The Saint Paul globe., 1899-03-29
COL. AMEs PRAISES HIS MEN.
Letter Received From the Com
mander- of the =Thfrteenth

Letter Received From the COM
mander of the Thirteenth.
E. w. Goddard, of Minneapolis, has re-
ceived a letter from Col. Fred w .Ames,
commanding the Thirteenth Minnesota, at
Mania, which gives a very good idea of
the regiments work during the fighting
early In February. The epistle is dated
FEB. IL and shows. what Minnesotans
nave all along suspected, that the Thir-
teenth, while not in the firing line in the
early hghting, had an equally dangerous
and responsible post. The letter says:
"A great many things have happened
since l last wrote you. In the first place
we finished our trip through Japan, visit
ing Yokohama, Toxic, Kamakura, Kobe,
hloto and Nagasaki, on our way back.
Thence to Shanghai, where we had
Christmas dinner with John Goodnow and
wife and Arthur White, which we enjoyed
very much indeed. From there we went
to Hong Kong and caught the steamer
Belgic for Manila, making the transfer
In the open harbor by small boat for
they were waiting for us, and within an
nour and half from the time we arrived
In the harbor we left again for Manila.
We arrived all safe after a very quick
voyage across the China sea and reported
for duty Immediately. At Nagasaki I
found Lieut.. Col Frederick on board the
transport Ohio, on his way home. sick.
and 1t was great surprise to me, as 1
left him in command of the regiment
when l departed, perfectly well. have
not heard whether he got to Frisco all
right or not. but I hope So
AFTER arriving here found that the,
regiment had received their Christmas
boxes, and you have no idea how pleased
the boys were over htem. Along the
latter part of January Gen. Reeve re-
ceived orders to return to Frisco, I sup
pose to be mustered out, and he and Mrs.
Reeve left for Hong Kong Feb s. On
Feb. l 1 was made chief of police. and
you can hardly guess what that position
is In city under martial law, as this Is.
FEB. the insurgents opened fire on
ou1 outposts, and then the stuff was off
end trouble began. Our troops sprang
to their work, and all around the city the
different brigades went at them as they
never had had troops go for them before,
and day after day we followed them up
until they were scattered to the four
winds of heaven and until 1t became evi-
dent that we could not extend )ur lines
further with safety. We are .low wait
ing for the reinforcements which are on
the way here, to go on with the work or
make them lay down.
During all this time our regiment was
doing the provost guard or police work
OF the city. Although 1t did not seem so
to the boys, this now became as important
and dangerous duty was that of the
troops at the front. 1t was the inten-
ton of the insurgents that, while the at
tack was taking place around the city,
there was to be an uprising Of the ma
ttves inside, but the officers aud men seiz-
ed the situation and not a native dared
to show his head, for they have learned
by past experience that the men of the
Thirteenth never miss their man when
they go after him. We have had to keep
very close watch on all the Filipinos.
for they are a treacherous lot, and they.
will stick knife into an American II
they get chance, and our boys haven't
given them a chance yet. The iLstruc-
tions are when they resist or pull knife
to shoot. and that means another Eni-