Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-07-21
LAST CAMPAIGN.
John Peterson of the North Dakotas
Gives an Interesting Description Of
the Last Campaign.
Across the Islands with Lawton, and
Incidents of a Number Of Battles
with Fiilipinos.
Boys All Glad to Get Back to Manila
and overjoyed at the Prospect
of Coming Home.

The following letter from John Peter.
son of Company A gives an interesting
account of the last campaign of the
North Dakota troops in Manila and a
daily account Of the doings Of the regi-
ment from leaving Balinag, May Is,
until the return of the expedition to
Manila:
May 15-Had breakfast at 4 O'clock
this morning and started marching a
little after five. One battalion Of the
22nd vas left behind to guard the city.
The roads We're good and we marched
six miles, to Maasim, where we had
dinner. AS there was a small stream
to cross here the transportation train
had to be helped across Started
marching again at 3 O'clock. A detail
Of men from each company was left at
Maasim to help the carts along. Only
marched about two miles in the after
noon and camped for the night at San
ell Alfonso. These towns We're cap
tured by the scouts on their way to
San Miguel. The 4th cavalry and
Hawthorne's battery went on to San
Miguel, also did the ambulances. Had
retreat" this evening. Received or
ders tonight that first call would be
sounded at $3.50 in the morning.
May 16-Broke camp and started
marching by ) o'clock; after four hours
marching we reached San Miguel,
where we camped until 3 o'clock same
day. About the time we started
marching again it began raining
which made the roads very disagree
able for the transportation as well as
ourselves: About a mile from San
Miguel WE met the 4th cavalry and Bird
infantry returning to San Miguel. We
marched until dark. when we camped
by Il creek (as we thought for the
night had supper and put up our shell
ter tents. and made our beds. When
orders came to be ready to march in an
hour with one days ration. The md
battalion was left with the bull carts.
and LIST battalion, 22nd and SCOTS bat
terry started marching and went about
four miles, which brought us up to
Summers brigade, Which consisted Of
the Ind Oregon and 10Th Mimi, with
Il heavy battery of the 9th artillery.
Harrington, chief scout Of Oregon and
Minnesota regiments, was killed this
afternoon. Bob .Jager's mule teams
D. NS-i llllOuSu tlic tIluSc Dlll tltlu l.
hurt any OF the mules. While coming
into San Miguel this morning there
was Il dead insurgent lying several
yards from the road: He was SO
blOated up that some of the boys took
it for a caribou at first. as he hardly
had any clothes on. Hawthorne's and
SCOTS batteries were at San Miguel
where we came in.
May 17-Started marching at ) O'clock
this morning, the 22nd took the lead,
then came the battery. North Dakota.
Minnesota and Oregon. The roads
We're bad, SO progress was slow.
While marching along the road we
came to the place the scouts had such
a hard fight and where brave Harring-
ton was killed. His dead body lay
just a few feet away from the road
under a bamboo roof. His body was
wrapped in the stars and stripes. IN
der the same roof there lay five woun-
ded insurgents, who watched us as we
passed by. Marched about two miles
from here when the insurgents opened
up from a bamboo thicket. Our men
Immediately deployed as skirmishers
and advanced under a heavy fire. Our
boys didn't receive orders to shoot I'M
til they were within about 400 yards,
when the old 'long toms'' barked. The
18th Minnesota were in support. and
all the shooting was done by North Da-
kota and Oregon; the battery also
threw a few shells among them. 1t was
the best shooting Ill boys ever had. A
a few shells among them. 1t was the
best shooting our boys ever had. A
good many of the niggers were dressed