Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-11-23

4
| thing To drive our people out
Just before the soldiers went UP to
help that morning our officers got us
/ together and told us again what good
troops We We're and all that we had TO
do was to go forward. My first fight
was at Caloocan. about the Sth of Feb
ruary. We were all in the trenches
and heard the Americans advancing.
and of course we were scared from the
beginning The bullets began striking
all around US. Almost the first thing
some one was killed. My brother was
killed.
We'll, we didn't stay there very
long. the fire was too hot. We soon
left, and some OF us went on through
10 Polo. About the only thing that l
actually remember seeing was that
those Americans never 'fickered.'
(That was not the word he used, but il
expresses his idea) They kept COM
ing. They seemed to run all the way,
and how they did shoot! But Polo
was even fiercer. Everywhere we look
ed that day we could see Americans.
There seemed to be thousands of them.
We kept backing up, but they kept
crowding us so much that we could
hardly tell where they We're or where
we We're trying TO go. We had whole
brigade there. Its funny, but man
doesn't seem to know much else than
how to run when he gets in Il place
like Polo.
Yes, / have heard a good many
speeches by officers, but have heard
only one general speak. That was
General San Miguel at Porac only
little while ago. He praised our APP
pearance and said we were so brave
in standing up so for our country. Our
officers, though, never try to explain
why it is that we never stopped the
Americans. Guess they don't know
themselves. They frequently, hOwey-
er, tell us that the Americans are very
brave. They advance to attack and
never stop. And our officers often tell
us that they wish they had American
soldiers instead of us. But that is
only a little thing to some of their
mistreatment.
"A thing that we do differently is
that we do all our cheering before
fight-not during the shooting. But
we don't swear much. Our officers do
not let us, and, besides, n people fight
ing for independence ought not to dis
please God. l have never seen any
American prisoners. / heard of four.
but that was n long time ago. / think
that they are being treated we'll, for
we have had orders many, many times
to treat them well. Oh. they always
tell us to be careful with any prison
ers. 1t is enough that American priS-
onerS are compelled to live on Filipino
food. But no one could be better car
ed for than am here. You have plenty
of money, haven't you? There is only
one thing 1 want, and that is to get
some money for my wife" He stop
ped there, but finally asked, ''Have you
ever heard the Filipino marching song
our liberty songE' 1 told him that
had not. He did not sing it very
bravely. One could see that he had
sung it under happier surroundings
than were the heavy stone walls of the
old convent at Santa Rita, but his last
''vivas" had some of the ring and fire
of n soldier in them. The words he
afterward wrote out for me. They are
simply an adaptation of The Spanish
Volunteer" and are sung to the music |
of that stirring march. 1 give them as
he wrote them-in Tagalo:
PAso-DoBLE.
Alerta Katipunan, =
Sl bundoc tahan-an tahan. ~
Doom nine mititigman, |
Hirap nang cataoan.
Society OF Liberty.
Hirap pagtulog,
Hirap sa pagcain.
HaulanG unan; haulang banig; haulang cumut. |
thurman ay gulog.
Viva 81 Emelioi
Viva 81 Mascardol
Viva 81 Cregariol
Viva 81 Venancioi -
- Viva ang manga Insurrectost
Viva ang bandera Filipinai t.
Viva guerra ma hualang Katapusan.
TRANSLATION.
tQuickstep.l
Spring up, We of countryi
Thy arms make clean and bright.
Give cheers for Filipino.
Long life to libertys light.
Let each for his dear country
Make vows without sigh,
And with arms stretched out to standard
Swear all; yes, cen to die.
Viva Don Emilio. ~
K Viva Don Mascardoi ~ |
Viva Don Gregarioi zS |
Viva Don Venancio. - |
Viva the holy struggled
Viva the flag so dear.
Viva for US eternity!
The American custom OF dealing
with captured Filipinos has varied
with the varying conditions of the
in our possession and the
changing ideas of the division COM
manders. An officer who has seen
service here from the outbreak of hos
tilities said the other day: 1T is better
to capture one Filipino gun than doz-
EN- Filfpinos. The former we can keep
away from Aguinaldo. and the latter
will keep themselves away" In other
words. it is safe, to the minds of the
DID officers at least, to turn the prison
ers loose. and our Filipino is no excep-
lion to this rule. When asked what he
would do if he were released he said.
Il would go to my home" And not
-o+r,rr, % the inS11rrantns y, saNn ,, with |