Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-09-28

:. IOObuOln'
baggage and provisions, the lighter
, was chuck full OF salt water and al
, our -four, sugar and hard tack ruined
and we had a of a time trying u
, sas se what was left, the boat was be
ing stove to peices as fast as the waves
could do II, and we we're ln the water
up TO our brea IS, and every breaker
that came In would wash clear ovel
the boat and men; finally after about
two hours hard work we got landed
bag and baggage; then we had two
miles march TO camp; arrived there We
had 70 pitch our shelter tents and get
the camp In order; that was another
two hours job by that time we were a
lot OF d--hungry men and not 10
the best humor either. All VIC had TO
eat was hard tack soaked 10 salt water
and mighty little of that. 1t was 4S
hourse before we got good meal and
our clothes dried out and things 10
good running order again. On Fri
day morning August s, we left Camp
Dewey, and went into the American
breast works or trenches distance
from Camp Dewey about three miles,
and from the main walls OF Manila
about one and one-half miles and
from the Spanish breast works about
three hundred yards. We arrived
there ali right but we we're wet. 1t
rained by spells all the day, long
enough to keep us wet 10 good shape.
All men. that went into the trenches
that day were regulars and
that night at exactly 1880
the Spaniards opened up brisk fire
on our right wing and in less than ten
minutes the whole column were fight
ing like devils. The way the Spanish
bullets whizzed around there was
terrible, 1 must have been shooting for
three quarters OF an hour when bull
let from an inch Krupp came along
and struck the top Of the breast
works and blowed the head
entirely off my companion on the
right and piece OF flying rock struck
me on the right side OF the face and
knocked me out for few minutes.
When regained my senses the lieu
tenant aud sergeon were busy at work
on me and six Others that we're more
or less badly wounded by that same
shell. learned afterwards that II
exploded about ten feet In our rear
and 1t will always remain mystery
to me why some OF the boys we're not
killed by that explosion.
Well, when lfound that had no
bores broken l got my gun and went
To work again, but could hear every
one OF those shells that came along
and so did not stick my face ever the
bSeastworks but was content TO lay
low and shoot as fast as possible. We
were under terrific fire for about
II hours before the Spanish retreated.
During the fight two companies ran
out OF ammunition aud we had to
telegraph to camp for more. The
Nebraska boys we're our reserve that
night, and they lost one one man and
two wounded In coming to our assist
ance, but the light was practically
oyer by the time they and the am
munltion, arrived. We were about
played out for We worked like h and
all the former exposure and .privGtion
of food told heavily on our men but
not murmur or a growl could you
hear from man. After we got the
order to cease firing, we loaded our
magazines and fixed bayonets then we
got another order not to shoot unless
the enemy came oyer our breast
works but they did not thy that
caper, not by long shot. They had
sharp shooters stationed In the trees
aud brush and every little while we
could hear, the whiz OF a bullet as it