The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1899-06-07
AT THE 'FRONT.'.
GEO. Bertrand Tells Of Experiences Around
Ualumpit, in the Philippines March.
ing, Fighting, Eating.

L. Bertrand OF this city has lately re-
ceived three letters from his brother
George in company G, First South d.
kots volunteers, in the Philippines.
They are dated at Calumpit, from April
% to May 4, and give the following par
ticulars OF the fighting at that time:
April o, We struck camp at 4:3o P. N.
ADD marched north OF Mslolos about 4
m,les over the battle ground Of the Ne
brasks where they lost Col. Stotzenberg,
and camped in the shelter Of q church
wall. On the morning OF the oath the
artillery opened fire and under it We
CROSSED the river and halted about three
hours. Then We moved ahead and run
up against an entrenchment and got IS
natives and they got three OF our boys.
We advanced two miles, let . number Of
non combstents through u lines, and
a. We passed out OF q strip Of woods the
natives in front OF US opened FIRE on US
from trenches 500 yards ahead. We lay
down close to the ground and pumped
the bullets into them. Paul Weiss Of
Madison here stuck his head up and got
q scalp wound near the temple. He
went to the rear, had the wound bound
up and returned to the firing line. We
charged the trenches and drove the ma.
tiyes out and got Is of them.
Ga the morning OF the 18th we moved
ahead against the enemy 10 q strongly
entrenched position across a river. The
First and Second battalians were on the
firing lie, we in reserve o15 yards be-
hind, aud it was a hot place l tell
you. The bullets came thick and fast.
Two men were killed in company H
| tive in all. Nebraskans got across the
river and outianked them and drove
them out. We moved around here a
little for two days, reaching Calumpit on
the 9th.
May l be writes:
We are quartered in bamboo houses
| along the left bank OF the Rio Grande
river. Our company has 81 men tit for
duty, sometimes ss low as "a. Company
H has % men. Our whole battalisn has
90 men lit for duty. The enemy is bet
ter armed than we are with the Spring
field. The Mauser is q repeating, 6 shot
and the cartridges are set in clips 60 that
six handle as quickly as one. We now
have about 90 repeating rifles for each
company aud l got one. 1t is a hare
rifle to keep clean. but a ca'sy. In ont
engagement we sent bullets through y
inches hard wood breast works ant
killed men behind. So you see that
tree two feet through is not much pre-
F, lection from a Krag-Jorgenson or
Mauser at 700 yards when they do thei
best work. We can make a niger hun
cover az far as we can see HIM. w
have had Q two days layotf during peac'
negotiations. l have had all the fight
want.
May 4, MI. Bertrand writes from Ma
Mia:
The let inst. we got orders to marc|
out 10 miles to q Maccabebe town whicl
we did, lay ell night in q OF thos
heavy rains you q swim in, and starte
back next day. l got overcome with tn
heat and fell out, got as Tar as the raj
road and staid with the qu~artermaste
sergeant and the other sick who wer
going to town, got q pass and came
Manila. I Am feeling all right again fo
the work l have gone through. Con
pany q has only 16 men on the iron
now. Other companies have fewe'
Before the wal broke out l had none
ahead and drawing interest. Now
, can't save any. We hava to buy came
lgoods or go hungry. We get hard tao
and canned beef. Ratlons for a hours
liz pounds can beans for 4 to Z men