Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1911-02-16

AS the command was given ''For-
ward the 'eMauzer bullets began to
sing around ,us, and they were coming
thick and fast yet it was for home and
for our country, and to avenge the
sinking of the "Maine" that we were
there. Save one Chas. Meyers, no
others faltered. 1t was a fight that
has gone down in history, and with
all the praise Of the Volunteers the
Regulars did most of the actual work
on this day. We left our trenches in
such hurry that we were soon into'a
large bamboo tthicket,, and, the bullets
were whizzing and clipping little
limbs and twigs all around us but
with about 900 yards Of this thicket
we emerged into an open held and
about 600 yards ahead Of US loomed up
our enemies breast works. The field
was level as a floor and it had been
raining in torrents and was flooded
with from inches to 10 inches of wa
ter, and in some places trenches or
bitches had been dug 6 feet or 8 feet
deep and as we were taking the breast
work by rushes sometimes as many as
dozen men would go plunging into
these bitches that were about 10 feet
wide and full of water Our Battery
then acting infantry, was about 100
strong on the firing lines. THE other
go men were on special, kitchen and
guard duty.
We were not SO used to water then
as we were later, and as the Battery
of men was in two sections, the order
mad been given that at any time in
action and at command to commence
firing for the section or sections to lay
down and then begin the firing as di-
rected, either as volleys or at Will. So
as soon as we emerged into this old
field the 1st section received orders to
commence firing and second section
was double timed for rs to 100 yards
ahead, and was then given the same
order. AS soon as end section would
begin TO fire the ist would then be
marched at double time until they
were rs yards ahead of end section and
this was kept up until within about
100 yards, and then all together. Ey-
erybody charged the breastworks of
our enemy and as we crossed tn cir
trenches and scaled the breastworks,
they hadsiust vacated we saw them re-
treating towards Manila. Then with
a continuous running fight for four
,.SNo NboY,Y an1 a q Re-
rived in Caale Nueva, Il learned after
wards the na4ne) while Lieut.. Bouteli,
(who was afterwards killed., with a
half dozen men, (your writer one OF
.them) was in advance guard after
forming Tin oolumn at the edge of
town, we followed two or three men
into building and | guess had not
the line of march been so close, we
would have been III very bad fix for
as soon as we entered the door they be-
gan firing on us and our men, came in I
at once and took 25 or 30 prisoners.
From upstairs they were firing down
throughs.th floor at us but no one was
hit, and no arms We're found, and
there was no way to find out anything
about them as there was no one to talk
TO them. Their language was like
the chatter of geese to us. So the
Battery took them prisoners and we
were sent ON as advance guard down
the street until we came to the end of
same on a cross street, but in front of
us stretched out an old field as 1t look
ed to us bat it was one of the most
prominent places in Manila, known
as the Lunetta, with band stand on
one side next to the bay, and to our
left was a drive way where people
came out late in the afternoon to drive
and the band would play for them as
they would make the drives around
the Lunetta, breathing the pure fresh
air just in from its long voyage over
the ocean.
AS we came in sight of this place
almost straight across it loomed up the
walls of Old Manila, and from one
corner of this wall was flagstaff, and
from its masthead was flying the ,
white flag alag of truce" and by 8
this we knew they had surrendered or ,
were laying trap for us but in spite |
of word of warning from the com |
mander, VIM. E. Birkhammer, our joy 8
was so great we hollered and yelled, |