The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-26

H'Ie u W 10 "a IOOT wv lOI US "
Twenty-third Infantry was taken to tho front
on Monday night. Feb. u. and had a chance to
prowl over some hitherto unoccup ed terri
tory. They found the work OF the Colorado
men and the South Dakotans well done and
not n Filipino to shoot at.
This has been the spirit Of the war up 10 tho
present. Special duty men have clamored 10 bo
relieved Of their assignment to Commissary
and Quarterrr aster's departments. and mem
beers of the provost police when of duty for a
time have taken chances and run away to go
ont and do some cunning for insurgents.
Fifty men. sick men at that. took French
leave from the First Reserve hospital and went
to battle. Four came back wounded and some
got entirely well on the excitement. All had
been suffering from fever and dysentery and
other climatic troubles. They were out Of bed
and sitting around when the firing began Oh
the night Of Feb. I. They got leave to step out
into tho road to see what was going on. and
some Of them forgot all about their allegiance
to the hospital. Ky some mysterious means
they provided themselves with guns. one at II
time. and went on their separate private fill
clustering expeditions. usually swinging In
with some company passing bv for tho front.
Ono man from the Colorado Volunteers lies in
the hospital at present with a partially shat
tered foot. He will lie abed there until his foot
ktlS "'Il, anu ill'laACh'bllD iioih ''O
fever he had before he went into battle.
Amember OF the Third Artillery on duty at
the Manila Post Office obtained a short leave
OF absence on Sunday morning, and when he
returned he SGT his fellow clerks wild witt
envy bv boastinE that he had obtained ten
shots at the insurgents. AT an Oregon COM
pany retreat ro.l-call in barracks one evening
nearly half n company was absent. Went out
to get some shots" was the excuse they gave
on return. This probably instigated the order
given by Gen. Macarthur to all commanding
officers to arrest men from other regiments
found with their commands. The members
OF the Tennessee regiment. after the death OF
Col. Smith. were restrained with difficulty from
rushing headlonR into the midst of the Filipino
region for the purpose OF holding a few riots to
revenge the death Of their leader.
Even now in the streets Of Manila one con-
tinually meets soldiers walking in pairs and
threes. gun slunG on shoulder and on tho way
to or from the firing lines. There are always
anxious inquiries as to whether an advance is
likely. in order that the inquirers may be on
hand for the fun. The members OF the provost
guard and those drawn for camp guard duty
gnash their teeth In rage at the tame work
they are compelled to do. but they fully realize
its importance. for Manila would be in ruins in
n short time should n riot ever start among the
TlllDlno TeSlltHlS VI lIt place.
The war has brought a refreshing change to
the troops that occupied the city. The pure
country air and the cool nights and comtorta-
bic days OF the Philippine spring have pumped
fighting blood into the veins OF the men and
there is willingness to an astonishing degree.
The nights on OUTPOST duty are severe. For
nights in a tropical country they suggest the
klondikc. As the sentinel. crouching low.
peers from his hiding place for the least sign OF
All insurgent across the open. he feels the
clammy dew of early morn settling on his long
gun barrel and experiences all sorts OF chills
along his spine. The miasma from the cool
ing earth stifrens his limbs and makes him
long to bound into the air and shake them into
life. But there is not a complaint. Perhaps
several hours Of vigilance are amply rewarded
by some Filipino pokinG his head from tho
bushes to be shot at from half Il dozen points
in the vicinity. In the day time the sky is usu-
ally pleasantly overcast. but occasionally the
sun peeps down with its summer fierceness.
1t has been a startling campaign; startling
even TO the United States fighters themselves.
Thoy are confident Of some day whipping the
Filipinos. but they never realized that they
would be able. with $4,000 men. to operate a
ffteen-mile firing line at one time. and in
twenty-four hours drive tho insurgents almost
beyond reach. Not a foot Of intrenchment has
been thrown up.
The men on Dewey's ships have again had
the long desired chance to allow the 81
FOUNDER pets to clear their throats. and the
big guns of those outlandish lighting machines.
the Monterey and the Monadnock. have been
heard for the first time on the Oriental shores.
1t is safe to say nothing like tham has ever
been heari here before. They Jared the town.
those 13-inch fellows. Down near Malate. the
very place where the Monterey was first ex-
pccted to try her prowcss. she Rugged the
shore all day. Smelling first the trenches which
the Americans once occupied and which were
recently taken by the Filininos. and then the
new trenches the unfortunates constructed as
they were driven back.
The Charleston. which zipped q shell or two
into the village OF Guam when she happened
past there last June. had the first chance to
give her guns a real trial when she paid her re-
spects to Blockhouse No. / at the north Of the
bay on Saturday night. Again the little Callao.
a Gunboat captured from the Spanish. came
into good account with her rat-a-tat rapid-tl fire
guns. Just as she did on Aug. 10 last. And
then there was the little LaRuna de Bay. the
little river gunboat recently rugged up by the
Americans at n cost of $4,000 Mexican dollars
to clean up the towns along the Pasig River.
She attended to her knitting when the war be-
gun. ard helped to devastate territory on each
OF her sides as far as she could reach. steaming
slowly along the crooked channel above tho
city. Late in the afternoon OF the third
day OF hostilities Gen. Macarthur sent
a message to tho various troops OF his division
which read: The Pasig River is open clear
through to the lake. All legitimate traffic al
lowed" This Is n marvellous message. for
along the Pasig River have lain some OF the
best strongholds tho F~ilipinos possessed.
Now they are all in ruins or are flying copious
lengths of white flag. The Filipinos OF Luzon
have discovered that n white nag carries the
sentiment" " No Quiere combatir'-I do not wish
to fight. No unburned hut in the occupied dis
trict is now without the signal. 1t is made OF
tablecloths. towels. underclothes and any ma
ter'al with a semblance OF white. II white
cloth runs out they hoist a white pup.
These neutrality flags are hung up as high as
possible or waved In the faces OF the passing
troops. A man when he proceeds along the
street %fortities himself with a piece of white
paper. which lie holds In front of his body like
n shield. II he hears even the rattle Of a hayo-
net Scahhard he hoists his signal and shakes 1t
frnntically in the air, Cold lead Is as terrible
to a Filipino as n snowstorm.