Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-17
FROM THE FIELD
Captain Wynne Scores the
COpperheadS.
DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE
He Says, for the Shedding of so Much
American Blood in the
Philippines.

a letter from Captain E. w. Wynne of Co.
G, First Montana Volunteers, in which
that officer speaks out very plainly as to
the causes for he ~prolongation Of the war
in the Philippines. The letter is as fol-
lows:
San Fernando, p. L., June 1, 1899.
My Dear j. RI resume you think I
have been a long time answering your
letter. Well, l plead guilty to the charge,
but my time has been pretty We'll occu-
pied for the past four months, as these
natives have a very peculiar way of en-
tertaining the Americans. They say
"Anericano Filipino mucho amigo but
for my part l don't seem to be able to
appreciate the friendship, for some rea-
son or another, mostly, perhaps, on ac-
count of their ability to take a shot at
you when you least Expect it.
Besides, Mr.. Filipino is a very persist
ent individual-a perfect type of the Ma
lay race. He is also remarkably, 1 may
say painfully, numerous. He has been
whipped and driven from n stronghold
to another: he has counted his dead and
wounded by the thousands. yet he bobs
up serenely with his Mauser and his bolo
ready to give you a run for your money.
And it is a run, for the Filipino fights
and runs, from one trench, swamp, jun
gle or other point of vantage to another,
very much the same as the American In
dian. He can't stand an American
charge, however. 1t is too much for his
I Malay blood. To see that line of Amer
icanos advancing steadily, stopping an
instant only to take deliberate aim n
fire, then on again regardless Of cover or
consequences, seems to fill the average
Filipino with terror. He has not been
accustomed to this way of fighting; it is
essentially not Spanish. He stands it as
long as he can, then with one last look
over the trench he exclaims: "Mucha
malo!' and away he goes-not out into
the open, however, for he has always
provided himself with a way of getting
out without exposing himself. This thing
is kept up until the Americans must stop
from sheer exhaustion. Then the in
surgents gather their scattered forces and
await another attack.
We have been camped at this place
almost a month, and 1 understand it is
the intention not to advance any further
in this direction, but simply to hold the
country taken and await developments.
San Fernando is about 80 miles north
of Manila, o. the NJ. & D. railroad. The
insurgents contested every foot of the
ground from Manila here, making their
most determined stands along the line of
the railroad n at river crossings. The
Montana and Kansas regiments have
bCC1 IiSllt LIZ ~ Ill
to this place, consequently they have
probably done more fighting than any
other regiments in the Eighth army corps.
So far as G company .is concerned, they
have more than met my expectations,
and I am afraid l am inclined to judge
harshly. / think it would be hard to find
a cooler, more steady lot Of men in any
army. Our loss so far has been four
killed and IA wounded. We had quite a
lively little fight at this place on May
"a. The insurgents attacked out outposts
at daylight that morning. Very shortly
after two battalions of the M%ontanas, two
battalions of the Kansas and three guns
of the Utah battery started out after
them. They We're located in trenches
about t~hree-auarters of a mile away.
When we got through with them there
were i16 dead On the field and we cap
tured about 30 of their wounded and
about 40 others We're taken prisoners.
The American forces lost two killed and
II wounded, and the game goes mer-
rily on.
And why? In my opinion. mostly be-
cause of the traitorous utterances of a
lot of professional politicians and the
unpatriotic editorials published in GER
tain American newspapers whose parti-
sanism absolutely smothers their pa
triotism, if they ever had any. These are
the people who are directly responsible
for the shedding of so much American
blood. Aguinaldo and his immediate fol-
lowers are not fighting for liberty. They
are fighting for power, for the opportuni-
ty Of wearing golden collars or for the
purpose of being bribed to cease hostili-
ties. Aggy himself, as we all know, is
wont to have an itching palm. His gov
eminent, so far as he has been able to
run it, has been corrupt, tyranical and
ferocious. His system Of taxation has
amounted to confiscation, yet these pi-
rates have been encouraged, and are still
being encouraged, by many of our So
called patriotic statesmen and editors.
There is very little that one could do
in a business way here at present. Bust
ness is dull and will be until the war is
ended absolutely. because there is too
much uncertainty in regard to the flu
ture. OF course the United States will
win. but just when is the question.
In regard to the mineral resources of
the islands, nothing authentic can be
learned at this time. You al hear al
most anything. LAUNDERING will be a
great industry here in the curse Of time.
There are a great many varieties of hard
woods, of which mahogany seems to be
the most common.
Sergeant Soper, Corporal Hunter. Hell
Zig and others send regards. Heilig was
made sergeant major, vice Hill promoted,
a few days ago. Major Cook is making
a great record. I believe there is not a
better field officer in the volunteer army.
Lieutenant as regimental ad-
jutant is the right man for the place,
and is covering himself with honors.
Lieutenant Corby. formerly of b COM
pany, has been with G all during the
campaign. He is a hard working, fearless
officer and well liked by the men. Lieu
tenant Richards health as been very
poor for the past five months, and he has
finally been compelled to resign on thai
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