South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-06-20

OuO
pany when a bullet struck one of the
steel rails of the railroad track on
which we were standing. missing Gen.
eral Wheaton less than a foot. and
then buried itself in the thigh of the
unfortunate Albright. 1t was this of
ficer's birthday and as he dropped
to the ground an embarrassed grin
Overspread his features as he said:
We'll, this is certainly one hell of
birthday present"
Our fire soon mastered that of the
enemy and the greater portion Of
them fed in disorder, hut their left.
consisting of about eighty men, had
reached the shelter of roadway. and
lay down in it, keeping up a lively
fire at a distance of about two hun
dred yards. / saw that Company c.,
commanded by Captain Howard a.
Scott, was coming up st double time.
and resolved to have him turn the
enemy out Of his cover by a flank
attack.
Captain Scott arrived in advance
of his company, and / was giving
him instructions as TO what TO do
when I felt a most terrific blow on
my left hand, in which l was hold
ing a pair of field glasses. At first
/ did not realize that had been shot,
but Lieutenant B. j. Mitchell, who
for some years afterward served me
as aide. picked up the glasses, which
had been hurled through the air for
some twenty feet, took me by the
arm, and called man of the hospital
corps.
Blood was scattering all over me,
and l had no desire to look at the
offending hand and so held it out
TO the man, looking the other way in
| the meantime. As he examined it,
asked: rs their anything left of ito"
He replied, Clean shot," and told me
: to sit down.
AS l backed up against the little
station building / saw Warner, the
! regimental sergeant-major who had
been at my side through every fight
of the campaign, reclining against the
wall and looking decidedly peevish
said; Warner, where did you get it p
He held his left hand, and it was
most remarkable coincidence that
we had been hit in exactly the same
place, barring the fraction of an inch.
My hand was being bound up, and
/ was not yet on my feet when Gen
earl Wheaton crossed the bridge and
hurried on foot toward the sound of
the firing. The general, seeing the
men lying down behind the railroad
track and engaging in a fire fight with
the enemy on their front, and noting
the fact that / had been wounded
misunderstood the situation. With his
tremendous voice he called out: Get
on your feet. you damned mice. ly
ing down here with your colonel shot
Get on your feet, and charge"
The recollection of that little charge
is one of the things that l treasure.
The fiery old veteran discharging his
revolver and calling out TO the men
near him To shoot faster and burn
their powder" and the general hub
bub and excitement. gave US lively
minute There could be but one re-
suit. We had covered but half the
distance when the FilipinOs began to
break and run TO the rear.
Darkness was now coming on. We
gathered up our wounded and those
of the enemy for transportation 70 the
hospitals in Manila. Warner and
were able 10 take care OF ourselves
for the time being. and we went back
TO division headquarters. Gen.
Macarthur and his STAFF having come
up and established themselves in a
field few hundred yards to the rear
The general had heard that / had
been hit, but not seriously. and as
came up with my bandaged hand. and
khaki blouse drenched with blood.
said very quietly, as if he were max
ing remark about the weather:
We'll. Funston, YOU got it at last.
am glad il is no worse.
But all things end at last. and at
about ten o'clock at night the ambu-
lanceS with their loads of suffering
and grooming men reached the Bag
Bag, the wounded were carried in
litters across the now partially re-
paired railway bridge. and placed on
the train awaiting them. There was
no light in - ordinary day coach
that we occupied. and the heat was
sitting. but finally we pulled into
Manila.
AS the train stopped at CalOocan
I was handed a telegram addressed
% me as brigadier general IL was
signed by Colonel Thomas II. Barry.
now MaiOr-General Barry, and read:
Congratulations. Shake if your
wounded hand viii permit. No man
better deserves the star"
For a moment I was dazed. not un-
derstanding what was meant. but II
soon dawned on me that a cable had
been received from Washington an