The Washington herald., 1914-05-13
Ensign C0rlger Describes
Fighting at Nera Cruz
Washington Naval Officer. IN
Letter to Mother, Tells ol
Fierce Brush with the
"Snipers. "

Vivid descriptions Of the hrst days
fighting at Vera Cruz. showing the spirit
typical of Uncle Sans fighting men.
most Of them mere youngsters. under
their baptismal FIRE. are contained In q
letter from Ensign Frank B. Conger. 5r.s
of the u. 8. 8. South Carolina, . WASH
ington boy. who was in the thickeet OF
the 'snipers' fire during the occupation
Of the Mexican port.
Ensign Conser il the son Of Mrs. Char
lotte NJ. Conger, of the Cordova apart
ments, and q grandson of the late Sen.
ator o. d. Conger, of Michigan. His
maternal grandfather was the late g. p.
Brown, one of the pioneers In the devel-
opment of Washington.
Mrs. Ccnger has had two sons with the
American feet In the fighting Zone. her
eldest son being Lieut.. Omar Conger.
who just arrived from Mexican waters
with the U. S. S. North Carolina at Bos-
ton. Her son Frank. who now is at
Vera Cruz. attended the Force School
and Western High School here and was
graduated from the Naval Academy In
the class of 1918.
Laughs ~ He Dies.
One paragraph in Ensign Conger's let
ter typifies the spirit Of Uncle Fans
fighters. He writes: IT saw q man.
with his stomach shot out. being carried
across the field and he was laughing and
telling people. rs they passed. They sure
got me that time A few minutes later
he died"
Without any attempt to color his ac-
counts of the fighting Ensign Conxer
gives plain facts in another paragraph
which tells for itself how hot was the
fire Of the "snipers" from the house.
tops:
Hanson. my company commander and
Keas, a chief petty oficer in charge Of
the second section, and were stand
ing in front Of the men signaling them
side and man was shot dead on my
right"
Ensign Conger's letter. dated April 8.
In part follows:
"As you probably know, the battalions
from the Florida, Utah and the ether
less important ships, landed the day be-
fore we got here. The Arkansas. Yer
mont. New Hampshire. South Carolina,
and New Jersey anchored that night
At about 1:30 and landed their forces
about 3 o'clock. We went to the part
near the water front. already under
American control and outside of few
shots-one Of which killed one Of the
Arkansas men-passing over the boats
there was no trouble In front of the
Hotel Terminal We formed regiment in
order. We stayed in ranks until about
o'clock and during ovr stay continuous
firing was going on between those men
who had landed the day before and
snipers.'
Prisoners Caused Trouble.
TT seems that on the day before Gen.
Mas, the federal commander. had turn
ID loose all the prisoners around there
With rifles and then quit the city with
ais 1000 federal troops and these pris-
,ners, who are murderous cutthroats and
ocal 'Gyp the Bloods,' with q few hun
ired patriotic citizens, are the ones VINO
have made all the trouble. While at
nalt in the Hotel Terminal Plaza.
marine came walking in with Mexican
prisoner. I can't describe the man. out
ret some one who knows the type TO 90
/ properly, and you will faint
..rhe next thing was the hospital corps
bringing a dead "spig" on . stretcher.
they carried him to field and dumped
i'm in full view Of all the men. Where
here was much talking before, there was
low very little. Later they carried him
through the middle of the regiment and
,uried him in our rear. He was all shot
O pieces, and that sight, with the cold
flooded description of the killing by. the
nan who shot him. caused the young
ailors to think. .>
THE regiment was called to quarters
nd started to march around the town.
there are also two marine regiments.
We formed sections and started down the
treet parallel to the water front with
ur guns unloaded and snipers taking pot
hots at US at every street crossing. we
Iad gone about two blocks when the