding
General in the ability of his army to re-
pulse Filipino attack without defenses
was justified by the outcome Of this af
fair. This confidence was shared by the
entire army, as was illustrated only a few
days before by little incident. Several
of us were visiting the outpOsts out of
mere curiosity to see how the land lay,
since we expected them to be attacked
any day or night, and in our rounds
came to a Montana post on the road lead
ing to the Chinese Cemetery and the La
Iona Church. Here we found a post
on the open road, with level country
| around it, in a most exposed position,
while an attacking party few hundred
yards away would be able to find splendid
shelter. An Irish Corporal was in charge
of the post. and we asked him if he ex-
pected the Filipinos would try to get into
|
'.They may try, sor, but they'll not get
in. If they try to get in here, sor, they're
all dead"
He was a good prophet, for at that
point there was some of the hottest fight
ing Of the next day when the Montanas
and Pennsylvania, after lying under fire
all night, advanced with the Utah Bat
terry and captured the cemetery, church,
blockhouse and intrenchments that de-
Tended by an enemy that could withstand
charge would have proved impregnable
COOPERATION OF THE NAVY.
| One of the preparations that had been
made was an agreement with the navy for
cooperation. Dewey's fleet was sta
toned at Cavite, seven miles across the
bay from Manila, where the Admiral re-
mained on board his ship and seldom Wis
tied the city. A few days before the
outbreak picket ship, the Buffalo,
believe, was stationed opposite the line
Of Filipino intrenchments south of Malate,
for the purpose of shelling them from the
flank in case they made an attack upon
the city. Another ship took similar po-
sition along the north line and another
near the mouth of the river.
About midnight, while the guns of the
Filipnos were keeping up an incessant
rattle, we observed great shafts of light
projected against the sky from the search
light of the vessel at the mouth of the
river, and soon We saw a similar beam
come up from the horizon in the direction
of Cavite and cross the former in the
sky. These two shafts made wide sweeps
to the right and left almost continuously
for half an hour and then disappeared
1t was the commander of the ship signal
ing to Dewey information of the Filipino
attack upon the city and the search light
of the Olympia sending back orders for
the guard-ships to cooperate in the coun-
ter-attack Gen. Otis had decided upon at
daylight.
About 1890 the firing had died out and
our regiment was sent back to quarters,