Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-03-31
OUR PHILIPPINE LETTER.
FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT,
Corporal Jesse II. Hampshire.
STORY OF THE BATTLE IN BARBER WAS WOUNDED

too, and volley from some of the other boys
sent the rest of the detachment back good
deal quicker than they came. Of course, the
deal was off then, and in less than two hours
the whole line Of outpost guards was attacked.
This is why the attack must have been plan
ned beforehand, as the line was over ten miles
long, ana it would have taken longer than that
for the insurgents to pass the word and form for
attack if not previously arranged for. Our
regiment heard the shooting and our men were
ready to "faltin" with 200 rounds of cartridges
before assembly blew, and we were on the road
to our out posts in very short time. We ar
rived at our guard house about 10 O'Clock p. IN.
The guards were then down the road about half
mile doing some good volley firing. The in
surgents don't fire by voley at all. They just
seem to blaze away, every fellow for himself,
although when you engage a large force of
them, it seems as If they shot by volleys some
times. BY the time we reached the guard
house the Mauser bullets were singing merry
tune, over our heads. You know Mauser
rifle shoots little ovel two miles. have since
discovered that man is in more danger about
a mile in the rear of, than on the friilg line.
The insurgents shoot very high. Our men
and our regiment shoot low, and do terrible
execution too. They shoot high enough too,
to catch sharp shooter in tree, when there
is one there. Well, our regiment went down
the railroad that Saturday night till we came to
our outposs, and there we got behind large
building, for while, till we could tell just
panies began to take up their position along the
line. Our company remained about where it
was, along that road, and has hoverered near
that road ever since, as it advanced This road,
believe, leads to Maoos, about 30 miles from
Mania. Saturday night, Feb 4th our COM
pany was pretty much divided up, for some
special detachments that were made. OF
course Col. Funston knew where to look for
good IN II you know. The first section of our
company under Lieutenant Craig was sent for
ward to relieve the guards on the firing line
who by this time had run out of ammunition,
they having only their belts full to start with
Pretty soon the third squad, under Corpl. Au
trim, was sent forward to reinforce them Then
another detachment of sixteen men under Sec
oud Lieutenant Ball, with Sergeant Barber,
was sent from our company to reinforce out
bock-house about three quarters of mile on The
lett, and the extreme left of our line, right OH
the beach | was destined to be with this de-
tachment. With the guards already there we
numbered some thirty mer and one officer.
We dld not get there any too soon, for we had
scarcely made our plans before the insurgents
attacked us quite fetcely This block k-house is
composed of stone and is about seven feet high
by thirty feet long and twenty feet wide We
had pretty hard fighting several times that
night but had no difficulty in holding our posi-
ton. This was the extreme left of the Ameri-
can lines, and the fight started OH the right
wing The insurgents harrassed us consider
able that night, but quick as it commenced
to get day commenced to see where the shots
came from, and to make our shots count You
can't see the flash of smokeless powder verv
far, so we could not locate the savaees, as thew
were supplied with it. After it became day-
light, there was not native that dared 10 show
his head within 900 yards, and that put them
back so far in the woods that they did not care
10 shoot much.
There was, however, sort of block house lust