The Utah Batteries: A History / A complete account of the muster-in, sea voyage, battles, skirmishes and barrack life of the Utah batteries, together with biographies of officers and muster-out rolls.

by Charles Rendell Mabey

That night the weary troops rested on the banks of the river. The next morning, March 26th, an early advance was made upon the insurgents' position at Malinta and Polo. It was here the moving column met the advancing lines of General Wheaton, and then it was learned that he had marched forward simultaneously with Hale's flying command, and that the wily native had had ample time to flee out of Malabon and his old position at Caloocan. So the projected coup had failed. Lieutenant Gibbs with the right platoon of Battery A and one gun of Battery B and a mortar bombarded Malabon and the surrounding country. When the shelling ceased the Oregon regiment charged over the open and assaulted the enemy's works, which were taken after a stubborn fight. The routed Tagalans fled along the railroad track towards Malinta.

One gun under Lieutenant Seaman accompanied Wheaton on this march as far as the foot of the hill leading to Malinta, and was unloaded from the car under a shower of Mauser bullets. Private Parker J. Hall of Battery B was wounded at this point while standing on the track. A few shells were fired into distant intrenched position on the hill, but when Wheaton resumed his advance early in the morning the B. and L. rifle was returned to its position at Fort MacArthur. It was during the advance up the hill a few moments later that the gallant, white-haired General Egbert, veteran of many battles, was fatally shot through the stomach.

In the meantime the artillery with General MacArthur's division continued the march up the road close by the railway line. While the artillery was sending shell fast into the Filipino position at Malinta and Meycayauan, and occupying their attention, General Hale executed a rather brilliant flank movement and forced the enemy to retreat with considerable loss. When the march was resumed on the 27th, the artillery was moved up to a position just behind the first battalion of the Kansas regiment, while all the rest of Otis's brigade remained in the rear.

FIRST PLATOON. BATTERY A, READY TO MOVE TO MALOLOS.

When General MacArthur's division moved forward on March 25th, General Hall, with the Colorado and Minnesota regiments, moved down the Mariquina valley towards the San Francisco del Monte, where the bullets of the South Dakotas and Lieutenant Naylor's shells were battering against the walls. General Hall's advance was so warmly contested that it became necessary for the guns on the hill to bombard the city and surrounding woods to the north and west. The infantry was then able to press forward and drive the natives back from the valley toward San Mateo.

On the 31st of March General Hall essayed a more extended advance, and on this occasion his forces consisted of the Fourth and Twenty-third regular infantry, the Minnesota and Colorado regiments and two Utah B. and L. rifles, commanded by Captain Wedgewood. The movement began at dawn. The regulars came from the South and the Minnesotas and Coloradoans around the north of Mariquina. The town was entered before the enemy had begun to fire. The attack was sudden and effective, and as the natives began to retreat a gun under Sergeant Nystrom and another close by the Mariquina Church commanded by Captain Wedgewood played vigorously on their ranks. The infantry followed the natives six miles, and from the hills overlooking the city San Mateo was bombarded by the two guns.

The natives were again in retreat when a telegram arrived from Otis, which showed that he feared the natives might be preparing to make another entrance into Manila. It read: "Wheaton has engaged enemy at Malolos and taken that place. A very small force of the enemy was there. Withdraw all your forces which are moving towards San Mateo and bring them back to La Loma Church." It was a wearisome march to La Loma after the fatigue of the day's campaign, and when the men arrived there with the guns they were forced to sleep among the graves of the churchyard without blankets and in a pelting rain. The next day the guns were ordered back to their old position above Mariquina, where they remained until relieved by the Sixth United States Infantry, when they joined the rest of the command at San Fernando.

On April 27th our forces met the Filipinos on the banks of the Marilao river, on which occasion the noses of the big guns were pushed to within fifty yards of the native earthworks. The guns employed were two under Lieutenant Critchlow, a platoon of Dyer's light battery and Colt's automatic under Ensign Davis. The Kansans under Major Metcalf had deployed on the left and approached the river, but they were forced back by the heavy fire of the insurgents, who had cut away the intervening trees to give a clear sweep for their rifles. The whole north side of the river had been cleverly and completely intrenched so that it formed an almost impregnable fortification when attacked from the front. The causeway up which the artillery had to advance was commanded by the insurgent infantry. Across the river where the infantry first engaged the enemy, the natives were about 800 yards distant. Major Young went forward with Ensign Davis to locate a good position for the guns. While there General Funston came up and stated he had seen quite a number of cascos further down the river, and that if Major Young would protect his men with an artillery fire he would be able to cross the river and flank the enemy. This was agreed to, and a company of Kansans accompanied the guns as a support. Lieutenant Critchlow's guns were quickly turned upon the earthworks. As the big rifles roared across the stream the small arms and the Colt's automatic centered a withering fire on the intrenchments to keep the enemy's fire inaccurate. This vigorous demonstration terrified the Tagalans and soon several white flags appeared fluttering above the trenches. The firing ceased and the Filipinos were ordered to stand up. Some few of them reluctantly showed themselves, but the greater number ran through the get-away ditch and vanished in the dark fringe of the bamboo forest. Lieutenant Coulter of the Tenth Pennsylvania regiment with an enlisted man stripped and swam the river and walked directly into the enemy's trenches. The two naked men took as many rifles as they could hold from the defeated Malays. By this time Colonel Funston, who had crossed the river, came up and took some thirty natives prisoners.