Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1911-06-15

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% inctAssAl ihst Tub daFknssF on
our front seemed % emit N almost
continuous roar nut Il Va badly
directed, - ne Filipinos were ~
dehtly crouchine down n their
trenches ana using their MauSers
as rapidly as they could, but simply
splattering the whole country with
bullets. the great majority Of them
going far over our heads. The big
cannon, in an excellent psnnpit a
thousand yards up the road, let fly
from time to time, and the shot.
like oyergrown croQuet balls. would
come tumbIing and bounding along.
smashing down the Dambooes and
occasionally wrecking q house be-
hind us. The men soon got over
whatever uneasiness they may have
felt regarding these projectiles and
began to call out deriscively, Low
ball'' or high ball." according to
the merit OF each shot.
We had few men wounded dur
ing the night. 1t will be wondered
why our casualties were not quite
severe under so heavy a fire, badly
directly though 1t was. But line
Of men lying close to the ground
behind rice dikes gives mighty little
chance to bullets fired at random
through the darkness half mile
Eaway. The Filipinos would have
done well to have saved possibly
million cartridges that they fired at
the Second Division on this night
for we were no more deeply into
it than the other regiments along
the front to our right.
| The longed-for daylight came al
last, and with it some lessening in
the fire of the enemy. A short time
after noon came the order to ad.
vance as far as the Lico Road, which
ran parallel with our front, about
six hundred yards in advance. II
the meantime the first battalion Of
the regiment had come out from
the city, and two Of its companies
were placed on the firing line. The
battalion was under the command
OF. Captain Frederick Il. Buchan
Lieutenant Colonel Little have
couple weeks previously been so un
fortunate as to be severely wounded
by the accidental discharge Of hi
own revolver At the order thu
lline rose to its feet and, without
firing, advanced rapidly, the move
ment not being detected by the en-
envy, owing to the heavy growth O
trees and bamboo between the lines
But we had scarcely got into oul
new position within three or foul
hundred yards Of the enemy
trenches and begun to construcf
hasty entertainments when a terrific
fire was opened on US. The two
Utah guns were brought up and
without cover, in the middle Of the
road, fired several shots.
But such fire was concentrated
ON them at this short range thai
the men were ordered to leave then
for the time and take cover. The
five companies that constituted oul
firing line were working their Spring
fields for all they were worth, ant
their front was blanketed with
pail Of white smoke that resemblet
a fierce prairie fire, for we had no
yet received smokeless powder To-
these weapons. 1t was an impossi
BILE situation. The enemy in his ex
Icellent trenches was pouring into Vi
l fire that we could not hope t.
overcome by merely firing back a
him. There was no time to asl
4 for instructions from the brigad'
commander. It was one Of the time
when subordinates must take tn
bits in their teeth. stepped owe
TO Captain Bishop and, more to hea
what he would say than because
had any doubts on the subject, ask
ed him II the men were equal to Il
He replied: you bet they are!"
turned to Chief Trumpeter Barsh
field, at my side, and directed hin
to blow Cease firing Then tn
order was passed down the line t
fix bayonets, and the ominous ciat
ter could be heard along the Who'll
front.
Then to our feet, and forwar
on a fast walk, firing as we went
The advance was much interfere
with by fences. but the men, MOI
yelling like fiends and fairly smoth
q S.t~., ~. valIovv toms If tha earth