Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-08-17
LETTER FROM REV. KRELL
Good Letter From the Well Known
Preacher to Irving Eddy.
MANILA, Z. l. May 10, 1896

| dt Dan Rogue out post called Fort Rice"
by permission Of the officers, went to Malolo
to take pictures, and returned TO Manila, wher
permission was granted me to go to Genera
Lawton's Division near Santa Cruz; but at tn
same time our regimentlwas ordered to MalolOs
which then was Oh the firing line Of Major Gen
eral McArthur's Division. had to go to Ca
wife, then, In all haste. Our goods. that is ex
ira clothing, personal effects, mementoes, ETC.
had to be packed. The 1st Battalion being a
Cayite had the work to do. Details from tn,
four companies were appointed to store tn,
goods In very large room. Such large piles o
trunks, boxes, bundles, etc, never saw. Tn,
piles touched one another, each company
alone. Some were IL or IA feet high. One fel
low playfully remarked, 'They will need two
| large ships for the goods and one small one fol-
| the soldiers" We had prisoners to do the
work. One soldier with gun would have charge
Of six or more. When went to the prisoners
quarters TO get six Of them, twenty or more
offered themselves. They were glad to get out
| although they knew they had to work. never
| saw more willing workers. More than once
had to tell them to take their time. All day
Sunday, April 10, we were at work. We fin
isheG on Monday. That night we went to Ma
| Mia and on Tuesday we rejoined the regiment
at Malolos. The circumstances there were OF
| an exciting nature. There was considerable
| shooting at the out post at almost every hour
| night and day. Company X wad tented In its
| dog tents, one tent for two men. When these
| were set up they were fired upon by the enemy
This was the 10 OF April. On the q, Company
| X was having its turn at the Cossack out post
| That night we had hard rain. /, as corporal,
| and three men had our post out toward the en-
| envy three hundred yards. We tore of part
| OF one side OF native bamboo house. carried 1t
| out and prOpped 1t up for shelter for the man
| on guard. The two other reliefs and myself
moved our blankets from behind the rice dyke,
one foot high to a house and lay down under 1t.
After the rain took out the relief and was sit
| ting on the dyke when we heard commOtion
! in the road. What is that? on 1t Is some of
the Cinnamon coming with their OK carts" said
| one. doubted It, Well. 1t was not very long
after that when we heard several volleys fired,
| then rapid firing. 1t seemed so near that we
jumped down behind the dykes But as no bull
lets came our way we soon got up. We could
clearly distinguish the sound OF the Craig Jar
genson from that OF the Msuser, the native s
gun. We then knew that 1t was the cavalry
| that had gone out again on a scouting expedi-
| ''Nh' hh' We hhu lux illGO dH AHlDuSCdup, we
| greatly feared. 1t was but a short time till two
| came back as hard as their horses could run,
| for assistance. Our company could not 20 be-
| cause IL was on guard. Other companies soon
| came. The enemy was on three sides OF the
cavalry. Two men were killed outright and
| nVe were wounded We felt sad as they carried
one poor fellow on strercher, but sadder still
! as another was brought back lying across a
horse, who fell to the ground just after they
passed us. Another, with a terrible wound,
MS face CHASTITY pale, lying by the side OF the
road died soon after he was laid down Atsp
IN. we were relieved by company and went
back to camp. Soon we heard firing again.
1t increased. After 10 we were ordered to Fall
in" and we started out on what proved to be
our first campaign. Just before noon our COM
pany and all OF the third battalion were under
hre for several hundred yards. We had
to lie In the hot sun under fire for over an hour
The march out was long on9. because we were
sent around to flank the enemy They re-
treated. We found that they had been en-
| trenched in ravine, parallel with our lines
This could not be seen till we came o its banks
The enemy seeing us come formed their de.
Tense from their left flank, splendid natural
defense. but they did not have the courage to
stay in Is. We had no dinner and no supper I'M
til dark. We were in the suburbs OF Quinga
Our sharpshOoters were stationed In the steeple
OF the large church. Shots were exchanged by
| them and the enemy during the entire night
On Monday morning there was hard fighting by
| the Dakota and LIST Bat. Of the 51st, and heavy
cannonading by the artillery. How we loved to
hear the cannon roar! | never before appre-
clated 1t 80 much. How they cut the bamboo
trees and how they made the enemy ''gO!''
The enemy lost heavily. We, too, had losses
The enemy had been strongly entrenched on
| the other side OF a large river, the ''Bagbag,"
but were driven out We crossed 1t on a very
| narrow bamboo bridge, by passing over single
! file. 1t took several hours. Again our forces
advanced. They comprised the Nebraska LIST
Dakota and 5lst Iowa. The Dakota, here, got
| into hot engagement that lasted only short
| time. They lost several men, l think, seven
killed, and large number wounded The loss
| Of the enemy was very large. counted thirty
eight behind one trench, lying within three
| rods of one another. This battle is called BAL
| ling" The Nebraska regiment lost its Col
! Onel on Monday at Quinga.
The firing line now extended from the river
outward. The Nebraska regiment was on the left
| the right The 3rd Bat of the Iowa was held in
reserve for the lst and End. The lst and end
| got into sharp engagement The Bird was or
dered into the line Away they went pell-mell
| across the field, through the terrible heat.
| Some of the men were overcome with heat
That evening the left and center had another
| fight, our side losing seven killed and a large
number wounded The 5lst was to make flank
| and fhn.
| when the orderly's horse was killed and he
| failed to deliver the order. great opportunity
passed. Many saw 1t and were aching tol go.
| Again and again heard men say "Why don t
| they move around to the right" Some felt In.
| dgnant. The enemy lost heavily again and
| they retired to their trenches at Calumpit
Calumpit was the objective point Of the cam
paign. Both sides knew it. That night we
| slept on our rubber blankets, in rice field with
nothing over us. The dew wet our clothes
The ground had been tramped over by buffaloes
when it was wet and was covered with bumps
and holes. 1t was little bit the toughest bed
we had ever had How glad we were to get
that. We drank water that was so muddy that
| il spoon was filled with it you could not see
| the bottom. 1t was awful but we were glad to
get it, just so 1t wet our throats. We filled our
canteens with it. Had to. At l O'Clock a. m.
was on detail to so after food for breakfast
| The provision train was several miles away
We walked to the river. There we saw weird
| sight. There lay on stretchers seven dead
bodies, a large number Of wounded, a large
number Of guards, and troops asleep. The men
| who had to fall behind during the day were
| trying to find their various companies They
had buffalo cart with tools for digging
trenches, details for food trying to fipd provision
| train (of buffalo carts) etc. We had to undress
| Loo va onr clothes wade the river and I'm that