the Kansas
regiment, while all the rest of Otis's brigade remained in the rear.

[Illustration: 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