The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-04-28

spoke to corporal at my right and he
was sound asleep too.
Just at daylight the Major sent
word down the line that two men from
each company must go back to town
and get coffee for our breakfast. The
captain asked who would go. 1t was
a ticklish job as the enemy had the
range of the bridge down to fine
point and when anyone attempted to
cross it they made it pretty hot for
them. The cook and l volunteered to
60, then another boy said he wanted
to CO. too, so the captain said all three
of us could go. We went back across
the dixie to the road and had hardly
got into it when there was perfect
hail of bullets around us. We made
for the side ofth road and laid down;
the Utah boys opened up with one of
their three-inch guns and silenced
them for few minutes, while we
made run for the bridge and got over
it all o. X. and down to the guard
house where Co. C's coffee gang had
taken possession of caramitta and
pony. There were two of them, so all
five OF us got into the thing and went
to quarters. The native driver follow
ed on foot but he couldn't keep up
with US. One company of the first
/ battalion was guarding our quarters.
! We ask them to stop the first rig that
came along and hold it Tor US. We
went i'm and got what we wanted and
when we got out they had a pony and
cart ready for us We loaded our
things in and hustled back to the
front where we found our company on
the extreme right of the regiment
where Co. q had been, and pouring
volley after volley into the brush
ahead of them. ! don't think it did
much good as the natives were pretty
well mtrenched.
We stayed there until two in the
afternoon. During this time the 3rd
Heavy Artillery who were on our
right had made charge, got seven
of their men killed and quite num-
Der wounded, They have no cannon
but are armed with rifles, so are vir-
tually an infantry regiment, and are
as good fighters a. there are on the
Island. At two o'clock an advance
all along the line was ordered and we
were again put in support of the
/ cOlOrs. We went forward steadily
, until evening under hot fire all the
time. When we took new position
, we would lie down and ilatten out un
til each man would cover three yards
2 so it seemed to us. Some OF the boys
were wounded that afternoon. When
night came on we were about five hun
bred yards in advance of the line sc
( we were obliged to fall back on line
with the rest of the brigade. The
, colonel swOre about il and wanted tC
3 know why the rest of the line couldn't
3 come up 10 him but Otis thought il
= would be better to fall back so we did
3 and lay down for the night. The line
: in front of us fired at intervals al
= night and in the morning, Feb. 6, oul
J second lieutenant was told to take &
3 corporal and seven privates and 90 OF
"A scout in front and take and occupy
/ a block house if we could get to it.
g was one of the seven. The boys tolC
. us goodby for they didn't know wha
r we mi ht run into. We went dowr
( the road and over two barricadeC
! bridges and across some open country
: to the block house. At the bridg,
I and on the open we found the deaC
r bodies OF quite number of natives
q more than we had seen before in any
+ one place. We went up 10 that blocl
1 house with our hearts IN our mouth
g at least mine was-for we did no
g know what was in store for US. Blu
5 we got clear inside before anyon
y took a shot at us then the balls begal
: to hum around and 60 ping on IN
Il iron root of the block hoHse. Their
e was nothing i'm it but one dead native
2. with a Springfield bullet through hi
n head, and thousands of empty shell.
" We held at.place until Co, X cam
Is to relieve us when we went back t
d the company which had taken it
1t place away to the left of the Calooca
y railroad, where we put up earthwork
re and stayed until the next evening an
re were pestered by sharpshooters a
he that day and night. We got tired {
is the continual whiz of the bullets
e got on our nerve, as it We're, and til
At colonel ordered Co. and one platoo
u fCo. NJ and b each, to prepare for
IN charge into the woods on our from
vi We went out slow and steady f,
I'd about one hundred yards when the
TX opened sharp fire on us aud "
u opened on them and charged on he