The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-11-05
history OF The FIRST WASHINGTON VOLUNTEERS.
Continued from Page Thinysazht

liable 20 attack the United States forces.
and when that attack should come the
washington boys. as they were stationed.
would have to bear the bsunt OF the
battle
Ii was evident that Gen. King intended
the regiment for active service. since
early in December he had ordered Il fully
offceresl. seyeral OF the officers having
been compelled 70 resign their commands
owing 70 Illness. H. obedience - ta3s
order State Adft.-Gen- Canton was ap
pointed ma TOR Of tins regiment. vice Carr
resigned; Second Lieut.. Southern, Com
pany II. was promoted - first lieutenant.
vice Davidson, discharged fac dtsa bilify,
SeEgt MAJ. Joe Smith vas made second
lieutenant. and Private Thomas y.
4'eincn, Company a. was mace sergeant
major.
They Learned to Obey.
Throughout December ot s. ard Janu-
ary, So. Aguinaldo kept recruiting hts
army ana AgouoilI5 was In Washington
trying 10 hoodwink the governmeu, while
he vas buying and shipping arms af.t
ammunition 10 his chief. II soon beeatne
apparent that AguiGsaldo was ready for
the fray. and only sought a pretext 10
attack. He wanted the moral sympathy
Of the whole world, n he could get 1t.
and as much material ala as lie could
command Gen Anderson issued strict
orders 10 tlle troops on the advance lime
not 10 allow themselves II be tainted or
itSuIted b. the natives into making any
overt resistance. ard Ii was during these
weeks the Washington boys learned 80
obey without question and also learned
self-control. two things that distiag uIs;led
the regiment throughout the war.
But about this time an enemy appeared
more dreaded than Aguinaldo. the deadly
tYphus fever OF the tropics II attacked
the Washington boys and several deaths
resulted. The officers worked for their
men night and day. got them better quar-
tiers, watched Ia see 'hey committed 10
indiscretions In the matter OF diet and. tD
fact. looked after them a. II they were
brothers instead Of comrades IN arms
Throughout the whole campaign the same
thoughtful care VAS exercised by the off
GERS toward the men. and 10 tiis more
than anything else. the boys say. Is due
the fact that the regiment lost SO few
men by disease. The fever mentioned
was auIckly stamped out" and as the
boys became aeclimated the danger from
attacks by disease lessened
1t was the night Of February 4 1885
that AEuinaldo chose for the opening Il
hostilites. and on the morning OF the 5th
the First Washington volunteers received
their baptism OF fire in an engagement
marked as ore OF the bIo0diest battles ~
the Philippine war. Il was a hot close
night. and the boys doing sentry duty
Capt. Fortson's company. were suffering
from both heat and the swarms ~ mos
quitos. the pests of the Islands Bat
Agiinaldos camp had been active all day
and was still astr as the night grew
older. All felt that crisis was ar hand
and every man was wide awake and
alert.
Shortly before midnight single shot
rang out from one II the insurgent block
houses. II was followed by a pause u
, fifteen minutes. and then from far 70 the
left ot the Washington boys came the
pop. pop Of the sentry guns.
The war had begun.
The first shot fred was evidently a
signal and shortly after several appar-
emily unarfued natives attempted TO pass
the line OF sentries and refused 10 halt
when challenged. Then AGuinaido's In
surgents opened fire all aSng the line
driving our pickets In.
As is now known. the sending Of un-