The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-14
ENVY THE THIRTEENTH.
Other Troops Are Jealous of Minne-
sofa Volunteers at Manila.

sofa volunteers at Manila.
Mrs. b. G. Taggart OF 1SS Seventh street
north. Minneapolis has received the following
letter from V. E. Taggart, OF Company f,
Thirteenth regiment. at Manila:
1 have not written for some time owing
to the fact that we are unable to catch a ship
going to the states oftener than once in three
or four weeks. We were paid short time
ago. but there is but little chance to save
money here. American silver dollars are
worth $2.G7 in Spanish silver.
When the Thirteenth regiment got to Ma
MIA they stayed on the boat for a week and
then landed in little town about six or
seven miles from old Manila. There we
camped In peanut field in very hard rain,
which continued as long as we remained in
camp. A week after arriving We moved up
INTO the trenches. We left camp on the night
OF Aug. Is. at 6 g. m. About half a mile in
front OF US were the Spanish trenches. The
American trenches were thrown up in a
short time with shovels while the Spaniards
had long time to dig theirs. The Spanish
used rush sacks filed with dirt making very
strong breastworks. behind which an Ameri-
can army OF 10. 900 could stand off any army
Of 10000 At O'clock the firing began, and
the Americans charged the first breastwork
ana the Spanish retreated with the Ameri-
cans close behind them. The Spanlards kept
up continual fire from their first breast
works back to the intrenchments where they
made stand. Company came down the
road TO the bend and nearly to the second
bend. when they. were ordered to lay down
and then ordered back across the road into
bean patch. where the company again laid
down, there was bank of dirt In front
OF them. Shortly afterwards we got the or
Ger 10 advance, and started down the
road. Just around the second bend we saw
three thie insurgents carrying an insurgent cap
| from a Mauser rife. and his tongue was near
| ly shot on. The whole front OF his uniform
was literally soaked in blood. A little be-
yond this Archie Patterson, the bugler of
company !, was shot In the breast and killed
Just about the same place Private Little. of
our company. was shot in the leg. He is
Ia hos oil Ah1VVN LauN Ill
there was a row Of six cocoanut trees that
were full of bullet holes from top to bottom
one OF them was nearly shot In two near
the ground. The Spaniards, at a second row
or entertainments. made another stand. 1t
was the fire from there that did the most
damage. The road on which the Americans
came down was only about % feet wide SO
they did not have much show. The only
wonder Is that there were not more Amerf-
cans killed than there were: The Spaniards
maze third retreat from the intrenchments
TO the church, where the hardest fight OF the
day was Fought The Spaniards held the
church and breastworks beyond for a time
but were finally routed by our troops and
we took possession Of the church. The Thir-
teenth was ordered TO build a breastwork Of
the furniture IN the church. The work was
superintended by Col Reeve. who sat on his
horse in the middle OF the road down which
the Spaniards were firing. The Aston bat
terry then made charge the breastwOrks
OF the Spaniards, but were driven back They
then called upon the Twenty third regulars
to support them, but the officers of the
TO the rear. and that was where they were
going. Capt. Bjornstad OF Company n, st.
Paul and some others of the Thirteenth
started up the road with the Aston battery.
he Astor battery went into the charge with
army revolvers. while the Minnesota boys had
their guns and bayonets. Capt. Bjornstad had
a revolver in each hand AS he reached the
breastworks he-was shot once and as he went
over the works he was shot second time
However, the breastworks were captured and
| for some time after the Astor battery gave
| the Thirteenth Minnesota the credit for sup
| porting them, but they say they called
| on US and we refused to help them. and they
! had to go It alone The reason for this
| change Of sentiment is that the Thirteenth Is
| becoming so popular that they are getting
| great deal OF the credit. At the church. Capt.
| Seebach Of Company G, was shot Here was
really the last battle. the Americans
chased the Spanish into the walled city
where they surrendered.
Let 10000 Americans get within the walls
of that city with Dewey in the bay. and II
Dewey did not fire a shot the Americans
could stand off 100000 men OF any army Of
the world. as II is impossible to enter the
city from any direction except by the gates,
( and they are very easily drawn up.