The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1899-04-13


,ottar to his father, Maj. Edwards,
nublisher of the Fargo Forum III
which he describes the lie OF the
Dakota soldiers on the skirmish line.
The letter is dated Feb. 3, and was
written when the regiment was nVe
miles southeast Of Manila. 1t says:
Companv B, with the rest of the
First battalion, is still here IN the
bamboos in the edge of one OF the
prettiest countries we have seen slhce
our arrival For three days now we
have patrolled the road for nan
mile on either side Of us, ana had an
OUTPOST out in the country some w
Yards. The entire company is Going
guard duty. each man getting In ABOUT
four hours day, and non-commis-
stoned officers little more.
When we arrived here Sunday night
Il was very dark, everybody was tired
mt Mai. White. who had done more
running in twenty-four hours than any
oEe in the army. l guess, was SO worn
out that he could irdly talk enough
TO give the company commanders or
ders The major had been imposed
upon by someone. and had taken us
out of our way He was sorr yfor our
sakes. and we for him. The company
was divided into halves. Sergt. Thomp-
son taking the outpost with Hathaway
and Lewis as corporals. Sergt Soren-
son had the patrol and was assisted by
Hummell and myself.
! 1t was hard work the first night but
it was all so new and exciting. We
saw ''niggers" on all sides-they would
go by carrying white flags; we would
run 'em all out of the road and make
EN- stay out of sight.
! The boys. some of them. Schlansei.
Davis and Frazer went out after
breakfast before they lay down. They
brought back chickens.
f, | was on guard at 4 a. IN. Monday
morning. and got to Company G's quar-
ters in some way. ! heard a noise.
Upon investigation j found Lieut..
Getchell and Sergt. Ellis down on their
knees under house roofing out chick
ems. So Company q had a good break
fast, too.
VIXEN daylight came we corraled the
Neutral ''niggers' and made them pick
chickens and dig sweet potatoes.
They are willing workers, too, and
never fail to remind us that they are
our friends-we believe in utilizing our
friends. Now to-day we have little
roast pig, and more in sight.
This morning Sergt. Sorenson was
! appointed street commissioner. He
had twenty natives under him fixing
up the street or road so that the artil-
xx-ith IN,
We make the niggers clean the yard
and road and DO all our police duty.
| Feb. 10.-Several papers have been
sent out to the outlying troops, and
/, now we know how the battle started
The natives insisted on our moving
back one Of our outposts-the sentry
shot tie man who insisted, and tn,
:, natives began to fire. All the troops
! Of the city were notified and soon were
I ut their posts. Firing was kept up al
q night and broke out on all sides of the
l city but the south. The natives dit
not attack us. so we waited until day
: light. Soon after daylight numerou.
natives were seen in the edge of til,
[ woods, some 300 yards from our in
trenchments. They looked uncon
: cerned. and seemed to be watchin:
5 the fight at our left.
T. When the time came. we were tol,
l. to pick out Niger and fire when tn
II cannon on the fort should sound. w
n were strung along the trenches an,
n did as we were told after the frs
n shot not q niger was in sight. bu
e their reply came before we could &c
TWO shots at them. From that time OF
. the fire was incpSSant
,, Some ten Of us were back Of TN
- graveyard. and could see nothing o
10 account Of the tall grass. so we moye
n to the left and joined Company G
T. Here the boys were pumping away
10 across an open country. and Just NOR
than kept up the fire. Maj. Whit
stood back of the trenches. looking fo
things 10 shoot at Every once i'm
O.. while he would say: Give me tina
gum he would stand up there. tai;
deliberate aim and hit what he sbG
': at. Lieut.. Getchell and Sergt. Ell
did good work, and gave the boys gre;
confidence. 1t is wonderful how co,
u. and unconcerned Maj White is; I'll
4 boys just love that man.
&c Sergt. Bradley was on the left of n
line, but being so weak with dyse,
10 terry, he could not shoot much, so COZ
eh tented himself by talking to the DO,
~ ana Keeping them shooting properl
Poor Brad looked badly. and was in ;
p nigh but he would not go back. eve
al after being relieved 10y Lieut.. Geare
rn The lieutenant himself had quite
aigh fever during the early part Of II
lie. night, but did not complain. He too
EN- luinine all night, and by morning w,
n, feeling better, though not quite hir
self