The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-11-27
WINS MEDAL OF HONOR.
PRESIDENT TAFT TO DECORATE
FOUR SOLDIERS.

Second Lieutenant Kennedy, Of Sixth
Cavalry, an Orangeburs County
Boy to be Thus Honored
The Washington correspondent Of
the New York World says three ju-
nior officers and an enlisted man OF
the Sixth cavalry are speeding across
country from Preside, San Francisco
tc report, by order of President Taft,
at the White House at 2:30 o'clock
Saturday afternoon next.
The officers are First Lieut.. Archie
Miller and Second Lieuts. Arthur H.
Wilson and John T. Kennedy, all OF
Of the Sixth Cavalry. The enlisted
nan is Quartermas1er-Sergt. Joseph
Henderson, Of Troop B, Sixth Cayal-
~.
President Taft will pin upon the
left breast Of each of the four men
what to the British soldier is the
Victoria Cross-the medal Of honor
bestowed by the President by authorl-
y of Congress. Medals OF honor are
OILY awarded to men of the army who
perform specific deeds gallantry in
action" There are now in the ac-
tive service only about thirty-five Of
fcers and enlisted men who have
been awarded Medals OF honor.
What the mel who are to be re-
warded by the medals Of honct next
saturday did stamped them as he
coes. 1t was July 4, 1909 that the af-
tair occurred, on the island Of Patlan
N the Philippine archipelago. All
Of the dattoes In 1908 had promised
to be good. But one turned pearl pi-
rate. Mai. Gen. Wood sent out strict
orders to the soldiers on the island Of
jolo to get this pirate chief, whose
name was Jikiri. 1t was long, hard
campaign, but ended in in victory and
Lieuts. Wilson and Kennedy and Ser
seant Henderson were recommende1
ior medals Of hoorr.
It was not alone the official reports
which brought high honors to these
.our soldiers. 1t was more the evil
dence contained in a personal letter
rom one OF the officers participating
the fight to brother officer back
ia the states. This personal letter
)nly fell under the observation Of the
War Department officials by chance
it was from "shave-tail' "a second
lieutenant not long graduated from
| West Point). The letter, the writer
md recipient of which cannot for OBJ
vious reasons be named. describes
.he action in which the men who are
% be decorated were as follows:
Then an advance was ordered.
suppose these were about forty men
IN the firing line The rest were in the
ear, or carrying ammunition. Some
| Of my men got up into the line with
Only their revolvers and we started
.rawling forward on our bellies.
Capt. Byram was overseeing the
whole thing. Holderness cO4 anc
Turner were looking after ammuni
ION and supplies, AMI Miller. zoe
Saer, Wilson and John Kennedy were
With the main part of the line on the
right. There was another entrance
N the left. so took command a
hat part of the line.
by this time the outlaws seemed
% be out Of ammunition. for they be
san rolling big rocks out at US. The1
big spear came whiEzing out from
he cave ard gave one man an ug:,
wound in the shoulder. Finally tht
light of the line was right up agains
| he entrance and my part wa:
I'D against a stone barricade abou
ten feet from our etrance. 1t wa
impossible to go in, for the entrance
vas only about two feet square. an
| they were waiting inside to cut Of
;he first head that showed itself
They were firing through the doo
from outside but couldn't do mucl
tamage owing to the construction o
| he cave.
"Well, just as we got up to the bar
| -icade there was shout from ou
icor and a big Moro jumped straigh
| tor US with a barong. (Barong is the
sighting weapon OF the Joloano Moro'
had grabbed a rife from some mar
when We started the advance. ant
.our OF US fred at him and got him II
he middle Of his jumps. He hit tn
ground once, turned somersault II
he air and rolled over dead just in
side the barrieade.
"Just as we finished him the mair
rush began on the right, where mos
| of the men were Eight Moros came
rushing out, swinging barongs righ
and left. I will never forget it a:
| ong as live. For week afterwarf
I I'D night mares-and saw tie whole
hing in my dreams. Every oeice'
Who was there said the same thing
Baer said he scarcely closed his eye:
!or a week without seeing it.
! Every Jump, it seems to me. they
went three feet in the air and cover
ed about ten feet. first to one side
md then to the other, and with earf
Jump the barong would come dowr
with all a mans weight behind il
Wilson was right beside the door am
taught the first flash in the back O
the neck, under the Jaw and down t
he back. John Kennedy got the mex
"a slanting blow across the back Of
rhe head and neck. Miller caught the
flat Of barong on the kidneys
which laid him up for week. If il
had geen the edge he would have
| been cut in two. One mans HAND
, was slashed off and several Others
cut more or less seriously before the
! Moros were killed.
II dot suppose the whole thing
lasted ten seconds. but I never want
C see another like them. saw one
Noro's head opened up like cracked
Agg shell from a pistol bullet. This
! IS one Of the many sights crowded