The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-08-15
DEE JAMES WRITES.
Tells of the soaisdiier's Life ON the Fir.
ing Line.
EXCITING TIMES
Where Bsaailetss siHs and Rebels are Thick.
est.-The Story Of q Night Attack
by the Enemy.
SAN FERNANDO. p. L.

A n 0AN u A0xNfASOOS i . L. 4 1
July 2, 1899.
MY DEAR MoTHER:-We have had
very little rain today and as the insur-
gents have been quiet it has been quite
Night before last while our company /
was on out post the Filipino rag-tag
army got q little too close for comfort
and quite a little scrap vas started
about IL p. NJ. 1t was very dark and
the fire which was quite heavy lasted
for an hour OF so. We had one man
slightly wounded while the 18th U. $.
Infantry to our left had one man killed
and the 18th had two men wounded;
they were over to the left of the 18th.
We do not know the insurgent loss for
our men did not make any advance.
Our men used the new Krag Jorgen-
sen rifle for the first time and say they
are the only gun. The old Springfield
does the most effective work at short
range but the Krag will shoot about a
mile farther and the niggers must have
been surprised when they came in front
of the Iowa posts to find that we could
shoot so much farther and faster.
The Iowa is the only volunteer regi-
ment on the lines now and all the
regulars have the highest praise for us
for they know that wherever the Iowa
boys are that part of the line is safe.
We are quite proud of our record and
standing among the troops here so you
must not blame me if 1 speak Of it
often.
Orders are very strict on out post
duty, not being allowed to shoot unless
the niggers start it; and as we have
been expecting a fight for some time
and there being many more niggers in
front of us than usual and more coming
all the time you can imagine the strain
one is under with such orders on post.
The boys waited all day wishing for
the fight to start as anything would be
better than that anxious something
with their nerves all strung up expect
ing they did not know what.
A sergeant from the 18th came over
and said to one of our lieutenants, 81
wish you would start the fight as our
boys are very nervous and we dare not
shoot for we would besined while they
would not do anything to you" .sWell
if 1 can start the thing will'' said the
lieutenant aud he went far out in front
and stood on a big ant hill inviting
the Filipino fire. III stood there until
be was tired and they would not shoot
for they were not ready. He gave ii
up as a bad job and came back.
Well, when it did come so welcome
was the break Of that awful strain that
when they fred their first volley the
kboys ducked down in the trench and
every man began to whistle or hum
GONE little tune.
When the first Filipino shots went
over the boys arose and poured such a
fire into the niggers from their new
guns as they never got before. After
that their fire was considerably lighter
while our boys continued to pour in
their awful fire and they soon cleaned
the field for two miles back. Every
time they fired a volly there in the darl
the niggers would yell like fiends 81
they must have got some Of them.
My usual time for getting up in thu
morning now is three O'Clock, then
awake the cooks and breakfast is ready
alta. m. and the company all ready
for an early fight should one start.
There have been several fights whel
the insurgents bullets came clear init
quarters over a mile from the lines ant
it is something amusing to see the boy
who are off duty jump around and tr.
to find q safe place for you never know
where a bullet is going to light but yo1
can hear them sing then spat, and yol
know they have struck somewher
close.
Many Of our companys have Amer