The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1899-04-01
IN ACTUAL BATTLE.
Earl Sanders Gives His Experience on
the Firing Line.

1r. ". T.. SduO6TS udS TCCCl'Cu
, letter from his son Earl, dated at Nj
I nila, Feb. IA. from which the followin
extracts are taken:
The war with the Filipinos is OIL
1t commenced on the night of the 4tl
when party of Filipinos tried to pa:
an outpost near the water works, 81
miles from Manila. They were driye
back, and inside of half an hour th
entire Nebraska outpost was attacke
by a heavy force of natives. Tn
regiment soon came to their support
and after sharp conflict drove tn
enemy back with the loss OF only on
man.
The Colorado regiment was mex
engaged, and proved to be as stubborn
as the Nebraskans.
At 1890 P. NJ. the call to arms fol
| the Oregon regiment was blown, ant
1 in four nil utes the. first battalion was
| in position outside the wall and the
second and third battalions were pa
trolling the streets OF the city. We
laid in our entrenchments the rest OF
the night listening to the thunder OF
the artillery and the vollies of musk,
etry.
The troops formed in the shape of a
horse shoe around the city, with the
bay on one side, and Dewey's fleet
fanking them at either end. We
were in the middle of the shoe, and
there listened to more manufactured
thunder than can usually be heard in
so short time. The ten.inch guns of
the Monterey and Monadnock would
peal forth with thunder that fairly
shook the earth, the screech of the
shells as they moved through the
forest was grand, and when they
burst in our imagination we could see
Fihpinos flying in the air. Toward
morning the Washington regiment
and the Fourthteenth infantry bore
the bruut of the battle, and about 4
o'clock the Washingtons made a
charge driving the enemy into rice
field, where a murderous cross ire was
poured in on them. This battle lasted
l6 hours without cessation.
During the entire week there has
not been five hours that some regi-
ment was not engaged. On the 7th
the third battalion was ordered to the
water works. where they have done
some skirmishing, but were in no hard
fighting.
If the first attack of the natives had
been successful, there would have been
an uprising in the city, and tie Second
Oregon, the Minnesotas and the
Twenty-third infantry would have
had all they could have done to keep
down street riots. But the natives
were driven back day by day, and we
saw the opportunity for fight gradu-
ally slipping from Us.
sponsible position and were placed in
q place of danger when Manila was
taken from the Spaniards, we were
really never under fire, and it was by
no means the intention of some of US
to go through two wars without
hearing the sing of bullets.
On Wednesday our troops had fought
heir way almost to Malolos, and on
there were rumOrs of COM
ing conflict between the natives and
,he Kansas and Montana regiments
Ind detachment of the Utah battery,
70 some of US decided to be in it.
Coming of guard Friday morning,
our of US started out to the Kansas |
inc. We found the troops lying in the
not expecting battle that |
lay, but they were looking for an at
ack that night. We returned for re-
reat, but about six O'clock Harry /
Fredden, A. j. Gordon and myself
'hiked out and reached the front about
o'clock. They go to bed early in the
renches, and taps were blowing when
We got there. Taps on the battle field
8 very impressive. Everything is
ilent as the grave, for no one is al
owed to speak above a whisper. A
ceiling of solitude steels over one,
md ne begins to think of the good
hings far away from the field of battle.
After whispered chat with some of
'ur friends in Co. G., Twentieth Kan
as, we were found quarters, and lay i
Iown TO sleep until the attack. About
:45 I was awakened by the firing of
few shots, soon followed by several
'ollies. heard the bullets whistling |
'ver me, and wondered if any of them
vould hit me.
Soon the lieutenant's voice was
leard ordering the second platoon up
N the firing line. Now fellow feels
little peculiar when he thinks of
out where those bullets are
Ehistling, but when he sees the Others
tarting he wouldn't have them think
le was coward and he'd go II the
,ullets were twice as thick. Well, we
ran and tum bled into our
'ositious, and got ready to load.
now / wasn't scared, because had
ny wits about me, but I could have
osded that gun of mine whole lot
uicker if I hadn't been shivering so |
rom cold. just at this moment bull
ct came whizzing by my ear. 1 recog-
lized it by screech so loud that saw
ay light. After that wasn't afraid
# the singing kind for they were all
.bove my head.
The outpost was driven in by this
lme, and the fight was on in earnest.
Jnder the command of the captain we |
,oured few volleys into the enemy.
rhe captain of that Kansas company
9 as cool fellow as ever lived. A
nan could hot get excited under the
command of such an officer. He would |