The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1899-05-26
IN THE PHILIPPINES

we nave permission 70 publish
the following letter from Lieut.
Leon Caraway to his father, dated
at Ioilo March IL.
We thought we were going to have
good warm time on the night of the 18th.
The natives began massing on our right
front about 6 p. m. There was a large
force OF them, and we presumed they
would attempt to cross the river which
divides our lines and drive as back, thus
gaining entrance into the city
We strengthened our lines and waited
for the much expected attack all night
but not a Niger was loolhardy enough to
dare cross the dead line. The search
light of the gunboat Concord, of Uncle
George" Dewey's squadron, was chang
ing the darkness of night into the dazzling
brilliancy OF a Southern sunny day, and,
being thrown directly upon the rebel POI
sition All night, it was difficult for them
10 make on rather start movement with
out being seen, and being seen, they knew
that volley after volley from our trusty
"Long Toms" Springfield rifles would
be turned upon them.
700 and 900 to make the third battalion,
of a little over 200 men, abandon our pres
ent position, and judging from previous
scraps, / don't know whether Major Nc
CURE would order his men TO fall back
fighting or not, He is not much on the
'going back" business. am q little in
clined to think he would forget every COM
mand he knows except Forward, boys !;
come on"
We are anxious to get the natives into
pitched fight. We want to end the war
and then leave these swamps for home.
We are in less danger in an open engage
ment than fighting in the present "bush-
Whacking" way.
You may not understand this state
ment at first glance and without an ex-
planation and / will endeavor to give
you my reasons for it. The fighting so
far shows that the natives take very little
stock IN an aggressive warfare. They
prefer to build breastworks and wait to
| be driven out, and while this period of
waiting is in progress amuse themselves
with slipping down under coyer of trees
and shrubbery to our lines and firing
upon us. In an open fight the forces of
Uncle Sam wonld he hard to stop in a
charge upon any position held by them,
and as the natives are such poor marks
men not many of our boys would bite the
dust-that is, in comparison to the num-
Der of natives we would kill,
The firing line of our troops, Judging
from past engagements, are in the safest
part of the theatre of action insofar as the
natives shoot away over our heads. at q
distance Of 200 to 500 yards. 1t would
not take long for our troops to get within
this distance if the natives only had the
courage ohold their position, aud if they
ever do hold a position long enough for
us to get that close to their army it is ten
to one that when we get through the ar
gument the population of the Clover re.
gions',' will be substantially increased
and Uncle Sans flag will float in peace
upon this island forever and aye. On the
other hand, the natives may kill mum.
Der of our men by this slipping up pro,
cess. am glad to say that not one has
been touched up to the 14th of this month
In fact only two have been killed and two
4 wounded in the entire campaign in this
island. and all these from the Eighteenth
Infantry. Tits indeed strange and mos
XIII
ed, and stranger that no Tennessean has
felt the sting OF bullet. I know they
have felt everything else but the sting
The third battalion has been holding
our present lines since February Is, be-
lieve, and during that time have been I'M
der fire from the natives every day. Some
days the firing is extremely heavy, others
the opposite. This gives them a chance
to bring their bushWhacking mode O
fighting into full play.
i You naturally ask, why don't you gC
Il after them and stop this foolishness il
short order? We answer, because Gen
eral Otis at Manila will not permit Gen
eral Miller to extend his line any further
| than is necessary to hold the city of Iloio
and as we have only two regiments here
and those two regiments now holding ev
1 cry inch they can, and as we would nee
essarily be compelled to cover and holC
more territory (thereby frightening ou
lines. which calls for more troops) if W.
drove the natives back, and for these rea
; sons General Miller has refused to Civ
Major Mcclure orders to cross the Jar,
River, on the very banks of which we nov
defend our lines. And we must conten
ourselves with our present position, an,
indulge the hope that the natives will
continue to shoot high.
Thus you see my reason for the state
ment that we are safer in an open pitche,
battle than fighting ga la Filipino" T
be firmly convinced it is necessary to tax
, short trip with the major and mysel
, along our lines up and down this blame
river. / think I have been shot, but ca
not find any perforation in my anatom
/ to substantiate it. have fortified nun
Der of our posts with sand bags, and Fol
) Caraway Nos. and now afford protet
ton to our brave boys. You will see b
the envelope that encloses this that Pr
: yate Hardacre, of Company X, this ba
tallion, and an artist of no mean ability
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