Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-08-14
BATTLING FOR THE FLAG.
CORPORAL w. j. SCHMIDT DESCRIBES
A PHILIPPINE FIGHT.
In a letter to His Mother, Another Free
land Boy Tells of IA Fierce Engagement
That the Americans and Filipinos
Had on June 10.

land Boy Tells of "a Fierce Engagement
| That the Americans and Filipinos
Had ON June 10.
Manila, p. l., June Is, 1899.
| Dear Mother.-Since | wrote to you
last | have seen what we are enlisted
| for, but came through safely. thought
when the "ball" opened up on Saturday,
June 10, that | would take part in no
more grand marches" Company G.,
of the Twelfth, opened the game with
three or four volleys and then fell back
to their own position guarding the field
hospital on Guadeloup Ridge. The fol-
lowing took part in this battle, also the
one on Tuesday. south of Las Puias: l.
and M companies of the 18th, 18th,
14th, 21st, 22d, 9th 4th U. S. infantry;
4th cavalry; Battery d, 9th Heavy artil-
lery; Battery f, Light artillery, and one
troop of Nevada cavalry as infantry.
will try to give you rough sketch
miles of steady fighting along front
of four or five miles. We were on the
right wing and pushed ahead until we
had the "niggers" in the swamp, then
we got by the left flank march, and
changed our position to reserve oil
centre.
Here is where we suffered, no water,
nothing to eat and the heat something
dreadful. | am positive | passed over
300 men along the line who fell out
through the heat and exhaustion.
The battle commenced at about $40
a. IN. and lasted until 4.30 p. m., fight
ing and advancing all the time, wading
rivers, the waters of which we could
not drink because they were too near
the bay and very salty.
AT about A p. m. Of the same day M
company was detailed to guard the
Signal Corps, which we did, they
having run out of wire and were wait
ing for the Cinnamon to bring it up, and
in this way we were six hours back of
the reserve line.
The "ngger'' trenches were within
/ 900 yards of us, but we didn't know it
at the time. |, with a soldier and Il bull
cart, was sent over the field to gather
up the blankets aud ponchos which the
boys threw away, and found our com
pany's roll, which enclose. If you soak
it in water it will get soft. Then put it
between some papers and it will be all
right. | want to keep it as II relic.
The first division entered Parque on
Sunday, while l. and NJ, with the
second division, camped in Las Puas.
On Tuesday we had II fierce battle TAX
ing Bulacan. There was not much
marching to be done, but for three hours
and forty-fye minutes we were under a
fierce fire delivered by Aguinaldo's
body guard.
The Twelfth Lunetta regulars, the
First regular infantry and the Fifteenth
Lunetta Cracks" were there also, but
it was the Twelfth WE ran against.
They wore red breeches, the First wore
blue and the Fifteenth wore white with
stripes.
We'll, we wound their clock. l. and
M companies charged place and took a
seven-ton gun. One battalion of the
Twenty first refused to make the charge
which we made and lost only five men.
We advanced through an open rice field
for about 700 yards and then rushed up
to within twenty-five yards of their
trenches.
We would have taken the trenches on
the rush, but there was river which
we could not see, so we just stayed
there and poured such a hot fire over
the trenches that they could not put up
their heads to shoot.
The squad on the right of our com
pany took care of the big gun. 1t was
aimuzzle-loader and as soon as anybody
stepped up to load it he was shot. They
fired it only once during the fight.
OF course, other companies were hav-
ing their own time, | don't know any
thing about them. Battery L, Light ar
tillery, were on our right. They did
good work. Some marines were also
| landed.
There is little more to say. The Four
teenth flanked the ''niggers" and when
they saw they were tlanked they began
to run. | heard the killed and won nded
amounted to 700, and $500 prisoners
were taken. Anyway the field was full
of ''niggers."
| | don't see how our company lost so
| few men. For three-quarters of an