The National tribune., 1898-10-20

kept this road mighty hot, and all rein
forcements had to come up il. We ex
| pected to 60 right up and into the& B
trenches, but the 23d filled these, so w
were stopped, and finelt down right in thu
middle of the road in front OF that church
We STAYED here about five minutes, whef
Gen. Macarthur ordered our company be
hind the church. Only our battalion hao
come up. The rest were held in the
| trenches to cover our retreat i'll case We
made one.
The woods and houses along the road
were good shelter for Spanish sharp,
shooters, and they made good use of them
| There were some right in the church there
at first, until we drove them out. The
church was only plaster and the bullets
were coming through quite fast. We were
| forced to stay here (by we, / mean my
company without firing shot, and Still
under fire, for something like an hour
Inside the church was used as an emer-
gency hospital, and they brought the
wounded in there. saw one poor fellow
who was shot through the leg and chest
drag himself up by the church and die
before he could be attended.
The Astor battery, or rather two guns OF
it, were in the road and moving around III
the woods doing fine work, but were
unable to get the range of the blockhouse.
One OF their guns got clogged up and the
Dons. captured it. Then the Astor boys
made charge on the Dons and recap
tured the gun. Those who saw this say
it was as fine piece of bravery as you
could wish to see.
About this time the Spanish fire slack
ened, and we drew up our forces so as to
repel a charge. But none came, and
guess Gen. Macarthur must have received
news of the surrender of Manila, for we
marched right in past the blockhouse and
in near the town, where we were Quartered
in some Spanish barracks, without seeing
a Spaniard. They too must have heard OF
the surrender, and retreated into the
walled town.
During the fight we kept the insurgents
in the rear Of our fighting line, and they
were only too glad to keep back. They
are the worst towards you ever saw. AS
soon as we took the town we put out
squads all around, and no inSurgent was
allowed in without being first searched
for weapons. This is still kept up. VI
course, it was Just my luck to get on guard
that night and the next day. Just got of
guard when our company went out on out
post duty to search Insurgents Saturday
we had waded through mud and water up
to our knees, and it had rained about
every half hour. We had no chance to
wash or change clothes, for all our clothes
were back at camp, until Monday night.
Then we could only wash. We did not
get our clothes for about week.
we are HOW iii opdLiSh DdI-
racks right on the seashore, about two
miles from the center Of town, and in the
residence portion. We have one building
for our company, as ID company Just
moved out down town to act as policemen.
4 one-hOr3e street car runs right by the door.
All the houses have been vacated, furni-
ture and ALL oecause they were afraid the
insurgents wculd loot the tcwn.
You ought to have seen Gen. Macarthur
down there by the church. He was walk
ing around out in the road lust as cool as
cucumber, with the bullets whiStiing
around him. He wouldn' get back of the
church
OnIy the second battalion of the 18th
the Astor battery and the 2ad Regulars
were in the fight itself. Old - never got
in il much. We halted Just before we got
to the church, and were ordered to cut
around through the wooGS and protect our
left fana Co. started out, and Just
then the orders were changed and we
went up the road but Capt. Metz, OF Co.
ID, was too far away to hear the change,
and SO went straight ahead into the woods,
and never showed UP until it was all over.
The Spaniards had better guns than
we. They had Mausers, being magazine
rifles Of five shots, and they can pour lead
out Of them. OF the 18th, 23d and the
Astors four men were killed and about so
wounded, one mortally. Lieut.. Bunker
has contracted a fever on top Of his wound,
and is in a very bad condition. We have
five men sick in our mpany-Overtohf,
Hoffner, Watson, Bunker and Lawrence.
| am feeling fine.
Capt. Bjornstad was wounded while
under heavy fire, but he would not quit.
His company was lying down in the road,
firing, and By some mistake the men
thought they were ordered back. Of the
church, and they all made break for it,
You ought to have secnBlornstad try to
rally them He had his shirt and under
shirt off and was bleeding from his wound.
You know he is big, fine e-looking fellow,
and | tell you he looked like a picture.
He is Captain OF III company OF st. Paul: