Union gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1899-1900, 1899-03-24
OUR BOYS IN BATTLE.
WHAT THE BOYS ARE DOING AT
THE FRONT.

A Friendly Chinaman-Pap Hay.
seed has Smallpox-Soidiers
as Foragers.
Last Mondays mail brought bushels q
letters from the boys in far off Manila,
and anxious parents and friends were re-
lieved to know that those in whom they
have special interest were we'll at least
when the letters were written. Nearly
all the volunteers from Corvallis sent two
or three letters each, and they all con-
tanned interesting and exciting news.
These communications from the soldiers
contain more of the details of happenings
in the Philippines than can be found in
the articles of paid correspondents, and
they are more entertaining from the fact
that they con tain more of local interest.
We take pleasurein publishing the fol-
lowing extracts from soldier boy epistles
Mort Cockrell. has this TO say under
date of Feb. Sth, in letter to his
mother: Saturday night, the 4th,
about 10 o'clock, firing commenced IN the
vicinity of Molois, at 1890 it became
general all, along our lines; and then
Dewey began to pump projectiles into
the insurgents. 1t was the first battle
ever heard, and to tell the truth, it was
inspiring. As soon as the firing COM
menced we got up and dressed, filed our
\ canteens and haversacks, and waited for
the call to arms which we knew was COM
ing. At 10:30 the call came, and you
never saw cooler lot of boys than ours.
We fell in, counted tours, then came
| 'Fours left, March = and we marched out
into the street to tnke our position in the
battalion.
AFTER forming, we marched out into
| the street and waited anxiously for the
order to move. A little after midnight
We came back into quarters and laid
down, but could not sleep. Soon another
call came and We went out again, and
waited this time till daylight, whenwe
were called in for breakfast, and went
back when it was finished. The CONF
pany went to guard bridge on the
outskirts of the city. but did not go
along. On the night of the 9th, We
were all night lying on the stone walks
with our haversacks for pillows. We re-
turned again on the morning of the 9th
for breakfast and did not go out again.
You can imagine how it feels to be shut
up here in the city on guard duty, and
all the other troops in the field covering
themselves with glory. General Hughes
told Colonel Summers that the Oregons
were the best guards he had, and he
would not let them go at all, so it looks
as if were doomed to stay in and patrol
rthe. city. want to tell You about she
battle that has ragged four days without
stop. The insurgente fired upon the
Nebraskas first, then upon the Colorados
and finally upon the line. The boys
held their fire pretty we'll until day
/ light, when they broke loose and shot
the insurgents to pieces. They made
charge after charge, drying the 'niggers'
back, and at each charge they killed
enough of the black devils to load every
bull cart in Manila. Aid then Dewey
got the range, and opened upon the
enemy with big guns and little guns.
Each shell would land squarely among
the insurgents and NOW them down like
grass before scythe. The fire con-
tinued all day the 9th, but stopped about
dark, the rebels retreating rapidly. Our
troops destroy or burn everything they
come across, and show no quarter.
That's the only way to fight these can
nibals. The prisons are all fnll of insur-
gents now, and there is no more room,
80 General Otis has ordered our men to
take no more prisoners unless they bring
their guns with them. All the insur-
gents captured, so far, have thrown
their guns away when they saw there
was no hope for them, and come into
our lines saying. Much Omega Ga good
friend) and of course there was nothing
to do but take them. Hereafter tney
will probably be shot unless they bring
their guns. Their loss has averaged
about 40 or so to the regiment, and our
troopss the 18th infantry (regulars) have
suffered the most"
Mort wrote again February 11th:
1.-The Americans" he saws. ''are driving
the insurgents back all along the line,
killing the poor 'niggers' like flies. 1t is
reported. unotficially, that Aguinaldo
is at the head of his army now, directing
every movement. Ii he is, you may bet
he will not last long, for these old SPRING
fields OF ours, and the -Jorgensens
of the regulars, shoot wonderfully accu-
! rate in the hands of American soldiers
The insurgents are unskilled in the use
of fire arms. They simply waste anmu-
milton. OF course, in SO much firing,
some OF our bo, s get struck, but it is not
like fighting men of your equal; but it
is hard to find the equal of American
soldiers. The insurgents seem to have
an unlimited supply of Mauser ammuni
tion.s L think Germany has been SNUG
Cling arms and ammunition over here
all the time. Germany needs good
drubbing and she will get it f she
NEEDLES any more. Dewey keeps
sharp lookout on the German ships in
the harbor to see that they make no
strange maneuvers. Our boys slip out
and 60 to the trenches once in a while.