Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1899-04-21


me to report to Col. Smith in
command at Guadeloupe. !
reassembled my company and
went forward. Upon arriv-
ing at Guadeloupe | was or
dered to remain there. The
following morning about 6 a.
m. we heard firing in front,
and as Company c was then
the Only company ready, was
ordered out to find out the
strength and disposition of the
enemy. Advanced about one
mile and found them in great
numbers. We were immedi.
ately fired upon and returned
the fire. Company D now
came up and we deployed and
gave them such a reception as
they never got before. We
were only two companies
against at least one thousand
of them but we held our own
for several hours. The only
thing that saved us, l believe,
was the fact that we were in
thick brush and the enemy was
unable to see us and of course
did not know how weak we
were. We kept up a con-
slant, rapid fire, so much so,
that some of the boys had to
quit because their rifles got so
hot they could not hold them
any longer
About noon orders came to re-
treat to immediately in rear of the
where we remained for 56
hours under fire. 1t was an awful
strain ON US, as it was impossible
to get any sleep. At last on Feb.
Is, at 4:3O p. m, we were ordered
to retreat to San Pedro Macati.
After one hours rest we were
again on the move, en- route to our
present position, where we arrived
about 9 p. M, after having hunted
around for an hour or more to find
our place. We had to 60 to work
and build breastworks Immediate
ly after our arrival. Since then
we are having a comparatively
easy time of it. There is more or
less firing going on nearly all the
time. Insurgent sharpshOoters are
pecking away at us continually,
but they are such miserably bad
shots that we don't pay any atten-
ton to them. Idaho may well
feel proud of its sons. Since the
battle of Santa Ana there is moth.
ing too good for them. They are
considered the hardest fighters in
the Eighth army corps. While at
Guadeloupe one Of my boys told
me the following: He had been
up to the line where the Califor.
Mas were and there he overheard
one of them make this remark tC
his comrade. "Well those id
insurgents thought this morning
that they were tackling the Cali.
fornias again; instead Of that they
ran against those wild devils from
Idaho and got the everlasting STUFF
fing knocked out of Them" An
other made the remark: "Every
time one of those Idahos shoot,
there is another good niger il
heaven. The city of Manila il
having a hard time Of it. Fire
are of nightly occurrence. Thu
districts Of Paco, Santa Cruz, San
Polac and Binondo having suffered
the most. The insurgents are try
ing their best to burn down oul
quarters but SO far have been un
successful. Every native, man
woman or child, is a rebel. They
are the most treacherous people OF
the face of the earth. They vii
profess friendship, 'mucho amigo,
to your face and the first opportun
ity they get they will stick knit
into you. At San Pedro Macat
the troops were annoyed by sharp
shooters to such an extent tina
Col. Smith sent out . detachment
to burn down all native houses il
the vicinity in order to depriv
them OF shelter. After burning
number of houses the men came t
where there was an old man, gra,
haired and bent with age; he plead
ed with the men to spare his hous
as he was an old man and "much
amigo Americanos." So the boy
took pity ON him and left him an
his house alone. After their re
turn some sharpshooters got t
|pecking away at them again an
after considerable trouble they Il
Gated the source from whence tn
bullets came. A squad went on
and surrounded the old man
house and there they found hil
with Mauser rifle and lare