The Dickinson press., 1899-06-24
Our Mania Letter.
AueoT, P. /, APRIL 28rH 1859

letter we received orders to return to
Manila. The trip back was very tedious
and the cascoes very crowded. During
the night ont of the N. D. men fell over
board, but easily climbed aboard again.
While. we were coming down the Pasig,
the launch that was towing us ran
aground andthe cascoesdrifted past draw
ing it further aground, and nearly upset.
ting it. We cut loose from the launch
and drifted down to San Pedro Macati,
where we, the North Dakotans, landed
taking our old position on the hill. Co.
K spent the night at San Pedro Macati
church, and went into quarters the next
morning. During the night it rained on
US sleeping outside and drove us to seek
shelter in the church but we are getting
used to rain. We were glad to get back to
quarters once more. 1t seemed like
home to us; VIC had been in the field
since Feb and the trip to the interior
had been hard on everyone. We had
been in quarters but "a hours when we
heard that the N. DIS were booked for
another expedition into the interior with
Gen. Lawton. .
None of US, at least in the End batta-
lion, were the least bit anxious to go, but
OF course that made no difference.
This expedition was to consist of the
22nd U. S. lnfy., 2 battalions of the ard
u S. lnfy, 3 troops Of the 4th cavalry,
the Ist N. ID. Infy. and a detachment of
artillery. VIZ had to leave the old l4th
lnfy. behind. This time we were going
out from the north line. We left quar-
tiers at 2 pm. Friday, April 81 and
marched through Manila, up the Escolta,
and out to Laloma church about 4 miles
away, where we met the rest of the ex-
petition and halted for the night. Co. X
had s. men in all under Lieut.. Smith, the
rest being sick or otherwise detained in
quarters. Capt. Aud and Lieut. Osborn
both were unable to go with US. We left
Laloma church next morning at 5 am.
with the N. DIS as an advance guard, our
objective point being Navaliches, a native
town lomiles away. We struck the niggcrs
before we were out very far and had a
skirmish with them; it was then a run
ming fight all the way into town. One
man in Co. b was shot through the breast
and quite a number overcome by heat.
There were eight or nine Co. K men over
come but they are all o K again. The
heat was pretty hard to stand. We
spent the rest of the day at Navaliches
and started out the next morning.
The next few days we made poor pro-
gress, we had to wait for the wagon train
and help pull the wagons and bull carts
up the hills. They had to build a road
as there was none, so it was slow work
and not very easy. Several of the water
buffalo died from the heat and the SOL
diers had to draw the carts to the camp.
ing place. We reached San Jose del
Monte Monday night, April "a, and left
there next morning. When we were out
a short distance w. H. Young, a scout,
who is with Co. K, shot a couple of insur-
gents who were sneaking around near us.
They were the only ones we saw that
day. They had captured the town after
sharp fight, l American wounded. The
Oregons burned the place as soon as it
was captured. We arrived here just af-
ter dark, Wednesday, the 25th, and found
the Thirteenth Minnesota and Oregons
here from Malolos. 1t rained like every
thing before we could, get supper that
night, and altogether it was very dis
agreeable. Yesterday we had a good
rest and a chance to clean up.
The enemy fired on some of US when
we were in. swimming, but did no dam
age. Young and 2 TX" men shot four of
the rebels while out on scout.
1t was hotter than ever yesterday.
saw three men carried past on ~litters.
They had tainted, overcome by the in
tense heat. Two of them were North
Dakota men.
Last night we had a hard thunder
storm, which drowned out nearly the
whole camp. 1t reminded me OF the
night before we left Fargo. The rainy
season is here. 1t has rained every day
since we started. and is raining now. We
expect to move again today. l believe
we are to advance against a town north
of here, Baling, May 4th. We left Augot
at 6 A. NJ. April 2oth, to take the town of
San Rafael, about six miles down the
river Rio Grande del Pampanga. The
Thirteenth Minnesota and Second Ore
gon went on one side of the river, and
two battalions of the Third United States
1nfy. and the N, D. lnfy. vent on the
other. The 18th Minnesota and and Ore
CONS entered the town without resistance,
but on our side of the river we had a
sharp fight, in which one officer, one man
of the Third, and man Of Co. |. N. D.
Infy., were wounded. The Second bat,
tilion was afterwards sent over to San
Rafael. We had to ford the streams, one
of them the Rio Grande del Pampanga,
which at that point is about waist deep
and has a very swift current. When we
arrived at the town we found the other
troops already there; SO we were not
needed and back we went again across
the river; then we ate a lunch and went
back to Augot. 1t had been a hard day
on us and we were very tired. At Augot
we found Lieut.. Osborn, who had com
out from Manila to join the company.
After this we had a DAYS rest while
waiting for a wagon train of provisions,
which was coming out to US. About 2
p. NJ, May lst, we left Augot, again 60
ing over the same road as we did on the
goth. We we're in the advance guard,
and came across the enemy at the same
place as we did on the goth. We de-
ployed and advanced in line of skir-
mishers. As soon as we came in the
open, the Insurgents fred on5us from the
woods beyond. We fired several yolleys
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