The record-union., 1899-03-28
gents but that they were making for

gents, but that they were making 1or
the Montanas.
In thirty minutes our regiment was
on the ground and lying behind the
dykes in the ricefelds, and woe then 10
any force of men that would try to en-
ter our way! for with our rapid-age
Krags we could resist most anything.
Several voIleys were fired by the guard,
but We kept quiet until morning. All
the time, though, the artillery was
banging away, and the volunteers were
having a great time.
When daylight dawned the sharp
shooters began pegging away at US.
Lieutenant Abernathy was one of the
first wounded. Another part OF the
guard was sent forward to dislodge the
sharpshooters. Their Mausers. make no
smoke, and we could only hear their
short, explosive pops. We soon located
one, and then we began to- fire. We were
in it. 1t was not yet too light to see
the flashes of the enemy's guns, and we
silenced him after a while.
We stayed out about an hour and
half One of the boys was killed, ana
another wounded. Altogether there
were seven killed and wounded behind
the guardhouse. In the afternoon came
orders to advance and clear the woods
Oh, what charge. What glorious
charge! What a surprise it must have
been to the insurgents! We had turnel
the tables, and were advancing on
them On through the woods we went,
clearing everything, sending voliey
after volley at the flying rebels. 1t re-
minded me of the. days of the Revolu-
ton, when our patriots chased the red
coats down the lane around Lexington
and Concord You know we had them
on the run
They made their bravest stand on
cemetery ridge-a position which, IL
occupied by our troops, would have
been impregnable; but we advanced by
rushes and, aided by the Utah artillery,
we again had the enemy flying.
We followed them, when an order
came for us to retreat. This was al
most fatal, for the insurgents turned,
and it is a wonder half of us were not
killed. Five of the boys fell right
there. and, holy smoke! how those balls
did hiss and zip and light around rs!
We got behind a little knoll soon and
lay down in little hollows and bitches,
or anything we could get into, until fur
ther orders, and there we hugged the
ground.
1t seemed as if the balls would never
stop coming. / could see, away out De-
yond, some chiefs waving glistenins
swords in the air, but they were stead
lily retreating. Two dead Filipinos lay
very close to us. We did not know how
many more were around. We camped
that night in the graveyard. We had
no dinner, but got something to cat
after dark, for twenty hours firing had
been continued ceaselessly. 1t was
relief to have things quiet for a Wnlie.
We had no blankets, but the Doya
crowded up close to one anotner anu
hugged each other-any way to get
warm. The fellows in the middle had
a snap. but the end ones could get
warm only on one side. l got up before
daylight and swung my arms and tired
to get warm
We recuperated the next day, and on
that following we extended our lines
and began to build trenches. Caloocan
Law a mile in front We were nightly
attacked until the 10th, when we had
the engagement of Caloocan. These
Utah was sending shrapnel at the en-
emy, two shells exploded near us. ana
two of our boys were wounded, and one
had a ball go through his knapsack, and
another had his tin cup perforated
The great charge on Caloocan was
made about O'Clock Friday afternoon.
Dewey and the light artillery lombard
ed for about thirty minutes, and theh
came the order to charge. Up gently
sloping hill for over a mile we went.
under heavy fire. During one OF the
rushes in this charge a Mauser Dali
clipped out hole in the rim OF my
campaign hat. Gee whiZi That was
close CALL The boys said I was lucky.
1 fired ninety rounds that day.
The insurgents were heavily IN
trenched in another graveyard, the
headstones giving fine protection. and
in a deep ditch in front. But we were
irresistible On we went. The natives
turned and fed. We fired volley after
volley We We're now beyond Caloo-
can I saw LOCO men blazing away On
the firing line On the left rear the
town was in flames. 1t was grand
sight, and a great disaster to the en-
emy. We We're completely tagged out.
and it was after 10 o'clock before we
could get any rest. We had done a
great deal of double-timing, and we
were so tired we slept anywhere.
The next day we were building
trenches again, and beyond few en-
gagements around Pasig, on our right.
everything has been pretty quiet. We
expect more fighting soon-
A sad case of accidental shooting
took place a while back. Little Put2-
ker of K Battery, with another man,
was killed by the accidental discharge
of a gun. Every precaution is taken to
prevent a recurrence of this kind.
Each platoon is allowed to send one
squad into town for four hours each
day. Sans squad had its turn yester-
day We are about four miles from
Manila. This was the first time we
We're allowed to retrace our steps. What
changet Hundreds-yes, thousands
of native homes are destroyed. Herb
age and banana plants and trees are
withered and destroyed: charred baln-
boo poles, the supports of native houses.
We're smoking, and the ever-present
Chinaman was looting and raking the