The San Francisco call., 1899-10-30
GOOD WORDS FOR THE
THIRTEENTH INFANTRY
BUTTE, Mont. Oct. 10, 1898

% y nOnl.s OCI. ~, 1883.
Editor San Francisco Call-Dear Sir: In
special dispatch to the Anaconda
Standard. dated October 8, from San
Francisco, L notice the following state
ment in an interview with Major J. ].
Weisenberger of the First Washington
Volunteers, just returned from Manila
viz:
The American people do not realize
the gravity of the Philippine situation.
The entire Thirteenth Regiment of regu-
lar infantry dropped their arms, their
haversacks and their baggage and fed
like sheep before midnight lnsurgent at
tack. 1t was not the fault or the men.
When they have had a soldiers training
they VIII be the equal of any men IN the
islands. They were bundled aboard their
transport before they even knew how to
load their guns. Wnen the snip reached
Manila they disembarked at once, and
without any drilling whatever were
marched to the firing line and ordered to
make camp within sight OF the enemy s
lines. Their colonel protested against the
orders, explaining that his men were un-
disciplined
| have never before had occasion to ap-
peal to newspaper Tor correctlon or
facts, but assuming that Major Weisen-
berger has been correctly quoted l wish
to saV that his statement is so grossly
inaccurate and so manlfestly unjust to a
gallant regiment that L feel competed 10
detail the circumstances that occaSloneu
this story.
Acting as aid to Brigadier General Sam
uel OYenshne in the advance on Para
naque on the 10th day OF June, whose
brigade consisted of the Fourteenth In
fantry, Thirteenth Infantry ana part OF
the Twelfth Infantry and Sixth Artilley,
all of these troops came under my per-
sonal observation.
To the Thirteenth Infantry was given
the task of clearing the country OF insur-
gents resisting the advance on the right
flank and gallantly and speedily was 1t
done.
During the day in a march of fifteen
miles over foothills, through tall tangled
grass, without water and under olazlng
tropical sum- this regiment out of total
of nearly 1900 lost 263 men from neat eX-
haustiOn, who were left behind, to follow
the column when able to walk. Some of
Smith commanding the regiment, re-
turned to Mania, but the greater part
were sufficiently refreshed during the cool
of the evening to rejoin their command
that night. Other regiments in this eXpe-
dition lost proportionately as many men
in this march, which was one of the most
irving ever undertaken around Manila.
On the night of the 10th of June General
Ovenshines brigade went into camp about
one and a half miles from Las Pinas Out
posts were stationed at different points
from three to six hundred yards from the
brigade. forming a complete Gordon
around the camp.
During the night, while 1t was raining
and intensely dark, the two hundred Chi
namen accompanying the brigade as
packers, stampeded and rushed among
the troops, crying that the Filipinos had
surprised us This alarm was so palpably
false that the officers jumped in among
their troops, uuieted them and then put
them under arms.
There was no confusion; not shot was
fred not company moved from its po-
sition, not a man threw down his arms
and fled like sheep; indeed. 1t was the
occasion of remark among officers at the
time that the Thirteenth Infantry, newly
recruited as it was, should show such
steadiness under such trying circum-
stances. Two men out of nearly 5000 got
hysterical and had to be forciby quieted.
This is simply all there is to the story
of the Thirteenth Infantry throwing down
their arms and fleeing like sheep before a
midnight attack of insurgents. and 1t is
a matter of regret to me that feel called
upon to denounce such a fabrication by
an officer belonging to a regiment that
acquitted itself so gallantly under all cir
cumstances in the Philippine Islands
r. w HUNT,
Late Captain First Idaho Volunteers.