The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1898-10-07

Through the favor of w. j. Lowdcn, we pub
!ish letter from his con. who is with the North
Dakota troupes at Maniia.)
BARR1BoU Barracks, Manila,
August 18th, 1898.
My Dear Father and Mother:
was at Fort Cavite when wrote to
you last, but the great eventful day came
and we are safe and sound in Manila.
After leaving Cavite we were taken
across the bayand landed about five mile
southeast Of Manila at Camp Dewey.
We were in light marching order, but we
thought it was heavy enough before we
got to camp. We only had to walk
ABOUT one mile, but the mud was knee
deep and we we're just about done out
and no water to drink as we are not all
lowed to drink any unboiled water, but
the boys all stayed up, and only one fell
out and he got to camp shortly :f,-r his
company. We camped i'll a peanut field;
it was very good camp. The govern
ment gave each of us fifty cents in Span
ish money twenty-five cents in our mon
cyl and by two of us going together, we
could buy bamboo bed from the ma
tives, made something like the beds at
home. They were good thing to keep
us out of the mud. We stayed in this
camp the 18th and 18th and on the 18th
we went forward OH Manila. We took
two days tons, OH: rubber blanket and
one hundred and forty rounds of ammu-
milton. We moved up about four miles
to our entertainments, which were about
one ans! halt miles from the Spanish
lines. After getting to the entrench-
ments our colonel Game up and called
for Sergeant Louden and six good men
AM away We went. | was put on out
post duty, that is, we were sent forward
within one hundred and fifty yards of the
enemy. | soon got more men to the
number Of eighteen. We put up breast
works and kept quiet, for it was in the
thickest bamboo ju gle; we could not
see more than ten rods, one place we
could See Spanish block house, No. IA
on the flag. Everything went we'll all
day and all night, but was kept on the
go all the time. There were about twen-
ty-fve insurgents stayed with us all night,
but they were only in the way for they
have no order ana had hard work to
keep them quiet. Morning came, and
at SO just as we were eating breakfast
on the 18th, the Spanards opened fire on
us and the ball was started in short order.
They started with a big shell thrown over
our heads at the main body Of the army
and followed it up with volley at us,
but we were soon down III our pits and
gave them the best we had. am sure
they outnumbered us one hundred to
one; their fire was awful and their bullets
came in storms, but we made them be-
heve there were a thousand of US. We
gave them tw-nty volleys and they let
up just as our regiment came up. We
fell out and the Thirteenth Minnesota
boys took our place. All was quiet I'M
til $3.50 when Dewey opened the bali in
proper shape. He did not lombard the
town but just shelled the forts and some
of the Spanish breastworks for about
two hours. He got them ratified good
then let up and away we went over wall
after wall and over ditch after ditch.
Our batteries shelled and set fire to the
block houses; the Custer battery went in
with North Dakota; they fought like
devils and lost three men. North Dako-
ia did not lose any; we had one man
wounded, shot in the leg; several were
shot through the clothes. We don't
know what our losses are yet, think
there are more than twenty-five killed,
don't know how many wounded, saw
a great many. We lost one of our Da-
kota boys after the battle; he was shot
by accident by one of his own company,
Co. c. of Grafton, he was buried yester-
day. We all feel sad; he was the first
man we have lost and then by our own
hands. He has no relatives except two
brothers, 10 New York somewhere. !.