Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-10-06
to Get Home.

Fargo, ~ D.-Thc only letter re-
ceived on the last mail from Manila
with anything about the part the North
Dakota volunteers took in the battle
| ut Manila, Aug. IL, came to Mrs. Il. q.
Gearey. Her husband was first lieu
tenant of Company b Of Fargo, but
WAS made adjutant Of the regiment at
ter the troops left Fargo. He writes:
In the Trenches Before Manila, Aug.
l2.-Early this morning we had good
breakfast Of nice coffee and crackers,
front. 1t is hard to judge distances
here, as the country is thickly wooded
| and there are so many turns and so
many new and strange things to see,
| one loses track Of distances easily.
After wading through slop and slush
ll1ti! everyone was wet With perspira-
ton and red in the face, we took Il
short rest and then Oh again until We
found ourselves where the lines were
in close proximity to the Spanish
works. 1t is swampy all around this
section. and the breastworks arc III
swampS for the most part, being
strongest on the roads. Where dirt is
dug up to make entertainments the hole
at once fills with water and becomes
soft mud and slime. The natives have
no sanitary ideas. and offal and dead
animals and decaying fruit and yegeta-
ton make an offensive smell. Ii you
wish to have an idea of what the men
are in, you might go out in the pig pen
at the farm in very wet weather and
| throw up Il bank across it about three
feet and half high and lay down Oh
the side of it with your head sticking
above and your legs to the knees in
the water. We have not been disturbed
yet. 1t is now 2:3O p. H., but it is at
night the business is done here. We
| expect a general forward movement in
a few days. 1t would do you good to
see the heightened Astor battery drag
their guns through the slime.
Aug. 13.-Made a tour of the 40.
| yanced posts and found the boys all
Well Just as started to return firing
began from heavy guns on the left
| and forward (this is G:15 Il. No. and
was quickly followed by Il fusilnde of
light artillery anC mtlsketry fire. l
just happened to think that | had not
had any breakfast, and started back to
headquarters, where Company + was,
to get a cup of coffee. The firing hau
almost ceased at I Il. M. and we were
ordered back to Pasar in reserve with
the Twentythird regulars-about 300
yards back Of the trenches behind an
old stone church. At $50 some heavy
guns out on the bay began to boom il
a,1vy
was trying to get range and locate
four heavy Krupp guns supposed to be
i'll the Spanish fort. The conclusion is
like thunder, though we are about two
miles away, and this stone wall that
l am leaning against trembles like a
leaf. The Spaniards seem now to be
replying and it is getting warm.
must put this in my knapsac1, on
which I am writing, and get ready to
move. Something is likely to drop
soon.
Aug. 10, p. m.-We have had
pretty good brush. Col. Treumann is
nearly overcome with the heat. Two
or three men have succumbed to the
sun; two men wounded. The dead
and wounded are coming back on
stretchers, and it is impossible to say
how many Americans have been lost,
as we know nothing Of the center or
left. The firing has ceased; we have
driven the enemy in, and are now adj
vanced about mile and half and
are occupying the Spanish line. 1t is
cool and rainy, and the heat is not 50
intense now. The Thirteenth Mime
sofa and Astor battery have done good
work. 49,.
Aug 10, $3.50 p. m.-We are now in
Manila. 1t is cool, and our boys are
lying by their arms on the plaza. Some
are on duty. We have job now to
keep the insurgents out. Our men ell
circle the city and are guarding every
approach. SO far as l am able to learn
North Dakota has one wounded and
none killed. The Spanish works were,
first, q barbed-wire fence, then a moat,
after that q breastwOrk eight feet high,
and on top Of that a head-log and
barbed-Wire fence. Our "bCyS in
brown are u tired but jolly lot to-
night.
Saturday Morning, Aug. 1--we are
quartered in a hospital, which is quite
neat and clean. The Filipinos, who
have been crying, 'FiliponOs amigo
AmericanO." are not now so friendly.
Their idea has been to loot and de-
stroy all the Spanish, and we DO 10.
allow them to enter the city unless
they come unarmed; SO that makes a
difference. We were in reserve ycster-
| day, and while we were under quite
| heavy fire, we had not very much loss.
The boats in the bay started the right
| flank Of the enemy, and the linc fell
back from the right all along They
ought to have held their Notifications
against 100000 men, but they did not
make much resistance. Some of our
men are actually disappointed. The
people seem to have expected n loot
| ing, as they have barred their doors
and removed their goods from ware
houses and stores. Everything is quiet
to-day, but 1t Is hard to get anything
to eat. All you can get mt n restaurant
Is some vile coffee and sardines ana
ale. / think the city is starved out.
w" don't want the Philippines.
Sunday Noon, Aug. -. Smdny
passed quietly Everybody was quite
busy. The men started ont Friday
| vonrptp., ,ufth nrn Iov'u Innu ,,,not