Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1899-05-31

'NNf W. f,h' 'N'th
Rev. Albert Pfaus by Lieut.. Croft of
Co. l, dated Manila, March H.
While we were still in the field am
munition was brought up and we re-
plenished u supply before advanc.
ing. When the nov was made we
kept close to the road, which was to
the right Of us, and ii seems To me
the company could not have ad-
vanced more than an eighth OF a
mile before we found ourselves above
the forks of this road in an enclosure
where in the morning had stood one
OF the native houses, which, how
ever, had been reduced to ashes by
the insurgents. They had taken to
firing everything in the shape OF
buildings about the time when we
fell back from our first advance and
the artillery had managed to burn
and destroy everything along the
road. On our right there was little
or no cover, except a scattering of
brush and an occasional tree. To
our right rear flank the right hand
fork of the road branched off to the
Chinese hospital and then swinging
to the left, led up n high ridge to the
San Lazarus cemetery and a large
sht,rah EnIvvn fhinE nA fhn ntn..,.
do church, but, like much informa-
ton gathered by the unsophisticated
Americans, this may be an error. I'm
mediately to our front-and behind
which the company took shelter
was the usual slight bamboo fence
with the sparse supply of light brush
growing beside it and to o%urextreme
left a rather fair-sized clump of ba-
ana and other trees. Here we found
ourselves under fire in good earnest,
being in plain sight Of the enemy,
who were on the cemetery ridge.
The sharp spat OF Mausers and zip
OF their bullets, with the louder re-
ports of the Remingtons and buzz of
their missiles, usually ~brass-coated,
UNDERWRITING but pleasant music to
our airs and induced yours truly to
display more real, honest affection
for Mother Earth than he had feltfor
many Il long day. l suppose most of
the lead flying In u vicinity was in
tended for men who were further to
the front, but a few were certainly
meant for us and our exclusive bene-
fit. To say that we were duly APP
preciative is probably a waste of
time and ink. We were In this corr
ner about 10 minutes, but at the time
1t seemed half a day, and only the
fact that the sun shOne all the time
prevented my thinking 1t was several
days. In the meantime Co. M crossed
our rear, going to the right, and dis
appeared in the brush beyond the
right hand fork of the road. Then
executing a left half turn they crossed
the wood into an open rice field
which lay between us and the foot OF
the ridge on which was the cemetery.
When next we learned Of their where.
abouts we found them about 20C
yards directly to our front. Their
location was reported to the cap.
tain, who ordered an advance and a
change of direction, planning to reach
the road and the open rice fields, lie
down, get our wind and makes rush
across the open into the field and
take shelter behind the shallow dikes
which %traversed the field and afford.
ed a little protection from the en-
emy's fire. The right OF the line
where | was of ourse bit the road
first, and over we went without a
stop. AS ii was useless to call ahalt
there the men continued their march,
and | remember helping to kick down
a fence on the other side Of the road,
where we halted under cover OF some
DTubD anu a ulht. lut It'll wing udu
considerable more ground to cover
but they were soon with the rest,
and then We could see the lay OF the
land clearly for the first time. Be
fore this all of our work had been
done in a country covered with tim
Der and dense underground Of vines
and brush, with occasional clearings
fenced with the usual bamboo pole.
or hedges OF the same and trailing
vines, which were far more impene
trable than our barbed wire at home
From this point we say in front oI
us the hilton the side and top o.
which Is San Lazarus cemetery-cov,
cred with trees and shrubbery grow.
ing among the graves, which fur
nished excellent shelter for the In,
surgents and from which position nc
American troops could have been
driven by four times their number
Ahead OF u.s., as / have already men,
toned, was Co. NJ to the right and
still in advance was Go. IL. Beyond