The Redwood gazette., 1899-06-07
THE REDWOOD GAZETTE.
ADVANCE TO SANTA CRUZ.
How the Natives Flee Before the
Steel of American Troops.

Steel of American Troops.
Private T. w. Andrews of Co. G,
l4th o. S. Infantry under date OF
April 10th, writes an interesting
letter to his mother and sister re-
siding near Morton, from which we
are permitted to make the following
excerpts:
| will write few lines this after
noon as may not have the time or
opportunity again soon. / have not
received any mail since l last wrote
to you. The mail steamer has long
been over due. Suppose it has en-
countered bad weather somewhere.
We are in quarters at present and
hope we shall remain here for some
time to come. We were On the firing
line just two months and 15 days,
and [ can safely say that there was
no hour of the day or night but what
SoiliC SuOoUluS "Ao SoluS oi1, c1iio
the bullets would go singing and
cutting through the brush at a
merry rate. Before permitting us
TO return to quarters Gen. Overshine
sent us on an expedition up the
I4aguna de Bay. This is the lake
where the Pasig river takes its rise.
We left Pasae, our place on the
line, on April oth and marched to
San Pedro, Meati, on the Pasig, ar
irving there about dark. At this
place the river was almost blockad
ed with cascos, which were used
for our transportation. A casco re-
sembles an ordinary coal barge with
the exception that about three
fourths of it's weight and bulk
develops into rudder The whole
command. consisting of the Idaho s,
North Dakota's and 18th U. S. In
fantrv, were hustled aboard and the
circus began. There were steam
tugs and swearing captains galore.
Also, the usual number of Yankee
wags, which one materially finds in
collection of two thousand men
The first thing that happened was
cargo of artillery horses got loose
and drifted straight for the officers
launch and succeeded in striking il
about midship For short time
the privates enjoyed the spectacle
OF seeing generals, newspaper men
and fat doctors vieing with each
other in cooning up the rigging.
After an all nights trip we
reached the lake and were taken in
tow by gun boat for the balance OF
the voyage. The trip up the lake
was fine one Beautiful scenery
and as grand mountain views as one
would see in the Rockies or Gas
cades. One striking popularity Of
the mountains seen here is that they
are covered with a luxuriant growth
of vegetation from base to peak. AT
2p m the gun boat which was tow
ing our barge stood in towards &
small promontory which was cleal
of trees and jungle underground
and let go her two forward guns
and for quarter of an hour Oul
landing place was shelled. Abou
a mile away, over in the edge OF the
timber. natives could be seen hurry
ing and scurrying about collecting
their stock, of which they had ;
considerable amount. When ou1
harges had drifted within about on,
hundred feet of the shoal there wa:
general scramble to see who shoult
be ashore first. Some of the shorte
ones found difficulty in touchin.
bottom, but over they went jus
the same. The hospital ant
signal corps had their color.
lving about as soon as any one.
After all the troops were landet
we were drawn up in battle from
and started for the timber, our Oh
jective point being Santa Cruz,
town of considerable size, about tw'
miles farther up the lake shore
Just as the sun was setting, the 4tl