The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-12
FIGHTING is HARD,
American Soldiers
Have Their Hands
Full.
FILlPlNOS ARE GOOD DIGGEUS.
They Have Uncle Sans
Troops Well Sur
rounded.
FILIPINOS ARE GOOD DIGGEHS.

David sullivan, private in Light Bat
terry K Of the Third artillery, now sta
TONED at San Fernando, Philippine Is
iands, who is Worcester bow. relates
IN an interesting manner the dojnes of
the American troops near the position
occupied by the command of which he
is member. He shows in his letter
tnat he is alert to all that is going on
ana several other letters which he has
written to The Spy have been read
with interest by it's readers. In his let
ters to this paper, Private Sullivan has
IolloWed the doings Of the troops and
relates the incidents connected with the
strlte against the Filipinos in a manner
mat is interesting to detail. He is a
typlcal American solCier and Is not an
imperialist. CA
Inc letter reads as follows:
San FerE ando, July 1.
10 the readers of The Spy;-
fhe fighting against the American
troops about San Fernando continues &c
pc as hot as ever, and three nights ago
the Filipinos came at us in five divis-
ions. They have evidently been making
plans for the attack, and when ihev
moved against US they did so with a
Vlgor which plainly showed their inten-
tlon OF regaining the positions lost a
number of days ago.
Each division worked independently
OF the other until they reached a posi-
tlon near our outposts, when they con-
solidated their forces and made a heroic
attack.
A few days previous we had been
ordered from Malolos, the old Filipino
capital, to.San Fernando. At Malolos, we
discarded our heavy battery and re
ceived instead three light calibre guns.
1t took four big government mules to
transport each one Of them along the
road.
We were ordered to get into position
near the outposts of the town and were
not there long before the Filipinos made
a concerted attack on our outposts, and
in the twinkling of an eye we were up
to their relief.
After two hours of hard lighting, the
Myers" retired, leaving 300 dead on
the field in front of US and carrying
back with them their wounded. Our loss
was killed and 16 wounded. Near our
position saw As Filipinos buried in one
trench and the majority of other dead
Filipinos were planted on the opposite
side of the town.
Yesterday We went out and shelled a
sugar house, which they are using as a
blockhouse, and tore up their trenches
with our guns at a distance of about
HOO yards. The sugar house was made
short work of by our troops. and after
we got through throwing shells into it
we set it on fire.
There are according to runners sent
out from our side, 900 Fiipinos en-
trenched in front of us They are adopts
at trench building, and by good stra-
tegic work on the part Of their leaders,
have us thanked on both sides with q
good line in front, end if we have to
advance We will get hard battle.
1t 'ajns here every day now, and the
boys are wet through more than half
the time. The volunteers are gradually
leaving the island and the Fifty-first
Iowa are the only volunteers near our
line. At present our force here is about
1000 On the south line there was a big
fight Sunday and about 80 American
troops were killed The Filipino loss was
something terrible.
We were not near enough to get into
the game, but heard the particulars
from some of the wounded who came
up near our line. The Filipinos have got
US surrounded in good shape near San
Fernando, and the fighting will not be
over on this island for a year at least,
1t will probably take longer before we
are able to whip them. and at present
they are making good stand
Many of the boys expect to get their
discharges, ard it is probable we will be
discharged shortly, as our time is up.
David Sullivan,
Private, Light Battery K, San Fernau-
do, P. /.