Show REWARD fOR A HEROIC ENSIGN + He Is Commended By Admiral Dewey and Major Young + HIS GALLANT WORK WITH UTAH BATTERY 4 Left His Ship to Take Charge of a Colt Gun + Saved a Detachment of the Fourth Cavalry Prom Being Wiped Out By RebelsMany Times He Was Under a Ferocious FireCleared Trenches and Captured Insurgents Will Be Advanced Ten Numbers In His Class s Washington June 3The navy department de-partment has made public a report from Admiral Dewey recommending the advancement of Ensign Cleland Davis ten numbers above his present rank for strikingly gallant services rendered in connection with MacArthurs division in the engagements ashore near Ma lolos and Caloocan The report pre + ci + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 41 sents the peculiar situation of a naval officer being recommended for promotion promo-tion by the commander of an army corps and this recommendation being approved by the admiral of the fleet Ensign Davis exploit consisted in volunteering to take ashore a Colt automatic au-tomatic gun from the Helena and cooperating co-operating with Major Young of the Utah battery in MacArthurs advance I on Caloocan He reported on Feb 27 with three marines the regular gun crew and remained ashore until April 4 During this time his gun and detachment de-tachment accompanied the artillery in the forward movement and at the attack at-tack on Cabalahan he practically saved a detachment of the Fourth cavalry from being wiped out in attacking an insurgent entrenchment How He Saved Detachment The cavalry had suffered severely in attacking a very elaborate redoubt losing 35 per cent of their number killed and wounded At this time a gun of the Utah battery and Ensign Davis with his Colt gun were brought I forward under cover to within 125 yards of the insurgent trenches The combined com-bined fire of these two pieces absolutely absolute-ly silenced the redoubt On March 27 Ensign Davis at his own rquest advanced to the bank of the Marilas river within seventyfive yards of an insurgent trench on the opposite oppo-site side Here as in the preceding case he was under a ferocious fire hut again he succeeded in absolutely clearing clear-Ing the trench and forcing the surrender surren-der of about twentyfive men who remained re-mained in it alive On March 29 he again went into action ac-tion on the railroad bridge at Garquin to under a dangerous cross fire and on March 31 again cooperated in the artillery ar-tillery attack on Ponta Malelos On April 4 he went forward to the Quin gua river and pushed the automatic gun forward to a position on the opposite oppo-site bank within 250 yards of the enemys trenches Here he was temporarily tem-porarily in command of one of Lieutenant Lieuten-ant Flemings guns during the latters absence and here as in the other places was under a vicious fire On ending his short service he was recommended for promotion by Major Young with warm endorsements from General MacArthur and Major General Otis His Own Report Ensign Davis in his own report makes some pertinent comment on the probable value of light automatic guns operating with field artillery He suggests sug-gests the feasibility of each battery carrying at least one of these guns on the limber of the larger pieces Buying that It gives to the battery all the support sup-port of a company of infantry and with the advantage of being able to lire over the heads of advancing troops with perfect safety as was done at Gulguinto He remarks on tile fact that In looking over one trench Colonel Funston and Sergeant Smith found one insurgent dead with five holes through his body in the space that could be covered by a mans hand all of them the work of the automatic gun Admiral Dewey in transmitting his report on Ensign Davis expedition eays Praise Prom Dewey I Ensjgn Davis was a volunteer for this duty ashore with the army He l was engaged in all actions against the t i = insurgents that took place In the front of the army between Feb 27 and April 4 and performed valiant service and rendered valuable aid to our troops I therefore commend him to the department depart-ment and recommend that he be advanced ad-vanced ten numbers In his grade The crew of the Colt gun consisted of Corporal Thomas E Prendergast and Privates Howard M Buckley and Joseph Melvin United States marine corps These men performed their duty under most trying conditions in the most exemplary manner and deserve high praise I hope the department will reward in a suitable manner their services ser-vices Very respectfully GEORGE DEWEY Admiral United States Navy commanding com-manding the United States forces on the Asiatic station |