The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-06-06
R THE PHILIPPINES.
Mr., Russell Describes Some Incidents
and Accidents of Soldier Life Filipino
Treachery-- Business Prospects.

CSSA
| Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
JARo, Panay Island, P. l.,
April 9, 1899.
l again write some of the things
which are happening in this part OF
the world. Since our battle of March
Is b there have been only a few ehots
fred by our boys. The enemy's sharp
shootere( O try to pick off our boys
while we are on outpost" but so far
no n has been hit by them. The in
surgents are nothing more o less
than buck whackers, and when they
see one of US dreaded "AmeTicanoes'
advancing on them they just Init the
grit" like rabbits. It is much harder
running after them than fighting them.
They have digged many pitfalls for US,
and several of our boys have fallen in
them, spraining their ankles, and one
fellow broke his leg.
Yesterday afternoon my company
commander took 25 men Of his CON
pany to a small town one mile west Of
this town, where himself and q few
others remained while the others went
out into the dense chspparal beyond
the town. They hadn'tgone far before
they spied 10 FIlipinos running away
as fast as they could. Our boys couldn't
tell whether they were insurgents or
non combatants, so they ordered them
to stop, but they apparently didn't
''savey'' that, Whereupon our boys
fired a few shots at them, which had
the desired effect, as they all fell down
behind entertainments. Our boys ad-
vanced on a run till they reached them,
and imagine their eurprise to find them
all non combatants, two Of them being
Spanish young ladies. The ladies
were thirsty, and said they "cares
aqua" (yished water), so our boys
gave them their canteens. which they
emptied, with "mucho gracious" (many
thanks). They were scared nearly to
death 1 can't blame them, as it is
unpleasant to be fred at, and not be
armed. They were allowed to vamoose
and they said ''Americanos mucho
wano' (Americans are very good).
4 short distance further on we spied
insurgents and non combatants fleeing
from tbae part Of the country, on buf
faloes, and it was truly comical to
watch them ride. One insurgent who,
unfortunately, wasn't mounted, be-
came so badly frightened as to run
right into u line, where he was cap
tured, and his ''machete' taken from
him. He wag what is known as a
"B5lo" man, A few insurgents fred
their Mausers at US, at very longrange,
SO noo5dy was hit.
A snort distance from there we spied
= Of m running eway rom us, go WI
ordered him to halt, but, I suppose he
dldn'g hear 1t, and 10 Of our boys fred
st him, hitting him in the fsshy part
of y arm TnaG didn't stop him, 60
another snot vas fred which took
eff CT III the fl eehy part of one leg that
brcugaE h,m { the ground, and we
were soon TO him, and as we examined
hig wounds. he wanted to know if it
was "mucho malo" very bad which
it was not. We bound up his wounds
with part Of first aid packages snd
the natives TOOK charge of him.
A short dlsgan39 beyond there we
reached a gro With Of chapparal sodense
that 1t was impossible to see more than
IS yards from Us. One of my com,
rades saw a ''Bolo" man not Is t ct
away. and be began firing at him, but
the B0lo man jumped behind a tree. It
was impossible TO hit him at such close
range. AS my c3rnrad3 adv8Ec@d to
ward the tree, going around to one
side, the B jlo' man ran around the
tree, keeping On the opposite side rom
tne American. At last things became
too warm for Mr.. "B)lo'' and he pre-
pared to hurl his large machete at my
comrade, but just then the latter fixed
oayonet" and charged on the Bolo until
he fu-rerdered. He had taken off his
uuit0rm, tied it Up in a handkerchief
and put on a white suit of Pal .mes,"
Many OF tham have been known TO
take off their uniforms when they
60 enter town and as soon as
trey left town and agniu reached the
insurgents lines, they would again don
their uniforms, We caught onto their
little game, and nov they can play it
no longer
Not finding much to do OUT there, we
returned to quarters, but we now
know the lay OF that land, and if We
have any fighting there, what We ,
will be Of great advantage to |