The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-19

weeks since j wrote last, and yet we
are still at the same old place. The
contemplated movement l spoke of IN
my last letter has been made, and the
natives We're driven back along the
railroad beyond Malolos. It took six
days to complete the movement, as the
Insurgents had the whole country en-
frenched from here to Maloios and be-
yond. Our loss was quite heavy, but
not half as bad as anyone would think
il should be- considering the country
through which the advance was made
There were lots of natives killed, but
there are plenty more to take their
places as soon as they are shot There
are usually two or three men with each
gun; one carries and uses the gun, one
carries the ammunition, and the other
carries the chowchow or anything else
that may be used. If the man with the
gun is killed, he is left on the field, but
his arms ale carried off and used by
one of the extra men. They think more
of their guns that they do of one of
their mems llfe.- With all their careful
plans to keep arms and ammunition,
they are losing them rapidly. They are
sometimes so closely pressed by our
men that it is all they can do to escape
with a whole hide, in which case they
usually sruash their gun or hide it in
some well or mudhole. Our men have,
however. captured hundreds of guns
and large quantities of ammunition.
If the insurgents continue their
mode of fighting, or rather running, ii
will be a long time before they can be
eornered and made to lay down their
arms. They will not make standing
fight unless our men keep at dis
tance of about 1000 yards, and remain
in the trenches where they are safe.
Natives Always Run.
"As soon as our boys commence to
advance the negroes begin to clear out,
no matter how nicely they are en-
trenched. 1t seems to strike terror 10
their hearts TO see a line of men come
steadily on towards them, regardless
of the storm of bullets raining upon
them.
1T is a grand sight to see our men
in long line approach the trenches of
the enemy through the fire that you
enough to kill every one of the men be-
fore they had charged 200 yards. j have
seen them several times charge across
an open ricefield without the least pro-
lection for themselves, q distance of 500
or 1000 yards, without firing a single
shot, and all the time under the heavi-
est kind OF a fire from the enemy. Then
II the natives have nerve enough to re-
main in their trenches until our men
get within 200 or 800 yards of them, the
boys let out a great cheer and charge
them, firing as they go. This usually
has the effect of soaring them almost
TO death. They break and run wildly in
all directions, some of them dropping
their guns in their efforts to get out Of
range of the deadly Springfield and
Krag-Jorsensen bullets. Some of them
who have desperate courage enough to
remain in the trenches are either shot
or taken prisoners.
"The morning our advane commenced
our batteries shelled the trenches in
front of the fort for about an hour or
two. We were highly complimented on
the work done, especially by the NOR
tar which succeeded in clearing every
native out of the trenches We fired
upon.
1.-The troops that made the advance
are now at Malolos, which was Aguin-
aldo's capital. When our lines had ap-
preached TO within mile or so the in
surgents fired the town and retreated.
Yesterday the Kansas regiment, First
Montana and Fourth cavalry advanced
six miles beyond Malolos until they
came to a large river, where the insur-
gents were strongly entrenched on the
opposite bank. They sent back for re-
Inducements, but instead of sending
them the general ordered them to re-
turn to MaloloS. There are now 5000
or 1000 of our men at that point, and
the towns between us. / do not know
what the next move will be, but ! think
things will remain as they are for a
short time until more reinforcements
arrive, which will give the negroes time
10 come together again where we can
get at them to some advantage. They
are now quite badly scattered, and, of
course. there is no use chasing them in
small bands all over the islands. Quite
Il few rumors are afioat in regard to
the time we are to be relieved, but 1 do
not think our chances are very bright
for few months to come. BERT"