New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-30
GRIM HUMOR OF BATTLE.
THE 1GoRoTTEs' ATTACK ON THE WAR
SHIP MONADNOCK.

Sergeant King, in The Minneapolis Messenger
War at best is hell After the thin veil Of
glamour frenzy and glory is drawn aside there
is nothing left save the bleaching skeletons and
the desolate homes. In battle there Is the
screech OF shells and the dull report of their
explosion. the thunder OF field pieces sending
pounds OF solid steel toward an enemy; there Ia
the rattle Of small arms like the roll of distant
drums. the binding smoke, the singing of Maui
sers and the hum of Remingtons; there is the
chatter OF affrighted monkeys the seedlings of
parrots, the howls Of Sinking ours. and them in
the wake OF the victors arise the smoke and
flame of burning huts Add to this pandemoni-
UNI the hoarse yells OF the conbatants. the cries
or homeless women and children the groans or
the wounded, the set faces OF the dead. and one
may have a faint conception OF small engage
ment in a tropic land.
During the first engagement, while the COM
pany was firing at will into the woods ahead
forlorn water buffalo. the national beast Of bur-
den. meandered into the ricefeld directly in front
OF the line. The writer Immediately directed
his fire toward the buffalo with no apparent re-
suit Afterward, during lull in the firing. We
shamefully confessed to having wasted our
strength in this ignoble manner, and were sur
prised to learn that every man had done like
wise. At all events. the beast made good It's es-
cape, for II patiently plodded ahead until the
timber swallowed IL up.
During the charge at Caloocan q frenzied
pig OF diminutive size dashed from beneath a
the connection was for his benefit. thought best
TO retire. AS the pig dashed past the writer we
gently assisted with shove from the butt or
our gun and thought no more OF IL for some
time. Afterward, upon glancng TO the rear, we
saw four or five soldiers In hot pursuit OF the
came poor little swine. 1t is laugha Die even in
times OF peace. to watch another man chase
hog, but when men forsake their places forget
the roar OF conflict the hum OF bullets. the
shouts Of the victors and the walls OF the
wounded. to grapple with an eight-pound shoat,
the scene becomes ludicrous in the extreme
We took the trouble to learn that the pig got
away
At night the natives take great delight in
holding love feasts, and the sound Of revelry is
very distinct The Filipinos are natural born
musicians, and their band entertains US with
such tunes as After the Ball., Hot Time.
Stand Up for Jesus" The Star Spangled Ban
ner' and Throw Out the Lifeline" 1t is mys-
tory where and when they learned these Ameri-
can melodies but the fact remains that they do
know them and render the same with remark
able accuracy. The Filipino has great contempt
for the Chinaman as a fighter. hence favorite
yell OF the insurgents is: Americana CHINO
agualw american and Chinaman equaD. This
sally always brings forth the heartest applause
from listening retels We were much amused
last night by one. Ready Aim! Fire" cried he,
and laughed loudly at his own wit. A few
nights since one OF our buglers played taps,
and Immediately some natives began the re
veille" intimating that no sooner would we be
in bed than we must Of necessity, arise.
most distressing accident befell boatload
OF Igorrotes not long since. Ii was In this
wise: The monitor Monadnock lies just of Mala-
bon and at night lights UP the whole country
exactly admire this method Of competing with
the SUM- so bethought themselves Of a plan to
CAPTURE the floating fort. Accordingly a large
rowboat was procured and speedily filled with
an aggregation OF these patriots. Having ap-
preached within a hundred yards the barbarians
discharged a volley OF steel-tipped arrows and
waited patiently in the hope OF seeing the ship
sink The Monadnock discharged three-inch
gun in return So far, three arms, two wisdom
teeth parts Of four legs and a piece or wood
have been recovered. 1t is feared that some OF
the natives killed.
At Caloocan the rebels had mounted two
monstrous muzzle loading guns captured In for
mer time from the Spanish. They attempted to
fire one of these with direful results. The
Americans collected the remains or twenty
rebels killed by the explosion OF the gun. The
insurgents had not the courage to fire the re-
naming cannon which was loaded and primed
when Caloocan was captured. The natives had
loaded the gun with complete curiosity shop.
The cannon was filled with scissors knives, coal.
pieces Of brick. nails, bolts. Thermometer,
horseshoe a car link, piece OF rubber hose,
and to crown all large quantity OF hoop iron
had been driven into the muzze so tightly that
Il was necessary TO file II before the charge
could be drawn. double dose OF powder was
found and also a quantity or dynamite. NO
wonder the other cannon exploded.
Re IL remembered that NJ is the color COM
pany and as such received more attention than
the other commands. Before the battle or Ca
loocan Colonel Funston rode up TO the colors
with the remark: Remember, boys, that wnen
The colors fall you supposed 70 be dead
'"rhat is the way / understand It, said John
stoutIy You'll do" replied the colonel. as he
rode down the line. And John did DO. during
the battle the colors were struck four times and
the stan twice a Mauser bullet grazed Johns
cheek and still the colors foated. and by their
presence melted the boys to do miracles