Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-04-14
FRANK UPHAM.
Letter Written by a Member of the
North Dakota Regiment Shortly
Before His Death.


Before His Death.
One OF the heroes of the North Da-
kota regiment who has answered the
last roll call is Frank Upham of Co. C,
who died of disease at Manila not long
ago. Shortly before his death, Ups
ham, who was II of the best liked of
the Grafton company. wrote the fol-
lowing letter to his brother at Grafton:
| was in the Division hospital for
about two weeks with dysentery. On
Saturday night last the insurgents at
tackled gu outposts and then if a per-
son Il any idea of bedlam he might
nave some idea of the uproar. of the
artillery and rifle shooting from oul.
men; it shook the city from end to end.
Two of us fellows tried to break way
from the hospital by jumping over the
iron picket fence but got fooled and
came near getting full Of lead from the
sentry on post, so we gave it ND for
mat night but could not sleep all night
Tor the roar of cannon. Next morning
we were old that we would have
some chance OF getting to our compan-
les as soon as the surgeon came
around, but we were in too much of a
rush and every surgeon and nurse was
on the Jump caring for the wounded
that We're being brought in by The
wagon load to the hospital. SO we
went to the officers quarters. about
twenty of us that We're in fairly good
1lghtlng trim after living on bread and
mix for two or three weeks. and told
our troubles to them. but they
wouldn't discharge us but gave us 4
pass until the next morning and fold
us to be sure and come back and re-
port. put as we have over run out the
tllne a week now might as well put off
reporting for Il few months.
Well. when we got loose the first
thing we did was to divide up and
start for our respective companies:
there was only one man besides myself
that belonged to N. p. troops. so we
each got a club and captured a horse
and cart from Il native and rode ND to
our quarters. which were about two
miles. to find III companies We're
gone out to the firing line. After | got
on my fighting clothes and gun and
ammunition l started out alone for Co.
Y on FOOT as there was a lot of Mauser
bullets to he lodged before | got to
Fort Malatc. another mile. Arrived
there all 0. Il. and just as the n. ID.
D0ys had orders to make Il charge and
rout the insurgents. which YOU will
hear more about in time to come. All
will say about it is that we lost no
men. but they had their clothes pretty
well shot full of holes. Surely proyi-
dence was with the n. ID. BOYS O n that
trip. Brought back three prisoners
V wounded Filipinos and one
wounded Spaniard that was shot in
three places while helping the natives
10 Kill us and afterward tried to set
lire to our hospital after we took him
up to get his wounds dressed and was
shot dead for his patriotism. He
wanted us ITO cut his throat when they
brought him to the fort and one of oul
boys threw him Il balo and told him tc
cut his WI throat but he crawfished
NEXT move we made was to string
u three companies in skirmish line
n covered about three miles wide OF
iand and made an advance to Cam,
l'ewey where we landed first. Swep1
everything before us. drove insurgents
Defore US and burned everything to the
ground. If you could have seen tht
dead ahead of us and the fire behinf
US you would think that war was hel
without q doubt. Put up at Shinglt
ann and put on running guard ant
patrol until last night when we were
renewed n came back to quarters
expecting to be sent out in a differen,
direction where there is more heay,
work to do. This is the first time WE
nave had u shoes or any part of oul
clothing off since Friday, Feb. Sd. AL
we want now to finish it up is a couple
more hours sleep and a few hard tacl
with US. Ought to have seen lis come
IN last night. We had horses, carts
ana hghting cocks, beside we have had
three rigs busy hauling in trophies OF
war Q the last week. We live on
chickens mostly since we have beer
out among our friends, the enemy.
lnc!osed you will find an insurgent
captains commission papers signed by
Aguinaldo. Another fellow and I were
out through the woods on a little
scouting expedition and came across
MN; we had no guns with us but man.
aged to take his papers and q few
other souvenirs with a piece of bamboo
club. We would have taken him back
to camp as a prisoner but thought that
he would be more liable to come in
contact with a 1910 Springfield bullet
where he was.
The 18th Of August wasn't in it with
this little scrap. Every regiment has
had q hand in this deal and have
proved themselves to be no tenderfeet
o0ys all feel as. though they hadn't
made their trip for nothing.
Those Wild Cats from Tennessee
had their colonel killed the other day
md they started across the hills them.
selves; all the officers on the jot
'ouldn't stop them. 1 guess they mus,
e stacking them up pretty good fol
hey're not back yet. Regulars say
F-h0< $hn NJ - IY. aAa~nS --.s.r---.