The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-05
TELLS OF THE FIGHTING
e. w. Harvey Writes an Interest
- ing Letter to His Friends.
CHARGED LIKE DEVILS
~.
Nothing Could Have Resisted the For
ward Plunge of the Montana Boys
as They Hurled Themselves
Upon the Enemy.

Jack Mitchell of the Bimetallic sa-
loon on Main street has received an
FL. Interesting letter from e. w. Harvey
of Company +, LIST Montana infantry,
now at Manila. The letter reads in
part as follows:
'Caloocan, p. l., March 90, 1S99.-We
are now on the firing line. We have
been entirely out of civilization since
the war began. We thought we were
through with fighting after the Span
iards had been licked, but after being
I'm Cavite and Manila for some time,
we could easily guess what was COM
ing, and when hostilities actually broke
out l was not in the least surprised.
ION the night of Feb. there was
wild excitement around Manila, COM
pany after company being lined up and
marched away double tme). We
heard shooting out toward the out
post (easD. 1t spread rapidly towards
the north until every outpost around
the city was engaged. Our company
could not go out as we were detailed
TO stay in quarters in case of an out
break in town. This went on all night,
and all we could do was to sit and
listen to the rattle of musketry and the
loud boom of artillery and the guns
from DeWey's fleet. However, at day
break Company It was marched out to
the firing line to take part The Utah
battery was busy Smelling the woods
in front of us. Our captain was sent
out with part of the company to re-
connoitef. | was with the detail that
had charge of the commissary. I was
not in the most active part of the
ha iuh Of he
we went into the trenches. The Fill
splnos made an attack on us that lasted
all night The woods came down in
front of US pretty close to our line CIV
ing the natives plenty of shelter. We
sent Volley after voley crashing into
these woods From 9 o'clock that night
they did not let up until daylight in the
morning. My shoulder was sore from
shooting and l was cramped from lay
ing in the rifle pit.
.s.. 'On the afternoon of the 10th we be-
gan with a heavy cannonade Dewey
shelled the country in front of u.s. AS
soon as the artillery closed firing. the
natives opened with heavy fire on our
trenches. Thousands of bullets seemed
to be singing over our heads. We gave
them three volleys and then jumped
out of the trenches and started after
them. The direction was north along
the railroad track to Caloocan. about
four miles. AS we climbed over our
trenches, everybody put down his head
and went like the very devil Down in
clines, up again. through ouches and
thick brush, across the railroad track
and back again and on to the enemy's
n trenches Every hundred yards or So
we would lie down and fire a couple of
Volleys. Then we would get up and
go again. The enemy kept falling back
to other Notifications and succeeded in
keeping us under heavy fire for two
C ~ h. 10
sight of them we went after them at a
full gallOp. There were many FilipinoS
left dead on the field
when we passed through Caloocan
the town was all in flames. Everything
was on fire except a few car sheds, the
station and a big church. The town of
Malabon was just in front of us, but
darkness prevented Us from going any
further. The next day the troops were
Strengthened up and We began to in,
trench, as we would have long wait
for the troops that We're on their way
from San Francisco and New York. We
nave been right here since Feb. TO- The
f1llplnoS make an attack on us about
every other day, and between times
their sharpshooters keep pecking away
at us night and day. Once in a while
they fire few shells over our heads.
We have a very large line nearly %
miles. We can hear battles raging
along some part of the line every day
or so. Deweys big searchlights helm
US quite lot at night on the out
posts.
Everything is quiet at present in
town. Many prisoners were taken dur
ing the battles. We can see big fires in
different parts of the country every
night, as some town or village goes I'D
in smoke. What the Americans don't
s burn, the Filipinos do, so it is all the
same.
sol,f
nearly 60 wounded in our regiment |
The captain. the second lieutenant and
two others were wounded out of our
company. Walter Green is in the hos
ptal with mild attack of the small
pox. They say that he will be all right |
in few days McNeal is with the hos
: pitai corps. Ben Gasaway is civil |
ian. All of the other boys are all |
right.
Il have been in the kitchen for three |
days and ! would sooner cook for 100 |
savages than for a dozen soldiers.
While getting up breakfast this morn
ing. ] had to lay down beside the fire |
to keep from getting hit We live pref
ty good out here; get frozen Australian |
beef nearly every day. We live in |
small shelter tents and sleep on the
. hard ground-no danger of rolling out |
of bed. Our regiment goes into the fly
ing brigade tonight which goes TO !
Malolos. We have a large number of |
Cinnamon to carry stretchers for the !
hosntal.
1.-THE enemy have Mauser rifles that
shoot an awful long way. Indeed I
believe they will carry two miles They
also have the REMINGTON rifles which
shoot bullets with brass cases. The
weather has been very nice during the
war We will probably get home after
we will have kicked these Filipinos off
the EARTH