The Philipsburg mail., 1899-05-12
A MONTANA VOLUNTEER
He Writes From the Battlefield Of CaIoocan TO
Granite Friend.
SAYS 1T is A FINE COUNTRY
Excellent Treatment Accorded Our Soldiers
in the Philippines-Frozen Austria
liam Beef Served Every Day.
Many Exciting Battles.

IUo 1OllOWluS letteT Has Uceu re-
ceived by Mr. John Mitchell, of Gran
ite, from his friend, E. w. Harvey, a
member of Company F, First Montana
Infantry, now stationed in the Phil
ippine islands, where the boys in blue
are engaged in teaching the Tagalos
how to respect the American flag. Mr..
Harvey joined the Montana volunteers
at Anaconda, and his letter will be
read with interest by all who have
been watching the progress of the war
in our new possessions. Following is
the letter:
Caloocan, P. l., Mar. %, 1899. Dear
Friend Jack: have been endeavoring
to write to you for quite Il while, but
as writing material is very scarce out
here, on the firing line, had to put it
off. We have been entirely out OF CIV
iliZation since the war began. We
thought we would not be in it after
the Spaniards had been licked, but af
ter being i'll Cavite and Manila for
some time we could easily guess what
was coming. And when hOstilities
actually broke out l was not at all
surprised. On the 4th of February,
between and 10 o'clock at night,
there was wild excitement around Ma
Mia, and company after company was
lined up and marched away-double
time. We heard shooting out towards
the outpost (easD. 1t spread rapidly
towards the north till every outpost
around the city was engaged. Our
company could not go out, as we were
detailed to stay in quarters, in case of
an outbreak in town. This went on
all night, and all we could do was to
sit and listen to the rattle of musketry
and the loud boom of artillery aud
guns from Dewey's fleet
However, at day break, + company
was marched out to the firing line
to take part. The Utah battery was
busy shelling the woods in front of ~.
Our captain was sent out with a part
of the company, to recOnoiter. was
with the detail that had charge OF the
commissary, and was not in the most
active part of the scrap till the night
of the 9th, when we went into the
trenches. The Filipinos made an at
tack on US that lasted all night. The
| woods came down in front of US pretty
close to our line, giving them plenty
of shelter We sent volley after vol
ley crashing into those woods. From
8 O'Clock that night they did not let
up until daylight in the morning. My
shoulder was sore from shooting, and
I was cramped from laying in the rife
pit. Sleep-why, l hadn't slept since
the war began you see, l was green
at the business then. On the afternoon
of the 10th we began with heavy
cannonade and Dewey shelled the
country IN front of u.s. AS soon as
the artillery ceased firing, the natives
opened with a heavy fire on our
trenches. Thousands of bullets seemed
to be singing over our heads. We gave
them three volleys and then jumped
out Of the trenches and started after
them. The direction was north, along
the railroad track, to Caloocan-about
four miles AS we climbed over the
trenches. everybody put down his head
and went like tho very devil, like you
would go through hail storm. Down
inclines, up again, through gulches
and thick brush, across the railroad
track and back again. and on to the
enemy's trenches. Every hundred wards
or so we would lay down and fire
couple of yolleys, ana then get up and
go again. The enemy kept falling
back to other Notifications and sue.
ceeded in keeping us under heavy
fire for two. thirds of the way. When
we caught sight of them, the boys
mingled wild war-whoops with their
yolleys and went after them at a gal.
lop. There were lots Of Filipinos left
dead (good) ON the field.
We passed through Caloocan, and it
was all in flames. Everything was on
fire except a few car-sheds, the station,
and big church. Darkness prevented
us from going further. The town of
Malabon was just in front of. Next
day the troops were Strengthened out
and we began to intrench, as we would
have long wait for the troops that
were on the way from San Francisco
and New York.
We have been right here since the
10th of February. The Filipinos make
an attack on us about every other day,
and between times their sharp shooters
keep pecking away at us night and
day. Once in awhile they fire few
shells over our heads.
We have very long line-nearly 20
miles. We can hear battles raging
along some part of the line every day
or SO. Dewey's big search lights help
US d lOC aV ulbut Wneu we are on the
outpost.
The "insurrectos" tried to burn Ma.
nila, and at the same time they turned
it into battle field. Everything is
quiet in town at present, and many
prisoners were taken. We can see big
fires in different parts of the country
every night. as some town or village
goes up in smoke. What the Ameri-
cans don't burn the Filipinos do-so it
is all the same. There have been eight
men killed and nearly sixty wounded
in our regiment. The captain and
second lieutenant and two others were
wounded out OF our campany.