The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-18
Alvin M. Hill Writes Breezy
Letter to His Parents.
MAY STAY THERE AWHILE
Chasing the Rebels Is Not Such Fun as
One Might Fancy the
Grub Is Poor in Quality and
Deficient in Quantity.

citizens. A letter from an officer OF
the regiment received here a few days
ago stated that not more than 5 per
cent. of the Montanans cared to ex-
tend their Philippine experience. Al
vim M. Hill of Company I is evident
ly of the minority, for he writes an
interesting letter to his parents, in
which he states that he may remain
there, unless his health gives out. In
part the letter reads as follows:
Here we camped for the night. hav-
ing again to rustic our grub, also be-
ing pleasantly surprised by the gift
of about three hard tacks to the man,
which we considered quite a luxury.
Next morning we got one can of pre-
served broneho and 40 hard tacks to
the squad eight mem for breakfast,
and immediately after we started on
the advance. Here we got pinched out
again and We're compelled to fall INTO
the reserve on account of some swamp
country. The boys soon ran into the
niggers again, and killed three, while
five were wounded before we could get
properly into the front.
The natives always do their best
work at long range. They made
pretty good stand on the other side
Of a river, where they intended to Try
to hold a big railroad bridge. Ihey
had the finest kind of trenches, but
even with all their advantages, we
made them quit and 'yamoose.' Then
we fought them back from another
big railroad bridge, and camped fGr
the night just above the town of Bui-
guinto. Here the commissary, or
rather, the canteen car caught up to
US, and those of us who had money
got filled upon ginger ale, condensed
milk, blackberry jam and ginger snaps.
Here, also, they managed to give us
some rotten canned salmon that made
us all sick. We stayed here till about
8 p. M, and then moved across the
bridge and made an advance of about
four miles, when we ran into very
suspicious looking mess, having first
got lost and scattered in an impene-
trahle pineapple thicket, and q halt
was called. Lieutenant Foster and my
whole squad were detailed to go out
and scout the whole line of woods in
our vicinity, which was an extremely
dangerous piece of work, for we
knew the niggers were all around us
in trenches, and, to make things dou-
bly, pleasant, ! was suffering terribly
from cramps and did not dare drop
out of my squad, for fear Captain
Preston would say ! was afraid to go
ahead. On the following morning we
were started out expecting to be fired
upon the first thing, for we knew we
were only about three miles from
Malolos, the Philippine capital, where
we We're given to understand the
grand stand was to be made. We got
on nicely however. without being fired
upon until we got right on the out
skirts of Melolos, when a few insur-
gents that had been left to hold us in
check opened UP on us. Here the Sd
hat Df ha
fired about 20 Nolleys, advancing by
rushes meanwhile, and took Malolos,
General Otis flag being the first plant
ed on the public square. The combined
church and state house was set fire,
it being the finest building in the
place, but we were onto them too
quick for them to burn Congressional
hall, which still stands uninjured. and
at present is used as quarters by the
Utah artillery. When We first got into
Malolos we We're pretty dry and hun
cry, after a hot charge across the fiat,
and when we discovered a lot of CO.
eoanuts under house, you can well
them The se-called milk of the CO.
soanut is the best drinking water to
be found anywhere, and quenches
ones thirst splendidly. This sort of
fruit is very common in this coun-
", and the natives gather great guam
tiles OF them Wnen tuty are iApSs
tg the thick outside hull, which is
apout four inches thick, for fuel, ard
making kind of strong fiber.
1--WE rested first outside of Malelos
sr the remainder of the day we arrived
/ and the next, and then the follow
.ig day we, the third battalion, went
out on a scouting expedition to learn
what condition the railroad was in and
how strong the position was at the next
al a
miles above. We started early in the
morning, before we had time to cook
our breakfast, and after a long, cau-
tious advance, during which we We're
shot at by the enemys outposts con-
tinuaIly, we discovered that the niggers
were established in a very strong posi-
ton Just across the river, which was
about 100 yards or more in width, but
could not get anywhere that we could
see the town, so we decided to return
to camp. On the way back We picked
our way over the trails through the
rice swamps that seemed to be alive
with tame ducks; every little shack
seemed to have been the home for a
hundred or more, and by the time we
got back to camp the boys We're a sight
to behold. Every time we jumped
bunch of ducks, first one and then an
other would be taken out of the ranks,
fly after them, through mud and water,
and continue the chase until they had
all they could carry. I rushed after
big white goose that looked as big as
an ostrich, and about the time | was
approaching near enough to catch 1t
discovered the major was after it also.
Then there was sudden turn, fall, q
terrible conmotion in the mud. and the
major and I righted ourselves, each
holding the unfortunate goose. Says
the major: Who caught him first?
Well I said, 1 don't exactly know,
there was SO much confusion at the
time of the capture. But, as we both
have hold of It, l think we had better
toss up to decide the ownership,
THE toss up came fayorably for me,
but the major was presented with the
goose, as my squad had 28 ducks with
out it. We were all tired out when we
reached camp, but our hunger was Of
the greatest Importance, 50 we all
pitched in at picking the game and had
duck soup for supper. The next day
we rested again, and the following day