The Topeka state journal., 1899-09-18

from Australia when the call to arms
was sounded, when we rushed out and
took charge of all the carametos. or
two-Wheeled buggies, in sight to get to
our quarters as soon as possible, and
within ten or fifteen minutes after the
call to arms the regiment had formed
and was on the way to the support OF
the out posts After arriving there we
were halted and the officers held a
council as to the best disposition of the
troops We lay there for about ten min
utes. The insurgents had a big smooth
bore cannon, loaded with old scrap iron
and chains, which they were shooting
down the road on our guard house.
Some of the boys-in fact, all of them
felt pretty slittish, and, as for myself.
I guess that was as badly scared, If
not worse, than any. During this time
Captain Clark of H company was hold
ing the bridge across the canal, 200
yards in advance of the guard house.
We were ordered across the bridge, K
company going first, and then M and
the rest in the order of the regiment,
and all the balance of the night we lay
behind a rice dixie, with our feet in the
water, till o'clock in the morning Of
the 5th, when general advance was
ordered and then for the first time we
realized what actual warfare was.
COMMENTS ON FILIPINO ARMY.
Speaking Of the Filipino army, Mr.
Quick says: They are organized into
zones, for each zone there is military
governor, and each one acts independ-
emily of the other If you lind and
conquer 6aCh ana ali OI lUeE1l Oul one
that one will be still organized and
lighting regardless of the surrender of
the rest. The governor of each zone
takes care of his own territory only
and fights only when he is attacked,
and when beaten, they will hide their
arms and return to work again, and
on this account we can not tell whether
they are our friends or not. Also, be-
ing such cheerful and accomplished
liars that even when caught in the act
of shooting, they would swear they
were your friends, and if they thought
that you doubted their word they would
take on the most pitiful expressions
you ever witnessed.
To the best of my knowledge, they
have not less than eighty thousand well
armed men in the field, and this is
aside from their engineering corps, or
trench diggers. In the matter of in
trenchments, they show a considerable
knowledge of military engineering.
Their army is well Officered, being men
of good education and brave. Every
man among them from the age of 10
years up is a military man.
Without doubt there will be some Of
these zones where their soldiers will
fight for years to come and will con-
tinue to harass our out posts. The
tactics used by the F'ilipinos are the
same as the old tactics used by our
army the same as was used in Wash
ingtOnS time. Their generals are men
of unquestionable military ability and
the greatest mistake of our generals
has been in not giving them credit for
being as smart as they are.
Otis is in bis 70 Fi 7 CL o.
vious to the outbreak. It was a weII
known fact by him and by every one that
the outbreak was inevitable. and as proof
Of this fact I Will say he issued an order
that all the troops should have reveilIe
at 3 o'clock in the morning and have on
their field equipments and stand in line
in mOmentary readiness to proceed TO the
O'clock in the mornfne This was CON
tinued for two weeks previous to the out
OTIS KNEW HE WAS WEAK.
He knew at that time that he did not
cessfulIv DEFEND the CITY Of Manila he
having at that time only 1900 troops on
these we're available for duty and these
Il. 900 men were expected to patrol the
city and hold the line around the town.
The first firing line was twelve miles long
and just at the time the men should have
been fighting he kept them laying around
in trenches, losing men every day. watt
ing for reinfOrcenents and after they
enough to accomplish anything Otis mis-
represented the Condition of things to the
people at home, and his conduct resulted
in the loss of men and nothing accom-
plished for it
There is not a question about the pro-
ductiveness of the islands They are very
fertile and the labor there is of the very
a bO1lf / nesos or 20 CENTS Of dIir r,7o0aI59
the labOrers being the natives and coolies
to live there and compete with this labor
1t is not a place for a poor man, ana be-
Commercially speaking, they would be
great acquisition to this country for our
factories and iron industries. There are
large deposits of ore in there.
so far as am concerned, 7 have no
regrets at being a soldier and of my
treatment We generally got what was
wanted. I am satisfied with what I have
went through and have at present no de-
sire TO reinlist in the army, but at the
same time a man can engage in much
more unsa tisfactory business than in go
ing into the