The San Francisco call., 1899-03-25

EANILA, Feb. 21.-The names Of
II III two more California boys have
iNb been added to the rapidly grow
YI ing death list of the regiment.
They are those Of Privates An
tone D. Nilsson and Rackard, both Of
Company c, whose remains were
brought in from beyond Caloocan Sun
day, February II. They had been miss
ing since Tuesday, the 7th, when in
company with two comrades. all haV-
ing leave of absence, they Joined a
company of the Kansas boys going to
the front. During a pause in the fir
ing between our troops and the insur-
gents massed in the thick woods away
to the right of the railroad track and
beyond our new intrenchments the four
slipped into a deep gorge unknown to
any officer, and advanced a mile and
half beyond our lines, finally taking
shelter behind a natural breastwork
shaded by a tall bamboo, at the ex-
treme end of the canyon. From here
they could easily look into the timber
100 yards in front and observe all
movements of the enemy. What oc-
CURED after reaching this point can
only be surmised. Brown and Dun
can. the two members of Company c,
who accompanied them. reported back
at company quarters Tuesday evening
and stated that, being fired on by large
bodies of insurgents in the timber,
they had retreated, leaving Nilsson and
Rackard to follow. Their failure TO re-
port that two men were left behind to
the officers on our lines is deplored, as
the two dead soldiers could have un
Saturday morning the bodies were
seen by a scouting party from one Of
the batteries. Privates William Shaw
and Donald Mcmillan of Company c,
First California, hearing Of this and
surmising that it might be their two
missing comrades, started private in
vestigation. Following the route the
dead men had taken they finally found
the bodies, stripped of all clothing but
their blue shirts, the insurgents having
taken everything worth taking. The
numerous empty cartridge shells
strewn about told their story for them.
The two brave boys had sold their lives
dearly, succumbing only to superior
force or treachery. The supposition is
that one of the boys, probably Nilsson
was wounded early in the fight and the
other (Rackard) had remained to aid
him. Nilsson possessed a fine revolver,
and when found held in one hand a
handkerchief saturated with blood, in
the other revolver cartridges. His
wounded arm prevented the use of his
rifle
Probably some of the enemy hidden
in the brush in their rear had crept up
and shot them down. Shaw and Nc
MILAN stated that they could not tell
If the bodies had been mutilated, four
days having elapsed since their death.
Insurgents in the brush on the right
caused the two boys to beat a retreat,
but a. large force went out and brought
the bodies in on the 18th.
Full details have been received of the
outbreak on the night Of February 4.
For the past two months the First Ne
braska. has been camped at Santa
AIasa which was practically on the
firing line. The sentinels of the insur-
gents near the Nebraska outposts were
very close at several places, and for
several nights previous to the first
firing an insurgent lieutenant had
caused trouble near outpost No. by
attempting to push his sentinels within
the Nebraska lines. Saturday evening
February 4, at 9 o'clock, the in
surgent lieutenant advanced with few
men and disregarded the challenge OF
the sentinel near No 2. Private Gray
son Of Company B, after properly chal-
longing the advancing party who paid
no attention to him, fired. killing the