The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-04-07

lIlS pIaC0 was Ou6 VI tllolI OItSuD
but not strong enough for the American
boys, of course. As we so along every
thing is set afire and burned to the
ground. At present we have got the
town of Malabon at our mercy and sur
rounded and can take it any time, but
they are letting our forces rest and Civ
ing the English people a chance to gel
out. At present our lines cover about
thirty miles of countryEand are getting
kind Of weak. We can hold our own,
though, for the present, but I don
think we will 60 much farther until the
other troops come. At. Caloocan we
struck the railroad and have got it in
operation now into Manila, SO we get
all Of ou1 rations out quick and also
take the killed and wounded in, this
way. The natives killed most of the
engines, but as we have all kinds of
mechanics we soon had them alive
again. We have Anaconda engineers
and trainmen.
*Say, if anyone ever tells you the
boys form Montana can't fight, hit him
in the nose; also the Idahos, 0 in fact
any regiment in the Eighth army. corps.
The insurgents do not savvy our system
Of fighting. They say we don't fight
fair, for we go on the charge and take
their trenches. They all shoot very
high, but make a better and harder
fight than the Spaniards ever dared
make. They are very ~treacherous and
use the knife with awful results. They
killed a doctor out Of the Utah battery
and cut him all to pieces; also two
California boys.
II saw Will Shearer and Switzer.
They are both O. K. and I was glad to
see them. Every native soldier has
from two to three men following him
and as soon as he falls one Of them
picks up his gun and goes with it, so
we have not as yet captured as many
small arms as we should, but we have
them in a bottle now and they can't get
out. We have four 4-inch vitrol NOR
tars trained on the town of Malabon
and will burn it as soon as they CON-
mence action again. 1t is a fine town
and it seems almost a shame to destroy
has lost all control over his army, so he
says, but Otis told him he would take
care of them and learn them a lesson.
"Between Malabon and Malolos
there are four more towns that will
have to be taken. You see Malolos is
the seat of the insurgent government,
and if they do not surrender I suppose
this war will not end till we get there,
but I don't see how he can keep it up
much longer, for he is running low in
ammunition and food and they are
killed off by the thousands and we have
about 1000 prisoners.
"Our regiment was brought home
on the railroad Monday for a few days
rest, as we have been hard at it ever
since it began, and all are about worn
out. I am proud of my officers and all
Of the men and can say we have been
in every hard fought battle and took
everything before rs. Not many, if
any. CT the other regiments carried
their flag or colors with them, but we
did, and it is full of holes, too. Our
company is the color company, SO we
had the most fire directed on us. I
guess that is how we lost so heavy, but
we all stand with the flag, and you
ought to see them cheer when we came
up. Say, it would do your heart good.
"They say war is hell, and you can
bet it is. 1t is awful to see these poor
old native men aud women with their
little ones; no shelter, clothes u food,
homes burned to the ground, sitting
around with bowed head in theiR
hands. not knowing where to go or
what to do for something to eat. Soon
an American soldier comes along, gives
them coffee, hard tack and canned
meats. Oh, how thankful they are!
They can't make it out why we do it.
All Of the prisoners that are brought
into camp expect to he shot and the first
thing they do is to get down on their
knees and pray for mercy. But they
are tickled to death when they are we'll
fed and find out that they will not be
hurt. It is the same with the wound
ed N the field; their wounds are
dressed and they are taken to the hos
pitfalls and taken care of. Then they
say that Aguinaldo is 'mucho mallo'
Ono go). Poor devils, they were forced
to hght, most OF them, through fear OF
him. Most of them wear medals given
them by the church and were told if
they wore them they would not get
hurt or killed. After they are wounded
how they tear them off and say 'mucho
mallo.' Christianity is all right in it's
place, but when you pump it into
American soldiers through church Win
dows, out Of Mauser and Remington
rifles it don't go. No matter where
you go Or in what direction you look,
you see a church, and you can make up
your mind it is a fort, full of the en-.
envy. Our batteries are at once turned
on them and they are driven out. Then
the fun begins. It is just like jack
rabbit hunting. In Caloocan we got
oaao cir inaI .a..u.la laol.a. -