The times., 1899-05-30
SIDE Lights ON THE
CAMPAIGN In LUZON
A Description of the Fighting
Around MalOlOs.
Burning of the Presidents Palace
and the Looting Chinese.
Incidents Showing the TreachcrOus
Tnctics of Filipinos-The Temp
tatIons of American Soldiers.


ter from Capt. Edgar Russell, of the
United States Signal Corps. who is now
Serving with General MacArthur's division
in the Philippines. was received yesterday
by the Captains father-in-1aw, Col. Amos
S. Kimball, Assistant Quartermaster Cen
eraI. stationed in this city. The letter.
which describes principally the figh'ins
about Maiolos is as follows:
''Malo,os, April Is. 1899.
80 full of activity and work does every
day seem filled that l can hardly ever
pause for letter writing. We have been
here for two weeks now, and the advance
which was TO begin TO-DAY. has again been
postponed owing to the withdrawal of the
Pennsylvania regiment.
When we started from our old head
quarters at Lomo Church in the early
morning OF March % the lines had been
for over month watching each other. Our
preparations of two days must have warned
the enemy that something was coming.
When the bugles sounded forward the
whole line as far as one could see, stood
up in the trenches leaped over the para
pet. and started gayly forward. The crackle
of MauseTs and Remingtons began at once.
while the spit and whiz OF bullets showed
that things were coming cur way. In a
busy bringing in the dead and wounded.
Then the general and staff and our field
telegraph moved forward.
storming the Trenches.
"our men carried the Filipino trenches
with rush. yelling in good. hearty An
glo-Saxon fashion. and we were soon over
them, looking al the fearful wreck and
ruin war leaves behind. half-dozen dead
and dying Filipinos lay right by our path
over the trenches two lying on their backs,
with blood gushing from their mouths and
nostrils in their last agonies, and the others
groaning and calling for water. Soon col
umns of smcke arising everywhere marked
the progress of our troops after the flying
foe; fer when the Filipinos themselves do
not burn their houses and villages-as they
are bidden to do by GeneraI-in-Chi Luna
the sharpshooters hidden in the houses
soon bring an avenging torch from the
Americans.
''All day long the line toiled forward
through swamp and hill and jungle, ev-
cry new and then halting to pay respects
to the foe hidden behind the earthworks
they had thrown up everywhere. At sun
set we reached stream with steep banks
where there was ford, and here the enemy
was strongly entrenched. The Fourth
United Stated Cavalry made most heroic
attack on the front, assisted by the
tiliery and carried il in gallant style. We.
spent the night in the enemy's trenches.
Two sharp engagements Sunday after
noon. in which cur less was fifty. showed
US what was cut out for Us. Two towns
Polo and ohando, were burned by the de-
feated enemy. Next morning We moved
toward Marilao. Here there is a large
river and a railroad and wagon bridge
This was stubbornly contested. But the
vaior of the Third Artillery and the
Kansas troops again oyereame tremendous
odds. and the bridges and the towns were
ours. The enemy partially destroyed the
stone wagon bridge, but the heavy iron
railroad bridge was too much for them.
They apparently have no dynamH. or
this would be another story. The bops
were so exhausted that it took lays
rest TO get them ready for another I'D tance
So at peep O. day Wednesday morning my
wagon train moved along the wagon road.
while push car we had stolen carried
our wires. tools. and other implements up
the track. or. rather. what was left of the
track: for the Filipinos had torn it up in
many places. By this time there was no
difference in the appearance or duties of
the officers and men. All we're dirty
sweaty and unkemPt We Of the Signal
Corps pushed the car. carried ladders,
rigged wires and poles. and rushed 20 cut
in an office when the general wished COM
munication opened.
Drinking Ditch Water.
"And how hot and thirsty we werci
Canteens were made for temperate eli
mates Ours would be emptied in an hour,
and. as man must drink, we drank ditch
water Few men were made sick by it,
more's the wonder The telegraph line
was nearly all down that terrible day and
We toiled through Bocane, Bioga, and
Cuiguinto, with the scorching sun over US,
the din OF battle in our ears, and nothing
TO eat all day; for our train got hung up
at river in our rear. ] slept in a stack
OF rice straw that night at Guiguinto. sup
PEERLESS. but with the refreshment which
the dreamless sleep of exhaustion gives.
There is another picture which mem
ory ever brings up-tha. sad procession of
litters bearing the wounded down the rail-
road. The dead were left lying by the
track awaiting the train-for in those dull
and staring eyes was the patience of eter-
nifty. Only the wounded were rushed to
the rear dressing stations. where life
might be saved.
Thursday only small advance was
made. little resistance being met. Our
Office that night was in a hut by the side
OF the track. and the rats and lizards and
cockroaches made 1t merry for US. BY
the way. you never saw a Philippine cock
rOacn-au others are feeble and microscopic
limitations. Next morning early We started
for our fnal dash for Malolos. now only
three miles away. Much TO our surprise
little resistance was encountered and by IL
O'Clock huge volumes of smoke rolled
up. the signal of Filipino despair and
flight. We pushed our lines in almost with
the troops and our message announcing the
fail of the Filipino capital was probably
on the bulletin boards OF the United
States before an American officer was
established in the Filipino congress hall.
The Palace Burned.
"They had burned the Presidents pal
ace, which was said to have been very
richly furnished. The town was complete
ly abandoned except by the enterprising
Chinese. who had shrewdly raised Chinese
flags over many houses which. IL is certain.
were not theirs. They are natural born
1ooters.' And the risks they take in keep
ing with the Army would be heroic in a
nobler cause The sight of so much aban-
doned property is sometimes Irresistible
10 our men. and IL is really absurd to see
some OF the heavy furniture which the
troops carry of and which must be aban-
doned again.
when the Third Artillery took
charge of provost duties indiscrimiuate
looting stopped short, and all Cinnamon
were picked up promptly and put to work
cleaning the streets-Inore OF a shock to
the sensibilities of the town than was
caused by its change from Filipino to
American control Since we have been
here IL is the policy to conciliate the ma
tives. and induce them to come back into
country In rear which