The Dickinson press., 1899-05-27

tops Of the mountains. After noon, the
I4th and ldahos captured a town below
%Pagsanghau, and established a ferry.
Wednesday, April 18th. Left town
down along the river to the ferry. It
river and marched through the town cap
tured the day before skirting the lake
through another town and on to another.
There we overlook the I4th and ldahos.
We halted a few minutes for dinner. Our
Co. mess wagon could not keep up over
the rough stony road; so we got no din
ncr.
After a few minutes rest, the N. D..
battalion went on ahead to take the town
of Paete. All along this part of the lake
the mountains rise from the waters edge.
The road runs along the lake at the base
of the mountain. We marched along this
road in column, and had not gone very
far, when a couple of shots from the gun
boat warned us that there was something
ahead. We were not 100 yards from the
enemy's intrenchments. In a few minutes
the mausers were cracking in every di-
rection. They seemed to be all around
us, on the mountain above ahead of us,
and down towards the lake. We could
not see ANYTHING of the enemy on account
Of the timber and heavy underground
which covers the side of the mountain.
We poured volleys up the side of the
mountain. The battery was sent for and
did some splendid work. The noise Of
firing reverberated along the mountain
side and was simply %deafening. 1t was
the fercest fire we have ever been under.
Those mausers have the wickedest kind
of a crack.
Our loss was; Corporal lsador Driscol,
Wagner p. w. Tompkins, Privt. A. C..
Aleman, of Co. &c" killed; Musician Geo.
Schneider, Co. 81" killed; Priv. Herbert
Files, Co. 81" wounded, the ball entering
his right breast and coming out behind
above the hip and Privt. August Hensel
Co. tx" wounded in leg. The four &C"
men were sharpshooters. The surviving
sharpshooter is Private Thomas Shetland.
He kept pumping at the niggers with his
Kraig. until alter the dead were carried
back. Some of the niggers were not 30
feet from our line; but they easily hid
themselves in the underbrush. We sent
a line up the mountain consisting of the
1st platoon of each of the four compa-
mics. Lieut.. Smith commanded the 1st
platoon of tx" Co. The mountain is
very steep and hard to climb. Our men
would fire, advance a few steps, fire
again and so on. The rest of us moved
along the road into the town. We had
the town just before dark, which was we'll
for us; we made a supper on some chick
ems we rustled; we had nothing else with
us. Every man was thoroughly exhaust
ed: we had marched nearly ten miles
over the rough mountain road. Part of
the time it rained and we did not have
time to eat. Then the fight in the even
ing. Some of our strong men had to fall
out and drop behind on the march. Those
who did not have to 60 on guard, slept in
the town church.
Thursday, April -. We passed a qui.
ct night and feel ever so much better to.
day. Skeen padded up from the town
below, in a canoe with some provisions
for us, which we needed very badly. La.
ter in the day the cascoes came up,
they brought up the dead and woun1ed
soldiers this morning, they were sent into
Manila.
Capt. Aud came out and took com
mand of the Co. this morning. Lieut..
Osborn went into Manila this p. m, he is
laid up with a sore foot.
Paete is a small native town situated
on the lake at the base of a mountain.
There is the yer present great stone
church, two or three rice mills and
some native houses. One mountain
stream runs down the mountain side
through the town and is used to run the
mills. Many of the houses have hemp
stored in them. Nearly every native
house in Luzon has a picture or statue of
Christ and some saints. Some of the
houses have what look like affairs. Even
in the mills saw pictures and images of
Christ and the virgin Mary. Every little
hamlet has a great stone church, which
must have taken years to build and cost
a fortune. They are all richly decorated
inside and have splendid affairs. They
have no pews or seats. | don't know
how they worship; the floors are generally
tile.
Saturday, April 18TH. We are still at
Paete waiting for orders. Gen. Otis sent
us congratulations and thanks for the re-
suit of our campaign. The message was
read to us last night at retreat. This
morning the gunboats bombarded the
town above us on the lake. This p. m
they threw shells over us, at some rebels
up on the mountain.
Lieut.. Gruschus, who has been bring
ing the captured launches down to the
lake, is back with us and again in com.
mand of his sharpshooters. Story Aud
is out of the hospital and back to quar-.
tiers. Bill Heiser is still there but getting
along all right. Harry Klinefelter is
working out at Corrigidor. l guess it is
a pretty good place out there.
All the men out here are we'll. We
hope to be back to Manila soon, for this
campaigning is hard work. l am going
to try to send this letter in tomorrow
Will write again soon and let you know
what we are doing. Yours truly.
FULTON BURNETT.