Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1899-04-14
letter FROM manila
Otto Warner Tells Of the
Early Fighting with
the Filipinos.
HOT TINE FOR The 18th. RECT.
Fire and Mauser Bullets
make a Warm and Unpleas-
ant Combination.

The following interesting letter
was received by P. J. Vasaly, of The
Herald, from Otto Warner, formerly
Of Little Falls, now a private in Co.
NJ, 18th MINI. Inftry., at Manila:
MANILA, 2. l.
Feb. %, 1899
FRIEND PETER:-Have been thinking
OF writing to some one of the boys at the
Falls for some time but did not know
what ones might find there but finally
concluded you would be there and |
thought some OF my friends would like
to hear from me away here in the East.
enlisted June 18th and left Mime
apolis June 10th for "Frisco.' Had
delightful trip across to the coast and
spent my time in Frisco ia a delightful
way, except two weeks that had pneu-
monia. Lett there July Goth and had
nice voyage to Honolulu, H. | arriving
there Aug. +. Ii there is a paradise on
earth it is Honolulu and the people are
OF the best. Was there four days.
Alter trip don't care to makea gain
under the circumstances we arrived here
Aug. 3lst. and were all disappointed as
the battle took pl.ce on the 18th be-
tween the Americans and the Spanish
and the town had surrendered, 80 of
course we were under the suppression that
we had taken A. trip OF 10, 900 miles only
to te sent back. We were landed and
Our regiment was given the police work
in the city.
, We did police work, company drill,
regimental dress parade and other little
thing, that go to make up garrison
work for the soldier, till we were sick
aud tired OF Jh,s place and wanted to go
home: Things continued this way till
the latter part Of January and then the
natives began to get restless.
At last, unexpectedly almost, they
broke into open rebellion the night OF
Feb. 4th, and the call to arms was
sounded aud we hustled into our clothes
and marched out. Our regiment, of
course, had to stay in the ety, as they
were the military police. The first pla-
toon OF our company was stationed on
the bridge OF Spain to hold that III case
there was al uprising in the city.
About $3.50 a. H., as everything Was
quiet in the city, Captain wanted to
know how things were progressing at
the front, SO he picked two men to go
out. l happened to be one OF the lucky
two, the other, John Torker, by name,
from St. Cloud.
l cannot express to you my feelings
when | heard the first Mauser bullet
whistle by my ears. But We We're not
outside the city yet and they were only
stray balls. When we reached the firing
line it was Just coming daylight and the
natives had made a combined attack on
the left flank just as we got there. Talk
| about it being hot place! Well, there
is only one warmer. We lodged the
! first bullets all right but it was 40 use
trying to dodge them out there, 10 we
got behind the trenches and brought our
Springfelds into action. The firing
| lasted about one hour ard half and
then the natives withdrew. 1t was after
the firing ceased that we started back
to our command to repart but 1t was &c
a. IN. before we got back. We had to
| fight all the way coming back, as there
We're sharpsbooters and struggling nat.
ives all the Way that kept picking at us,
but they can't shoot rs good as an 8.
year-old boy in the States, or never
would be writing this.
The Tuesday following got permis.
sion from the captain and went TO the
front again. This time it was farther
out and everything in the city being
comparatively quiet, boys from my com.
pany began to sneak away and come
| oat till there. were ~ OF us out there.
We did little firing all day till p. N.
when the natives MADE another attack
/ We kept up heavy fire for about an
hour and then the natives began to fall
back. At that moment the word was
sent along the line to charge and we
did for about IL miles till the fire from
the Utah battery headed us off and cut
the niggers all to pieces. We got pos:
session OF a native village OF $50 or It's
huts which we burned. It was dark
when we got back to the trenches SO We
all stayed: all night except tour men who
retnrned' to quarters. The .rrst: Of sus
[dd picket duty all night and returned
next morning. When We gpv back the