St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-08-09
In the Philippines.

The Amherst Record publishes long
and interesting letter from Capt Ed
mund Boltwood. formerly OF Amherst,
addressed to Captain T. W. Sloan of that
town. He is captain of Co. K, Goth
Kansas infantry, serving in the Philip
pine war. We make these extracts:-
Streams, generally of salt water, in
tersperse the whole country, forming
feet to 400 or 500 leet wide and quite
deep, as it is all tide water, and the
bottoms are always of deep, sticky, thick
mud. Up to Malalos the land is mostly
used for rice, and the better to hold the
Water necessary to its growth, is made
perfectly water level, and in order to do
this is divided in small lots the most
easily made to hold water. These lots
of from one-fourth to an acre in size are
surrounded by ridge of earth or dixie to
hold the water; and these bikes formed
very important factor in the campaign.
They are from one foot to three in height
and formed splendid protection in our
advance as the brushes" are usually
made from one dixie to another. When
we get within range of the enemy's fire,
ehN e'p' 10 iuotC ny tuSoC luoHSoJ
generally by platoons, viz, LIST patoons
rush forward so or 100 yards to dixie, lie
down, fire three volleys, during which
time the ID platoon moves forward so
or 100 yards in advance of 1st platoon
and fires three volleys. This gives time
for men to catch breath, line up and to
keep up fire that disconcerts he enemy
and deranges the accuracy of his aim: in
addition to which the excitement OF the
rush enthuses the men and an occasional
yell makes them irresistible. This move
ment by rushes | consider the greatest
Improvement that has been made by the
change OF tactics. 1t must be remem-
bered that the whole country from Man
lila to this place is fortified there being
scarcely mile on the way that has not
an intrenchment. At Calumpit few
miles back they had eight and half
niles Of work. Some OF these are Is
feet thick on top and covered with rail-
road iron, so as to make them bomb
proof, while each man has loop hole to
shoot through, and no portion of his
body is at any time in sight. / judge
there are at least 200 miles of forti6ca-
tons between here and Manila, a much
greater length of them than ! ever saw
around Petersburg and Richmond or
through Virginia from Fortress Monroe
to Harrison's Landing. These trenches
are dug by the citizens of all the towns
we have been through.
The Filipinos have a great deal Of
bravery and only lack good officers and
the quality of cohesion to make them
Dae.lo 10 -. a. Il,
carries huge knife. They have a way
OF attacking in the night which is ex-
tremely disagreeable. presume that
we have had an attack of more or less
strength one-half of the 102 nights we
have been out, and until within week
have removed my clothes, not even my
shoes, but i've times at night, and two
of these nights had to tumble out in a
lively manner to repell an attack. These
attacks are not generally attended, be-
lieve. to carry our lines, but to annoy us
by pouring in volleys for anhour or two,
at long range, generally resulting in the
killing or wounding of some OF our men.
During the firing, which is usually pre-
ceded by the sending up of different
colored rockets for long distance and
the light of huge fires, they keep up vel
like so many savages, which is the out
come of the old piratical Malay blood
The heat, good share OF the time. has
been intense and the climbing of rice
dikes. tearing through bamboo thickets
and walowing through the mud and
water carrying load of 200 cartridges
has been very trying, the perspiration
wettiug the clothes until they dripped
Much thirst, and the supply of water
which was scarce, caused much addition
al discomfort, but the grit of the men
has enabled me to keep very large per-
centage Of them on the line We have
had as high as 73 out OF total Of so
and now at the end Of the campaign
have 5S for the firing line.