Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-04-07

our left, across the river, and the first
order was in consequence of dozen
scattering shots over in that direction.
Pretty soon the firing increased until
it sounded like the small boy on the
Fourth who sets of three or four
| lunches of fire crackers at once. We
could see nothing OF the fighting on
account of the trees and buildings,
but we could hear it all. Presently
there was flash and second later
came the roar Of one OF the larger
guns, and then another. The remain
der of our regiment was out by this
time, and in the line OF skirmishers
behind the dikes which cross the fields
in every direction. Our sentrles had
been called in at the beginning of the
firing but the insurgents kept their
sentry on the bridge; in fact he was
found there Sunday morning riddled
with bullets.
"Our Co. A was to the right Of the
bridge, and was exposed to the flank
fire from the bridge, until we cleared
it from the blockhouse. They were
also exposed to direct fire from the
insurgent line in front, not over so
yards away.
"Prior to this, there had been II
scattering fire in our front, to which
we were not permitted to reply until
about $3.50 o'clock Sunday morning.
Col. Wholley, who was at the block
house, sang out: 'On the left wing
fire three volleys,' and instantly, with
out waiting for the order, Commence
firing" there was yolley on the left
followed by one on the right with i'm
mediate replies by the Filipinos. Fl.
nally orders were given us to fire at
the bridge and clear that. Then our
fun began! Whenever we saw a flash
from the insurgent lines, Lieutenant
Gormley would say: Everybody now
at that flash! Ready! Aim" And
then, when that flash appeared again,
Fire! and usually that flash did not
appear again. 1t is the almost uni
versal opinion that the firing from the
blockhouse was all that saved Co. A
from annihilation. The volleys were
rs regular as clock-work. there being
no scattering shots, and during the
whole time there was not a q man
who showed the least nervousness or
excitement. The boys loaded and
fred just as they do ut drill except
that they seemed to be trife more
willing.
"Soon daylight began to appear and
we could then get a better sight at the
target, although the smoke was so
thick that it was very troublesome. l
was lying next the ground in the grass
and the smoke looked as though it was
coming up through the grass. We
soon saw figures moving behind a row
of trees lining the driveway to the
house of the Norwegian consul, that
was just in our front. The consul and
his family were there during the en-.
tire fight, unable to get out. Some OF
the insurgent soldiers got inside the
yard and shot from the top of the wall
and we then completely riddled the
top story of the building. There was
not whole piece of furniture left.
The driveway from the Santa Ana
road to the house is raised about three
feet from the level of the fields and is
flanked on either side by trees, max
ing an excellent breastwork for the
enemy. Our fire was soon directed at
this driveway with the result that
after the first three or four volleys,
the Filipinos could be seen running as
fast as their legs could carry them.
We afterwards found about twenty of
them behind the driveway About
this time, other companies came up
and took positions to the right of Co.
A, the California men and the Idahos
coming up and firing from about 800
yards back of our line, then gradually
veering to the right and coming up on
a line with our regiment. We in the
blockhouse, were ordered to join Lieut..
Moss with the rest of Co. B, who had
just taken position at the bridge and
were firing down the road. While we
were here, the insurgents evidently re-
ceived some reinforcements, as the re.
turn fire was considerably hotter and
the Mauser bullets first became no
ticeable, the firing hitherto coming
from their Remingtons. A Mauser
bullet is easily told by the quick re-
port it makes when passing just over
head, sounding like the lash of whip.
"While we were at the blockhouse,
a shell from the insurgent battery
passed to the right of us and struck q
hundred yards or less further on.
Gee! You ought to have seen the
men behind the blockhouse dodge! A
man may not dodge a brick bat, nor
duck his head when a bullet zips past,
but when screaming, unsympathetic
shell comes in his direction, with
murder in its cold heart, he will make
some demonstration of disapproval; !;
anyway, the first time. A few minutes
later, / went across the road to the
hydrant to run some water through
my gun and another went roaring just
over my head, SO close that if it had
been a very few feet lower this truth.