The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-30

ulous towns and villages and intermin-
able rice fields and it is all this coun-
try and that in front of Overshine's
brigade from Pasay to Paranaque with
which l was familiar. l can see it all
now, and So many and many time
night and day-did l ride the trails and
fields from San Pedro Macati to Pasig
ferry. and the farther heights over
looking Pateros and Taguig that it
seems as though l could follow them
blindfolded.
Guerilla Warfare.
That is. ! could if they looked as they
did from February to May. but they
don't. The day the advance guard Of
my brigade pounced on the big town of
Pasig and the head men of that island
metropolis and its smaller neighkors
came out and rendered their formal
Nitten surrender. the fields and roads
were sun baked and dry as a brick. The
enemy, demOralzed by the astonishing
overthrow of all their hopes and plans
their grievous losses at Santa Ana and
the fierce pursuit of the Idahos and
Californians of our .brigade-had fled
far up the Laguna, and not one could
be found within range of our Spring
fields. Now, all the trenches, rice fields
and roads are liquid mud The rains
descend each day in torrents, and our
dripping battle lines are covered by
strong outpcsts with far outlying pick
cts peering through the mist and down.
pour at the fitting forms of their ac-
tive foemen.
The light blue check uniforms of the
insurgents seem To have been abandon
ed. The famous Red Pants OF Agui-
laldo's crack regiments. that were so
much in evidence early in the war are
seldom seen or heard of Either in their
native brown or manufactured white
the duslSy little warriors hover along
;he front, picking off picket whenever
they can. and giving prompt notice of
anything that looks like a move on our
part.
But they know well enough that no
.n-ve of consequence can be made: that
the roads are impossible. and the fields
are ponds. Sad experience and severe
losses in killed and wounded have
Taught them the folly of attacking the
big Americans. even though the rifle
otis and trenches of the latter are filled
hank high, with dirty water. that the
cook fires and the rude bamboo hunks
.he soldiers make are perched on plat
forms improvised from cartridge and
,Alcker-boXes and that officers and men
have to wade knee deep when on guard
n sentry duty. Drills. Of course. are
suspended, and the American troops
eguIar and VOlunt5sr--dre haVsn. -
spell of enforced and most uncOmfort-
ing rest and idleness.
False Reports of Illness.
The few who break down are those in
whose systems rheumatism was latent.
Cor as a rule, the physique of the SOL
der sent to the Philippines is fine az
silk The death rate has been small
and the percentage of sick is low as;
compared with that of our civil war
especially when the Army of the Poto-
nac was cropping its way through tbs
Chicahominy swamps. The stories or
..pidemics, of crowded hospitals. neg
lected patients and dissolute doctors
that were so eagerly circulated by our
sensation-loving press. had no founda-
ton whatever in Manila. or fact. and
were set afioat in every case by frauds,
and freaks of both sexes who. having
secured free transportation TO the Phil
ipuines as volunteer nurses, speedily
developed their incapacity in that lin.
and a propensity for mischief in others
that led to their being invited to return
b. the next steamer
Then from Hongkong, Honolulu or
San Francisco their calumnies were
launched and out from the states came
letters by the thousand from anxious
wives, mothers, sweethearts and sisters
mot to mention timorous fathers and
solid citizens, whose long experience