The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-17
THEYWANT COME HOME
Volunteers in the Philippines
Anxious to Be Relieved.
ANACONDA BOY WRITES
The Montana and Kansas Regime nts Al
ways in Front and on the Firing
Line-News From the Boys
Up to June /.

| The latest news direct from the Montana
| volunteers in the Philippines comes in
| letter to Frank Foskett of this city 1t is
| dated San Fernando, province of Pam
| panga, island of Luzon, June 1, and is
| from ]. Onarheim of this city a member
Of Company NJ
Mr.. onarheim formerly known as
1.-The Count, but he has recently been
| brevetted '"the Filipino Chief" and so
signs himself. His letter follows:
Dear Friend Frank: Your letter and
| $40 money order received from Malolos.
| Thanks to you and Mr.. NJ. We came here
| more than three weeks ago from Maolos.
| We fought our way all the time from Ma
| Mia out here, distance of about 40 miles.
| The Montana and Kansas regiments have
! always been to the front and the fir
| ing line right along, and even now we are
| right in the front here.
| I'VE have been in a great many battles
! and came out very well so far. We have
| been along on the railroad line to Dagu-
pan. The Montana and Kansas regiments
| have done more fighting than any other
| regiments on the island When we go
ahead after the Filipinos we never stop
for anything, but go right along You have
| seen what the papers say about some of
| it.
1--WE have passed good many towns as
big as Anaconda. This place is about the
same size. We stopped % days in Malolos
| and were some of the first in the
| town. The Montana and Kansas regi-
ments took the place. The Filipinos set
| ii on fire only 20 minutes before we got
| there and part of the town burned down.
| All the people had left except a few
| Cinnamon The town had about 5000 in
| habitants.
| I'm all the towns which we have passed
| through all the people have gone away
! women and children included-so there
| must be hundreds of thousands of people
| who have left their places ahead of US.
| and some places must be crowded with
| people. The land is fine and rich here.
| Fields of sugar and rice, which are the
| chief products of this part of the island,
| are numerous. There is big sugar plan
| tation here.
They have talked in the papers about
! starving the insurgents out but we have
seen hundreds of thousands of bushels of
| rice in the stack in the fields and in the
| granaries around the houses as We passed
| by. There are many big rivers about
| here. The Rio Grande de Pampanga is
| the largest and crosses the railroad at
| Calumpit. where there is big iron
! bridge, 400 feet long. The insurgents had
| big intrenchments there across the river
| and We drove them out of there with
| tiilery. They had some artillery, too, hut
| as We crossed the bridge they started to
| leave their intrenchments We drove
| them more than two miles. There were
| more than 5000 of them and we could see
them plainly, for the country was open
| for several miles. We killed a great many
Filipinos in this battle. This would be a
! great place for steam launches, as you
| can go thousands of miles the rivers
around here and Manila and the bay.
| THE last battle we had here with the
| Filiplnos was three days ago, and was
bad one for them, as we killed more than
| 100 and wounded great many more. We
| were on outpost at night and in the
morning were to send a squad of men
| on a fine road to an intrenchment, which
| they had left a week before, to if
| there was anyone there.
when the men came within 300 yards
of the intrenchment the insurgents, 500 of
| them who had got back the night before,
| opened fire and the men had to come
back on the double-quick. Only one man
was hurt, and he only slightly. A bullet
went through the skin alongside the knee.
| General Macarthur had heard the shots
and sent one of his staff officers up to see
what was the matter. In an hour after
| the Montana and Kansas regiments were
sent out after the Filipinos and had them
killed, in an hours time. Two were kiiied
and five wounded in the Kansas regi-
ment and one was wounded in the Mon
tsna regiment during the fight. The insur
gents are all around this place, but some
times they are many miles away.
1--WE were out the other day with Cen
eral Funston-Companies NJ and l of the
Montana and two companies of the Kan
sas. We went out about six miles and
went through two towns in which were
left only few people We saw no insur
gents. The roads here are very good,
that is. the main roads. 1t is a fine place
for bicycles. The roads are about 25 feet
wide and level and in first-class condi-
ton. They were built by the Spanish
government a long time ago. The coun-
try which we have passed over is all level,
We are now about 10 miles from the
mountains, which look to be about 1000
feet high and covered with timber.
ut has been hard work sometimes and
long walking in the tropic sun. Sometimes
we have felt ready to drop. but have never
left the line yet. | am getting very poor.
I weigh only 1874 pounds. q pounds less
than when 1 left Anaconda. I have lost
six pounds since we left Malolos. The grub
has been very poor, and the same thing
every day. 1t is mostly old canned goods.
Corned beef canned is what We get for
travelling rations, and some canned beans
and tomatoes ana CRACKERS, cOIee Tor
breakfast and supper and water for din
ner, when are out in the field. Some
of the canned goods are very bad after
being kept in this hot climate for a while.
There is some talk of sending us home
SOON but | don't think we will go for some
time yet. The volunteers all want to go
back at once. but Mckinley says Otis
says they don't want to. There is no
fighting at the present time and l don't
WI W
have not made an advance for some time
Harry is well and so most of the
gang.
'"They talk about the regulars. but the
volunteers have done nearly all the fight
ing in'the Philippines. l would have writ
tel before. but l could not get postage
stamps Now the railroad is running up
here with the postal car on it with
stamps.
II have been dry many times here in the
hot sun.
Best regards to Mr.. w. and the whole