The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-21
LETTERS FROM MANILA
Written From the Battlefield of
Caloocan.
THE THICK OF THE FIGHT
The Montana Boys Got What They Had
Been Longing for and Have
Calamity Distinguished
Themselves.

Yesterdays mail brought to Butte
several letters from volunteers at Ma
Mia to friends in this city. The let
| tiers are of more than ordinary interest
from the fact that some of them were
written on the battlefield of Caloocan,
and others dictated in the hospital by
i wounded men.
| They are necessarily brief. yet they
| are the most welcome missives receiv-
ed by the friends of the brave boys.
| The following are fair samples of the
| general context of the letters received
| yesterday:
Lieutenant Homer Richards wrote his
| father, Ex-Governor Richards, that
when the fighting commenced he asked
| Brigadier General Otis to retire him
| from his staff that he might rejoin his
regiment. The request was granted. The
| letter, written on the battlefield. was
necessarily very brief. 1t stated that
at the time of writing Lieutenant Rick
| ards was sitting under tree with Leu
| tenant Colonel Wallace. The fighting
had let up temporarily and all were
Selling the opportunity of writing a
| line to home friends. Lieutenant Rick
ards stated that he was acting AS aide
to Lieutenant Colonel Wallace who was
| that during the fighting Colonel Wal
lace exposed himself to the greatest
| dangers, and it viii be remem bered that
the dispatches which brought the news
of the fight stated that Colonel wal
lace had been wounded that day. doubt
less after the letter writing had been
done and the fighting was resumed.
Harry Churchill of the office of j. r.
Richards & Co. received from his broth
er Guy of Company G a most unique
souvenir of the first battle. 1t was q
letter written on the top and two sides
of a cartridge box, which were tied with
string and mailed like postal card.
The note was written in the trenches
while the battle was in progress. It
read:
| Dear Harry-Tn the field, about
seven miles from Manila-Here we are
fighting the Insurgents and we are not
doing thing to them. Homer is here
alongside me. Up to the present we
lost 20 dead and 100 wounded. Only one
nan dead out of the Montana Com
rany C has not had a man wounded,
although we have been on the firing Ire
over so hours. One Kansas man killed
! and six wounded right beside us. We
are digging trenches. Expect an at
tack tonight; 5000 insurgents in the
I woods and in the trenches about 900
NTi'iS III front OIL US. l1efe was q Sh0t
just WhizZed over our heads.
IF they attack tonight there will
ne hot time in the old town. We are
Supported on the right by the Cd regu-
lars and on the left by the Kansas.
tSigned) GUY"
w. X. Foote, chief operator at the
Rocky Mountain telegraph office. re-
ceived letter from his brother Charles
Of Company B. His letter is interesting
in that it was written under difficulties.
He writes from Caloocan, Feb. Ii:
I'VE are having rather warm times
lately; have been in the field over a
week and in the thickest part of the
fight AT this time there are "a wounded
and three dead in our regiment. Charles
Brinton was shot in the arm last night,
but no bones were broken, 50 he will
soon be around again all right. Ser
geant Metcalf was also wounded in the
arm, but only a flesh wound, and will
be all right soon. One other man in
our company was shot in the hip, but
he is recovering rapidly. I suppose you
will know all about what has happened
and much of what is to come before you
get this letter.
II am writing this letter on some
paper l took from the railroad station
at Caloocan and am using the butt Of
my gun for a writing desk. I am feel
ing well. The Americans have taken
charge of the railroad and are using it
to transport supplies ito our camp. The
boys are all doing remarkably well and
are ready and willing at all times to d.
their duty, no matter how dangerous
it may be. The natives have tried tc
break our lines in the night, but failed
every time, and every time we advanced
we did SO with little trouble
Mrs. De!os D. Babcock of the Leyson
block is in receipt of letter of date
Feb. IL from her husband, with Com
Dany G of Butte, at Manila. On Feb
10, in the battle of Caloocan, Mr.. Bah
cock was shot in the leg just above. the
ankle, breaking two bones. This was
the battle in which Lieutenant Colone
Wallace and other Montana boys were
wounded. Mr. Babcock informs his
wife in brief note that the doctor has
no doubt that the leg will be saved and
that in due time he will be around
again all right. He says that he and
the other wounded are receiving the best
of care.
The terrible anxiety for their son
Karl which has disturbed the peace OF
mind of Mr.. and Mrs. H. F. Peterson
since the news came that their boy was
wounded was greatly relieved by a note
the young man dictated to one of the
angels of mercy who are proving them,
selves heroineS by caring for the
wounded soldiers. Karl Peterson is
only 10 years old and the youngest sol,
der in G company. Being an only SOY
and little more than a boy, it was quite
natural the father and mother should
be greatly worried when they coul6
hear no news for a month except thai
contained in the press dispatches, which
merely said Karl Peterson had beer
wounded. 1t can therefore be imagined
the relief the boys letter brought. II
was written in the hospital two days
after he was wounded and read:
Division Hospital, Manila, Feb. H.
My Dear Father and Mother: I am get
ting along all right and am only slightly
wounded. A bullet passed through my
shoulder making a flesh wound E,v,
l E