Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-09-30
BEFORE The BATTLE
Lieutenant ncLean. Writes from.
rlanila. Of the. Landing Of the.
North. Dakota Troops.
Impressions of the Island, with
Descriptions Of the. Camp and
Volunteer Soldiers.
Taylor Died. this. Afternoon
after.a Long lllness-Other
Items Of Interest.
Before the Battle.

ASSSu1o "a 11lISEVS1s
Before the Battle
CAMP DEWEY, p. T., Aug. 10, 1893.
EDITOR TRIBUNE: The LIST North Da-
kota infantry was landed at Cavite last
Friday morning and were quartered in
the old barracks, where the Spanish
troops were stationed when Dewey;drove
them from that place. Fort San Felipe,
the Spanish fortress at Cavite, is u +
rounded by a stone wall about twenty
feet thick and fifteen feet high, and to
look at it n would deem it utterly inn
possible for a shell of any dimension to
pierce it, but the gunners on. the
Olympia sent shells that went through
two thicknesses of this stone and the
heaviest guns she had are of 8-inch
calibre-so one can imagine what to ex-
pect from a. 13-inch gum. One of
Dewey's shells struck the dome on the
Catholic church here and shattered it
completely. All Spanish. residences,
government buildings and churches
were completely. ramsacked by the
natives and they are bent on treating
Manila in a. like manner, but General
Merritt has warned them this will not be
permitted and after we take Manila we
are very liable. to have trouble with
them. The natives have lots of respect
for Uncle Sans boys and the way they
handle their guns and this may have a
tendency to hold them in check. .
Yesterday we we're taken across the
bay and are now quartered at Camp
Dewey under General Macarthur, just
this side of the Minnesota regiment.
The government furnishes each man a
bed, which are purchased from the
natives, and are made of bamboo wood
and this with their dog tents and rubber
blankets makes all comfortable. It.
rains here off and on all through the
day and night and the boys catch water
by means of hollow bamboo poles split
in two and tied around their tents. All
water used is boiled and filtered.
While at Fort Felipe Admiral Dewey
passed in front of the barracks where
our boys were quartered. They recog.
nized him at once, each man took off his
hat and gave three hearty cheers for
Admiral Dewey. The boys evidently
desired to exhibit q sample of North
Dakota lung power-and they did. The
admiral was greatly pleased. He stop
ped, raised his hat, inquired where the
regiment vas from; thanked them,
wished them the best Of luck and con
tinued his way with a smile all over his
face. The admiral is a very pleasant
looking gentleman, and after seeing him
wonderful execution of the Amer
lean feet-resulting in the total destruc-
ton of the Spanish navy in the waters
is not he wondered at.
There is more or less firing going on
between our troops and the enemy and
we lose a man or two occasionally, Last
Monday night two men of the 18th in
fantry and one of the 23rd were killed
and several wounded. Our troops have
killed, it is said, from 1900 to 1000 of the
enemy. The Utah battery which was
reported captured, is doing excellent
work and is the best battery with the
expedition. A few nights ago the enemy
came out of their intrenchments to ad-
n on our forces. The Utah battery
waited for them until they got to within
200 yards and then turned loose with
shrapnel-killing about 300 and driving
them back within their intrenchments.
Our men are not allowed to fire except
in repelling an attack-thus saving
ammunition-but the enemy are pump
ing away all the time with very little
effect.
Uncle Sam takes splendid care Of his
prisoners Of war and the Spanish are
being thoroughly convinced that the
Yankee Pig" is q first rate fellow. They
try to show their appreciation as best
they can by giving the boys little Span
ish relics for keep-sakes. Some Of the
boys in the regiment talk Spanish and
say that several of the Spanish prisoners
told them that the Americans were all
together different to what they had been
led to b~elieve-that they fed and treated
them better than in their own army and
that they hoped Spain would see the
hopelessness Of their conflict and sur
render-that it would be only a matter
of time until she would be compelled-to to.
The prisoners in tho hands Of the
natives don't fare 80 well. They get
barely enoughStofe eat and some look as
though they were actually starving and
it is q common occurrence to see one Of
Uncle Sans boys buying these poor fell
lows something toeat. Before our troops
landed here, it Is said, that the natives
would take the thinest 81 the prisoners
out and shoot them--but are not allowed
to do it any nor
The native soldier Is an odd hooking
81 ~ "a EIaN ~ IGE q