Fergus County argus., 1899-05-24
Story Of the Experiences Of Co.
| at Caloocan and Later.
Lieut. Croft Relates Some Of the Incl
dents as Seen by Him>>>>Sergt
Cheadle Won Distinction.
MANILA, 2. l., March IL, 1899.
REV. ALBERT PFAUs,
IewistOwn MINT


edge the receipt of the collars, pho
tos, both your letters-one from
Frisco and one from Helena-and
your kindness in attending to vari-
GUS and sundry matters for me, as
well as your comments on the Fill
pino bandboxes. etc.
Well, you probably know as much
about the situation here as | do, hut
hardly think you will hear much OF
the exploits and fortunes, good or
bad, OF Co. /, First Montana, thro
the press.
The trouble seems to have been un-
avoidable on the part of our govern
ment, and suppose the recent easy
successes of the insurgents them
selves and of the Americans over the
Spaniards may have encouraged the
native contingent to "try us whirl," )"
with the outcome that you already
know. The net result, 40 far as the
First Montana regiment is concerned,
is 80 casualties. Seven of our men
are dead, including one oflicer-Lieut.
French, of Co. Land the remainder
received wounds some of which are
quite serious. Lieut.. Col. Wallace
and Capt. Hill, of Co. +, were both
shot ON the afternoon of Feb. 10, and
are doing nicely. Col. Wallace is well
enough to attend to Office work, but
Capt. Hill, who was hurt more Sc
verely, will he long time in the hos
pital. Co. i took the brunt Of 1t in
both the scraps. don't know
whether you were ever out at the
outpost where our regiment was
stationed, but it seems to me you
must have been. 1t was out just be-
yond the laper hospital. The out
break came one night while our COM
pany was on duty there with Co. NJ.
None of our own officers were with
the company, they being under the
command of Capt. Hallahan. 1t is
uselessi.for me to attempt descrip-
tion of the fight, for I've not time or
you the patience to waste On it. But
after retiring to the country opposite
the hospital the companies took a
position there, and being reinforced
by the Utah artillery, kept the post
all night. Co. acted like veterans
and won high praise for the manner
in which they performed their duty,
notably Capt. Hallahan, who after
ward told me they were 1.-THE finest
boJy of men he ever saw" During
me evening Capt. Preston tried hard
to get permission to join the COM
pany, and at u late hour he and
Lieut.. Foster got away, leaving me
in quarters. The firing was pretty
heavy along .the entire line. but we
could. hear it more plainly from our
outpost than from anywhere else,
and, of course, we were more inter
ested in THAT direction. Sunday
morning, / having been sent to the
First battalion to ofiiciate as officer
of the guard, was agreeably sur
prised by the appearance of Lieut..
Foster, who was allowed to relieve
me so that l could get out and see
the "fun." arrived at the line about
10 a. M. finding the company at the
left of.the road. little beyond the
cemetery, where were posted three OF
the Utah gums 2-10-inch, like those
of the artillery In Cavite-from which
they were busy launching railroad
trains" thro the air in the direction
OF the .enemy. Those "trains" al
ways ended the journey with a col
lision which fairly shook the leaves
off the trees and drove theinsurgents
out Of hiding. This is a volunteer
battery and, we are told, the laugh
ingstock of the patriotic (?) citizens
of the section il halls from, and yet in
spite OF all il is the best battery here,
with no exception, and should have
as effectually silenced all ridicule by
its brilliant service since hostilities
began as it has the fire of the enemy.
You cannot imagine until you have
had the experience what thoroughly
exhilarating effect the sound of your
own battery has on yournerves after
long wait under the fire Of the
enemy. For my part, l felt like
shouting when heard the explosion
OF the gun. followed by that inde-
scribable rattle and rush of the shell
through the air, ending in a few sec
onds by the bursting of the shell
when 1t reached its mark. am not
sure but what / did shout, in fact,
think can recollect that did.
When l reached the company they
were in skirmishing order, reclining
at full length behind low dixie In a
rice field, with bamboo fence imme-
diately In front, and at distance of
about 300 yards lot OF brush and
timber and a few native houses. No
order to advance having been given,