The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-09-09


the spnniards-Duplicity of Servants
Women Not Handsome but Have Good
Figures.
The following graphic letter from the
Scene of conflict in the Philippine
islands, received by a friend in this
city, is from former New Havener,
a graduate of Yale academic and of the
New York Law School,. and who is a
grandson of the late Caleb S. Maltby,
who was one of the most famous of
New Ravens mllionaires of years ago,
Lieut.. Copp being the son Of of Col.
VIM. A. Copp, of civil war note, grad
uate of Yale and now New York law
yer, who married Miss Emma, daughter
of the late Mr. Maltby Mr.. Maltby
built and resided for years in the fine
house on Howe street now the residence
OF New Haven's mayor, G. T. Driscoll
Lieut.. Copp was q member of the ia
NOUS 18th regiment of New York. He
had the distinction Of being among the
three or four who passed highest in the
examinations out of 200 applicants for
commissions for service in the army at
the breaking out of the war with SPAIN
and received an appointment as lieu
tenant in the 9th U. S. Artillery His
command was stationed al Tampa for
some time and later his regiment re-
ceived orders to go to Cuba and had
already embarked on transports to pro-
coed to Cuba when the war came to an
end and they were ordered back Later
he was on duty in Washington and had
nf 10 oSr Cf sol OF tl,,a
funeral of Gen. Garcia, the Cuban pat
riot. He is now in the Philippines in
command of the troops on a transport
which with several cascoes laden with
troops patrols the borders of a large
lake ITS miles In circumference, dispers-
; ing Philippine bands Of soldiers and
marauders and doing as the letter APP
pended shows, some very effective as
well as exciting work in behalf of the
old flag in territory where he is serving.
The letter of Lieut.. Copp follows:
On Board Gunboat Napidan, Laguna
de Bay, July IA, 1S99.--On the 10th we
had hard fight, after driving the in
surgents out of the town. the Cavalry
got into a position where we could not
see them. l went ashore with six men
to find Capt. MacGrath who was in
command of the expedition and learn
where he intended to go, and what he
wished me to do. 1t took me three
quarters of an hour to overtake him
as he was constantly firing and ed
vancing. There were about 1000 insur-
gents in front. We were under fire al
most all the way. The bullets splashing
in the water and mud all around us
Remember we were walking all the
time through the rice fields, which at
this time of year are all more or less
under water and nothing but mass of
mud. Soon the bullets began to whistle
around us as we got nearer the firing
line. Finally, to make a long story
short, l came up with MacGrath. He
was feeling the strength of the enemy.
He would give command, cease firing
and then we would go on for about so
yards at walk, it being impossible to
run: then the men would again lie
down and begin rapid firing at will,
All of the officers stood up behind the
line. The enemy all the time pouring
in a perfect fusilade, most of which
went high, however They kept strik-
ing all around us, too. The men were
pretty WE'LL projected as the rice fields
are about so yards long and are divided
by little ridges, or 10 inches high
called paddles. The men always halted
and laid down behind these, the officers
had no protection at all except their
luck. think we must be all lucky lot.
I saw three of our men bowled over
while I was there The doctor says they
will all pull through. l was there
about fifteen minutes; my men from the
ia ri oh i,,tn fi,,ir Epo
With the cavalry
When l got my orders | got my men
out of the line and started back l don't |
Know how many bullets gave me close
call, but l do know of two my hat was |
tied with a cord to my shirt; one bullet |
cut this cord My shoes both tired me
so that l took them off and slung them |
over my shoulder One of them was
struck. The rice fields are the worst |
places 1 ever saw to walk in; about . |
inches Of water and II of mud. If you |
try to walk on the paddles they are so |
slippery you are liable TO fall into the |
mud The ants are simply awful. AT |
one time while I was discussing the sit
uation with Capt. MacGrath he said: |
"You are too close to me, Mr.. Copp; |
stand further off" l did So and bull |
let struck right between us, splashing |
both. The men are never supposed to
get within four yards Of each other, if |
they do they are liable to get hurt.
One of the first things the cavalry
found on landing was an enemy in the
trench with the top of his head taken
off by one of my six FOUNDER shells,
and a Remington loaded and cooked in
his left hand and another shell in his
right. The others did not even have
time to take his gun. Among the other
dead strange to relate, was a Spanish
officer of high rank, in splendid uni
form,
An odd trait in the character of the
natives is that they never leave one of
their dead if they can possibly get him
away They leave more now than they
used TO, for this reason. formerly they
had at least five men for every gun, and
about all these men were good for was
to carry away the wounded and dead,
although they were all to a man armed
with boloe. These weapons were very
effective against the Spaniards, as the
bolo men apparently cared nothing for