The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-10-29


hill, sent field phone message to his
gun lieutenants to train the guns for
1000 yards and be ready for indirect
fire. The range was occasionally
changed, but the order TO fire, reserved
Captain Hopkins, as well as Colonel
Wilder, did not wish to be the first to
open with the heavy guns, as this would
have given their location to the enemy,
who would Immediately have gotten the
range.
Captain Halls squadron of advance
cavalry was not seen for some time, and
only at quarter to eight, when firing
was heard in the vicinity of the palm
trees beyond the village of EVA, where
/ tall flagstaff marked the landscape
| 1t was presumed that one of Captain
Hall IS troops had then come in contact
with the invaders. Then appeared a
body of horse on the main road on the
mill side of the palm grove. This was
at first thought to be the enemy's cav
| airy, but was afterwards seen to be led
horses and presumed to he Red. They
were, however, horses belonging to the
Blue outposts.
Prisoners Are Taken.
Although the spectators and the long
! line of defenders could see nothing.
the contact between the two forces was
spectacular. Captain Day, under or
ders from Captain Hall, and in COM
mand of X troop, was requested to re
tain his position in the front of the ad-
vancing force until the last moment of
safety and delay the enemy. 1t was
finally ordered to be withdrawn. He
had dismounted meanwhile and ordered
the led horses taken along a narrow
road to meet him at another point
When the dismounted troopers arrived
at the remount place, the horses were
not there and the commander was mott
fed that the led horses had come across
an impossible portion of the road owing
to recently dug six-foot trench which
could not be leaped or forded.
While there the Red cavalry sur
rounded the troop horses and their
bride holders and captured the outfit.
This cut off the retreat of the men, but
the gallant captain was not without re-
sources. He decided it would be best
to attempt a surprise on the enemy. He
took up a position along the roadside
and awaited the approach of the enemy,
which was then coming forward in the
shape of battery. The able troop com
mander, realizing his opportunity, com
manded Captain Deems, in command of
the Red guns, to surrender, the battery
men having no time to unlimber and
take position to grape the dismounted
troopers. The battery, all unsuspecting,
came forward to meet a whitening fire,
after which it was ordered to surrender.
/, This resulted in half of battery be-
iDey T11f O1tf of fba fnhfipn
Notwithstanding the battery was
, closely supported by battalion of in
fantry, Captain Day did not fall back
until he had completely put the battery
out of commission. Captain Day and
, his troopers retired after successful
coup and later entered his own lines
and rejoined his squadron.
Advance Guard Attacks.
Captain Hall took his squadron down
the main road after leaving Halawa
Hull and advanced to within one and
half miles of Pearl City when he
first came in contact with the invaders.
He fired on them Immediately ana
used all safe measures to delay the adj
vance. The squadron was deployed I'M
: til the advance came up, when the
troopers retired and took up a position
near the Aiea plantation manager IS
house.
Sergeant-Major Romer, who had been
sent by Captain Hall ON an important
mission, ran into some Red troopers
, who fred on him, wad striking his
horse on the forehead and compelling
him to surrender. While the surrender
and dismounting negotiations were I'M
der way his horse bolted and the
; sergeant major, after being released
from his captors, had to hike into his
own lines. part of his patrol was
also captured.
After Captain Day had taken half a
battery and fired on the supporting in
fantry he retired, but had the good
fortune to meet a patrol of Red cav
alrymen who We're brought into camp
as prisoners. lnasmuch (this is the way
the report reached the defenders on the
hilD, as Captain Day and his men were
) dismounted through having had their
horses taken, they took the horses of
the captured patrol, ordered the men to
dismount and mounted themselves. later
taking up the Red cavalrymen on the
horses behind them.
When, however, Captain Day recover
ed his own horses he was unable to
remount the prisoners, and therefore
brought them into camp on the horses
behind his own men, and it was re,
ported the troopers had to return to
the camp of the Red army at Pearl
City, to which the Reds retired shortly
after noon.
Signal Man Captured.
While Captain Day was having his
spectacular fight in the canefeld roads.
"A wigwagger whom be had sent along
the main road to signal 10 headquarters.
took so long a time in sending hi
message, owing to several requests for
repeat and "GA,p the signal TO "Go
Ahead, that he was captured. He was
endeavoring TO inform the headquarters
that A" Red cavalry Is one mile west Of
Red Hill,'' just as he was complet
ing the last sentence the observers IN
the Blue defense saw the Red troopers.
dash up to him. and take him prisoner.
II all occurred ia an open and straight
stretch Of road, and offered to the spec