Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1899-03-22


then were ordered by the right flank
march, and then we made our charge
Two men were killed in our company in
this charge, Corporal Caldwell and Pri |
vate Frazier; and four wounded, Privates
Mccall, Surgins. Jones, Sergt. Keller,
but Keller is with us today alright His
gun was shot iii two i'll the middle as he
was on the run III the charge, and
splinters from a bullet and his gun stock
went into his right leg and left foot. We
gained our position, and the major was
standing on a knoll overlooking the field
ahead of us with his field glasses, when
he received his fatal shot i'll the breast,
and fell fatally wounded. | Isaw him fall.
Lieutenant Martinson and Adjutallt Roos
ran to him and done all they could for
him, but nothing could be done. He
was carried away on stretcher. He
died about 1880 or O'Clock. AS he was
taken off of the field, he had a smile on
his face, and died, saying: 81 die with
the sympathy of the Second Battalion"
While Lieutenant Martinson and Adju
tant Roos were with him l was i'll charge
of the company and the boys kept shoot
| ing all the time, until the lieutenant
ordered us to cease firing, and the natives
! had retreated down the river and Com
! pany G and Company c, who were on our
left poured in hot fire OH them, hardly
! if any natives escaped There were
about 100 taken prisoners by Company G
and turned over to the Washington
guards who took them to prison i'll the
Wall City. The Idaho boys, Companies
| b, G and {, took two modern krupp
guns. Washington claims the honor,
but we know who took them, and people
only have to wait for General Kings re-
port. He came up when the battle was
over, and stood on the spot where the
major fell, with his cap in his hand and a
sorrowful look on his good face, and said
it was a wonder that we were not all
| killed. Every officer, and furthermore,
every man i'll the three companies are
heroes and will long be remembered
We stayed and held our position all that
day and night up till half past one Mon
day afternoon, then took up our march
! forward for distance of four miles up
the river, and here we all camped ont on
a little hill, happy and contented that
we got into one fight before wegot hone.
Yesterday at O'Clock we were ordered
to fall in, that was three companies of
the Second Battalion, b, d and c, and
went on long march for five miles, to
the large lake that is here on this island.
All you can see is white flags on every
house or building, We cannot find any
native soldiers, all the prisoners we have
are not soldiers, that is they claim they
are not.
They would come in with the white
flag before they would get to soldier i'll
our ranks, they would throw down their
white shirts and put them on pole or
stick, and the American soldier would
pass them, and then they would pick up
their arms and shoot the boys in the
back.
Englishmen told us that we done more
i'll twenty four hours than the Spanish
had done i'll three years, and they all
have good word for us. Most regiments
are all quarreling over the honor i'll bat
tie, we told them to wait until Kings re-
port comes i'll and everyone can Judge
for themselves We do know one siiing
that Maj. Ed. McConville was made
Brigadier General beforehe died and that
Co. "B'' lost more men killed and
wounded, three killed and five wounded
iOur company is on guard today. We
them understand are to be shot, one was
a spy dressed in women's clothes, and
another, who shot at Red Cross society
man after surrendering to the Americans.
They are both treacherous and mean
looking. Well mother hope you won't
worry too much about ME. / have done
my duty so far and have done it like a
man, and am ready to go at it again at
a moments call. led Co. ''B' i'll their
charge across the bridge and was always
one of the first i'll the line. I have done
my duty
Well mother words cannot express the
Isympathy we have for the loss of our
Major. He was SO brave all the way
through the battle, and as good and
kind to all his men while on their
campaign. Gen. King had General
Anderson to go on the field after the bat
tie was over, aud they thought that he
had done his duty we'll, he never got
out of sight during the whole fight, and
was always good mark for good shot.
We all wish he were with us to tell the
story as to how we fought on the morn
ing of the 5th. Now don't want you
to think that this is self praise but it is
the truth every word of it, and all the
Ipeople have to do is to wait for Kings
report:
Sergt. Stanton gave out in the charge
and was removed into Sisters convent
and we have not heard from him since
ibut il is thought he is all o. X Our
show to get home now seems as though
ii were all off. we most likely will have
l.. 4. IL. -