Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-06-17

>LE their exile
~ A.eASkI[A\&Sasto the other end
lsA.s s--s-s2<E Hs<d'e ,'sz of the world it
is scarcely credible that the soldiers
in representative numbers are sick of
their bargain even if that bargain has
been stretched by the government into
something besides fight against Spain
to avenge the Maine.
The stories of the sick and wounded
and discharged men who come home
are untrustworthy, for the reason that
when a man is separated from the
army he loses the spirit which animates
the soldiers in the field; hence he can
not represent them. All this. by way of
an introduction to the story of the
Tenth Pennsylvania volunteers, famil-
iarly called 1.-The Ten Pennies, regi-
Jment that has been in it from the start
last July ard is slated to come home
among the first.
The Tenth is the only fighting Key
stone regiment thus far in the wars of
1898 and 1899 The following is let
ter written by an enlisted man of the
Tenth to a correspondent at his home
in Washington, Pa. Its author is Ser
geant Major Clarence REIN. Describing
the first insurgent outbreak, he says
About 10 p. m. Saturday, Feb. l. the
call to arms was sounded. and our regi-
ment was soon on the march to relieve
our outpost An advance line was thrown
out about 25 yards in advance of the
main body. We had no earthworks or
IL,
we lay on the ground, keeping very quiet.
A little after midnight the enemy were
discovered advancing. When they had
approached within so yards of our ad-
vance line, volley was sent into them,
and they hastily retreated carrying their
dead and wounded with them. The
ground over which we fought was level,
and we were always exposed to the view
of the enemy, with no protection save to
lie down, while the enemy were under
cover and difficult to locate because they
used smokeless powder.
With daybreak three pieces of the Utah
battery opened on the hospital where the
enemy were located but seemed to do lit
tie or no damage to its strong stone
walls, even with four hours work. The
sharpshooters began to get line on US,
and things were getting so warm that
about II o'clock the colonel ordered an
advance. After firing several volleys, we
started after them. When about 100 yards
in front of the hospital, our line, as IL by
magic and without any order, fell to the
ground, and it was lucky we did, for just
at that moment the insurgents sent
heavy volley into US. We Immediately
arose and, with fixed bayonets, were aft
er them before they could fire another
voIley With a rush we were over their
trenches, but they had retreated. running
as fast as they could go.
After burning all the houses in the
neighborhoo6 our line was formed again,
and we started for the enemy, who had
fallen back to a large stone church on a
hilltop, with a lire of trees and under
brush along the brow. We did not get
very far till We had to lie down, as they
were pouring heavy cross fire into us
with their Mausers, and we could do
nothing, as they were out of our range.
We had lain under this fire for nearly an
hour, when the battery came up, and un-
der its fire we again advanced. which
was no easy matter, we had to scram-
BILE through several barb wire fences. FL
nally we started up the hill, and then the
enemy began to breah from cover and
seek shelter in the church. But they had
tarried too long and were within range
of our Springfields.
1t was now nearly p. m, and we had
been on the go for Ii hours, with nothing
TO eat save hard tack and a cup of cof-
fee. So we did not advance any farther:
We would have continued the advance,
but we had not enough troops. We de-
stroyed everything that came in our way,
and for four days We lived by foragfng,
and our bill of fare included chicken. beef
and pork.
i suppose that our war with the Fill
pinos is very unpopular and is causing
howl in the papers at home. 1t was
case of fight with us or have our throats
cut. The people at home have never fully
understood the situation here. l don't
believe the government at Washington
has even been fully informed of 1t. The
insults which the American army has
been compelled to submit to for the past
six months have been very humiiiating.
We all used to be of the opinion that
Spain treated these people very badly,
but now are all of. the opinion that
she did not govern them severely enough.
In the last papers from home 1 noticed
exaggerated reports concerning the sick
of our regiments. The health of the
troops on this island is excellent and es-
pecially that of our regiment We have
no more sick here than we would have
with a body of men of the same number
at home. Were it not for flies and mos
quitoes life would be very tolerable. We
have been In the field nearly five weeks,
and the boys are enjoying 1t. They are
getting good grub, and lots of 1t, and the
way they eat it is a guarantee of their
good appetites.
Another enlisted man, describing the
same fight in a private letter home,
concludes that the trouble will soon be
over The natives had their fill of
American lead the first day, he thinks
Aguinaldo' followers accuse the Ameri-
cans of not fighting fair because they
lie down and shoot and then jump up
and chase the enemy.
In about the same language Colonel
A. L. Hawkins, commanding the Tenth.
tells how the trouble began with the
Filipinos in a letter sent to his wife
after the fierce battle of Feb. II. He
declares that the American troops were
on the defensive before the attack Of
Feb. A and suffered humiliation at the
hands of the natives such as Ameri-