The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-14

against surprise. If they had only left
US go for one hundred yards more they
could have cut us all up. We were not
expecting them in such large numbers,
and it took US by surprise when they fired
on us not over one hundred yards distant.
It rather unnerved the boys for moment,
but We all dropped to the ground and
commenced firing, and the way those
Mauser bullets cut the earth and twigs
around US was not pleasant 10 listen to.
We gave shot for shot and darkness closed
the scene with the F'ilipinos still in posses
sion of the trenches. We lay in an open
rice field not a hundred yards off. They
had their breast works protected with barb
wire twisted in every imaginable shape
and it was very difficult for us to get at
them. We lay on our arms all night and
at dawn we went at them and we soon
had them retreating toward the town Of
Martina. which we took later on, and by
noon we had attacked the insurgents al
the water works and with the aid OF the
Nebraska and Utah boys we soon gave
them all the fight they wanted. They left
hundreds of their dead in block houses
and were routed and badly beaten. We re-
glueers. They have often tried TO re-
capture It, but were always repulsed. On
the night Of the sth they attacked our
right at Malate and after the hardest fight
ing by the Fourteenth infantry and the
Washington boys. assisted by two Of
Dewev's gunboats. they were driven back
with about ] 200 killed and 400 captured.
Tho fight was almost a hand-to-hand fight
and it cost over hundred good American
lives. and that IS something that We can
hardly spare, for our forces are so weak
we cannot maintain our present lines. We
reached the climax on the 10Th Of Febru-
ary Instead of them attacking Us, we
went out to attack them. They were not
hard 70 find. for they lay just outside the
Twentieth Kansas line At a town called
Calcocan and that was the greatest battle
fought during tbs entire war. The troops
engaged we're the Twentieth Kansas. Ida
hoes First washington. Sixth and Third
artillery, part OF the Utah battery. one
battalion. the firet Of the Twenty-third in
fantry chat battalion Is ours ard one
Of Dewey's battIeshiuS, the monitor Non
terey. As NE marched by the Kansas boys
20 take up a position OF their LEI; We got
cheer after Cnenr. our position as a aFtfl
one. for We were IN mud and water nearly
up % our waists and We were the toughest
looking lot 81 soldiers you ever saw. Bus
we had hardly got our position when the
order came 10 advance, but al the tine
Dewey was firing over our heads a. 4 block
house and church ABOUT three miles Dis
tant. while on re rlgat and center q their
lines the sixth and Third artillery we're
sheIliug tre Fllip.uos eEtreuchnslts-- Coz
onel Funston and General Hale gave the
order 70 advance and then 3 Ire o. men
two miles long advanced IN good order.
firing Is they went. They so5n drove n
the fusu-Eert pickets and after ABOUT
thi-ty Minutes fighting they struck tas
main body behiad entveachnszss- Taey
checked the Kansas ard Idaao boss ~
minute Tor tae order came 70 charge.
and the way ta9se kansas and Idaaoes
and MortazaRs E1uEaS Eould make airy
American proud 20 see then- Taey kii.e1
e.Eht hundred FT.splzos and II telling a9E
many taey wcuns5e5, hut shsy soon hsd
cazm routed from thelr Stronghold TaeT
burned the toRru q Cosooeaa ard hundreds
- xeu1ses soldle-s- - thsy retrez1ea
Ire Americans fo.ESEsd t1ez2 -zE1 1zEk