South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-06-18

dead at our feet. A normal man can
hardly become so used to the TRACE
dies of war as not TO be shaken by
such a spectacle.
Hales brigade was already about to
force the passage of the Rio Chico.
and the men Of the First Montana
were closing in. We could see that
the farthest span of the fine steel
bridge had been let down into the
water, so that an attempt to rush the
structure and get directly into the
trenches on the other bank was not
practicable.
thought it might be done by
swimming around the broken span,
and called on the men nearest me to
come along.
Taking off our shoes and leaving
behind our arms and ammunition,
Lieut.. Ball, Sergt. Enslow, Chief
Trumpeter Barshfeld Corporal A. NJ.
Ferguson of company Z. and myself
were soon in. Although L had got in
to the water first, Ball beat me to
the bank, being a faster swimmer,
and the four of us, barefooted, un-
armed, and dripping, rushed into the
trench to find in it only the dead and
disabled.
The firing at this point had ceased
before we entered the water but we
hastily gathered up few rifles and
cartridges to use in case of emer-
gency, and awaited developments. AT
about the same time troops belong
ing TO Hale's brigade had forced the
passage of the Rio Chico about us,
and as this stream in conjunction with
the Quingua forms the Bag-Bag they
were on the same side with us. The
sharp little fi6ht OF the Bag-Bag was
over in less than an hour after the
naval gun on the armOred train had
opened the ball. and one more of
the deliberately built lines of the
Filipino defences had been given up
to the invader.
Accommodating parties crept eau
tiously forward 10 the river bank and
seized advantageous positions, from
which they opened fire on the enemy.
And so wore away all of a fiercely
hot day. with the popping of rifles,
the occasional boom of a cannon and
swish of a shell, and no end Of stirring
incident; but when night came to the
exhausted men, with its cooling
breezes. but little had been accom-
plished. l talked with both the di-
vision and the brigade commanders,
and saw that they were deeply con-
cerned over the situation, and thought
# was up To some one TO do some
thing and so volunteered to attempt
about a dozen picked men. Gen. Mac
Arthur at first seemed appalled, by the
proposition. but after a moments
hesitation gave his permission.
Corporal a. NJ Ferguson, now an
officer OF the regular army, who had
on several occasions shown himself
equal to any emergency. volunteered
for the hazardous enterprise and ac-
! companied by Capt. Flanders and my
IN 10 n
the structure, where he removed his
shoes and nearly all his clothing, and
| crawled hand over hand through the
angle irons underneath the strlngers
1t was a perilous and eXhausting
/ task. A single slip would have meant
/ a drop into the dark waters 40 feet
| below. For two long hours Flanders
] and I crOuched at the south end or
| the bridge but finally Ferguson came
/ back with the information that at the
/ far end the stringers had been re-
/ moved. our cherished enterprise was
shown TO he absolutely hopeless, but
! in the meantime the requisite number
! of men had volunteered 10 assist IN
the assault.
l sent word 10 my superiOrs that
I the plan was hopeless, and with 12O
men from my regiment sneaked down
the river for a mile, thinking that we
| might find a raft or imprOvise one,
and by effecting a surprise get enough
men across in the darkness TO hold on
| until others could cross. Just as we
were scouting for a good crossing a
\ dog barked. there was a fash OF a
/ score OF rifles on the other bank. and
/ We were again beaten.
/ AT the same time a cannon doomed
| through the night to warn the insur-
/ gents 10 be on their guard. and a
II number Of rockets assembled.
At 1 o'clock in the morning, tired,
| disguised. and disheartened, we drag
L ged ourselves back TO the regiment
| position and threw ourselves on the
/ ground for a little sleep. Both sides
I were worn out and there was no fir
ing until daylight. (COpyrigh'
| Charles Scribner's Sons)
CONTINUED