The record-union., 1899-07-19
LETTER FROM DICK COYNE.
FIGHTING WITH TILE CAVALRY
NEAR MANILA.
Interesting Recital by the Young
Soldier Of Incidents at
the From.

The Record Union" has published
several letters from Cavalryman Rich
ard Coyne to his relatives in this city
which have been read with no little
interest. He is a member of Troop I,
Fourth United States Cavalry. which
has been on the firing line right along.
In a recent letter he writes
ERMITA manila, p ID, May 28-
Dear -: l have had no opportunity
to get a letter into the Manila mails
since l wrote you from Malolos, about
forty days ago. AS the newspapers
probably advised you. Troop 1 left
Bucaue on the expedition to San Isl
dro, with Lawton's flying brigade, April
I'D, and have just joined MacArthur's
division at Canada, about eight miles
north in Calumpit on the Rio Grande.
When the two brigades met 1 was
sent down to Calumpit on the gunboat
Laguna de Bay, and came in by rail.
road to prepare muster rolls for the
payment of the troop. / hear to-day
that the three dismounted troops are
at Malolos again, with Troop l, the
Troops E and K, being at San Fer
nando. 1t is rumored, and encouraged
by hints from the officers, that wac
soldiers will be mustered out by the
18th of next month, or sixty days after
the declaration of peace, and that the
troops will be in in a few days. There
are some eighty recruits here already
to relieve the 313 of US who are en-
titled to discharge, and the empty
barracks are being prepared to receive
more to-day, who they tell us are to
arrive on the Morgan City and New
port. This begins to look encourag
ing, but I think we will have ito take
Paranaque before they let us out.
However, nothing would suit me better
than to have few cracks at the Goo
COOS who gave US such chase after
ambushing us on the 18th of February
last
In my last I told you of the part we
took in the advance on Malolos, a rath-
er insignificant one, conveying the pro-
vision train most of the way. On April
..3d Troop 1 in advance led the Ore
CONS and Thirteenth Minnesotas from
Bucaue across about ten miles to a
place called Norsagoray. in which ad
vance Frank and I We're members of
the advance guard, Frank with the
point and I with the right flank. We
drove in outpost after outpost, until
late on the second day advanced on
their force at Norsagoray. After an
hour or so of fighting. in which one
man out of our troop and several of
the other organizations were wounded,
we decided to wait until the next day
before taking the town. it became so
dark.
The next morning early, instead of
forming the brigade into an immense
skirmish line and advancing on the
town, as they eventually had to do,
Troop I advanced through a cut in the
hill. down the main road into the town,
while the infantry were at breakfast
I think Lieutenant Boyd, who COM
manded the troop, had an idea the
insurrectos had pulled out in the night.
and that the troop alone would have
the honor of taking the town, but when
about six hundred yards from the first
row of shacks. Frank in the point re-
turned to the support and reported see
ing eleven Tagalos in white pile out
of one house and lie down along the
rice paddles. This information way
practically ignored, as others in white
could be seen all along the edge of the
bamboo trees. We advanced about
fifty yards, bringing the troop into
plain sight of the town. on top of the
hill, when we received the first volley.
over the heads of the advance guard
at the troop and support. followed by
firing at will by the insurgents.
was about four hundred yards from
the little incline on the right from
which they first opened up, when the
first volley was fired. and had they fired
at me or at Fahrenkrog, who was
abreast with me, they could have easily
gotten us before we could retreat or
dismount, but their fire was directed
at the main body on the hill The ad-
vance. of course galloped to the sup.
port, dismounted and linked horses be-
hind a low shelter of brush.
I had just dismounted, when volley
was directed at US from the left flank,
two shots of which struck my horse,
one between the eyes. killing him al
most instantly. He blew shower o1
blood over my arm and shoulder as he
fell against me- BY this time the
troop advanced up. having left their
horses behind the hill. and we threw
volleys into the insurgents for some
twenty minutes. when the infantry line,
with the Utah Battery advanced up
behind us, and steadily advanced on the
town, the rebels retreating through the
town and across the river, carrying
their dead and wounded with them, of
which there have been quite num-
Der from the bloody trails on the roads
Here later in the day we were joined
by the other division under General
Lawton advancing up the river, and
during the days succeeding took San
Raphael, Baliuag, San Miguel and San
Isidro, the capitals and largest cities
in the northern provinces.
While the infantry would rest in
these towns, the troop went out for
DAYS at a time, with provisions on pack
mules. and secured the hills, at times
running into a small squad, but luck
lily running into no large force as
there would have been but thirty-five
on the firing line had we done so. You
know it takes one man out of each
set of fours to hold horses, and when
YOU take out the pack train, guard, etc.
there is not much left of a little troop
of about fifty men for duty. The rest
of the troop are sick in quarters or
hospital.
1 have had all kinds of experiences,
too numerous to tell in detail. cap
tured a boloman. was lost for over
two hours in the hills with corporal,
was fired on with some others While
in bathing, etc.
We are both in splendid health, and
are confident there never was Mauser
made for us, and that we will be on
our. way home some time next month.
Of