Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-23
Second Battle OF La Iona
: Church, March Is, '99
AS Told BY II Member of this First
Montana Volunteers.

After the battle of Caloocan had beer
SO stubbornly fought and SO CALAMITY
Won by the second brigade of the second
DIVISION. Sth army corps, that body of
troops occupied the trenches around that
place forty-tWo days, compelled con-
SANITY to exercise the utmost vigilance,
blstered by the almost unbearable heat,
ana suffering severely from enforced in
activity, for one scarcely dared to leave
his quarters in the trenches for a visit to
friends in other companies near by lest
the daily attack should occur while his
Long Tom was several hundred yards
away. While very few men in any or
gfAlzalion are gluttonous for more. after
having passed through one or two lively
D8tties. all We're anxious for any change
from that perpetual strain brought on by
guarding day and night against the IN
siaught OF a semi-saVage enemy whose
unsuccessful efforts from day to day to
bseak through our thin lines were, like a
serial story, continued in our next" So
when on The afternoon of March Gath
the welcome order came for the First
montana to prepare to move to La Iona
chufch, tWo miles south of us. every man
was not only willing, but pleased to obey.
k~napsacks We're packed, blankets and
shelter tents rolled and strapped on,
cahteens filled.the impedimenta of the diff
ANsSH company kIlCl1eIS lO3QeO Tor
transportation OF cumbersome squeaking
bull carts" drawn by slow thoughtful
looking "caribou's" or water buffalo, a
liberal supply of extra ammunition given
out 10 each man. n we sat down to
wait Tor the arrival of the troops tina
were 10 relieve us. and the friendly shell
ter or night to conceal our movements
from he ever watchful enemy. Just after
had settled down the Twenty
E0c0nn inf IYr- ~, rolN :
the trenches we had quilt and we as
quietly marched out from them, our only
regrets at departing from the most I'M
enVlable position in which men were ever
placed, being for the many brave boys
VINO had met with wounds and death
while serving their country there.
The frst line of march was to the rail-
WaN station at Caloocan which was but
a few hundred yards distant. Arriving
there knapsacks We're piled up for ship
ment to Manila. for we were going on a
long hike" and conld not be burdened
with anything like extra clothing. Leav-
Ing a man from each company to guard
them. the line of march was taken up
again across the battle ground of caloo-
eau. 1T was over a rolling country of
terraced paddy Tice) fields. intersected by
deep cut Iavlnes and dark brushy coulees,
passing the camp of the Third artillery,
our right regiment of the brigade which
did not move from its position in the
trenches, and further down our former
fefi hand %neighbors the Twentieth Kan
sas who had proceeded us and were maxi
ing camp for the night. Going on still
further It passed to L Iona" the beau
t11el, Vlne-grown church on the h..l,
whore Montana's sons had so distinguish
ed themselves in the fierce battle of Feb
ruary 9th as to win the Warmest outspok-
en- commentator of Gen. Macarthur.
commanding the division. Here the
regiment occupied the trenches of the
Tenth Pennsylvania which had moved
further TO the right. The PENNSYLVANIA
outposts were relieved at once and those
OF the regiment not doing duty. after par
taking or a lunch of canned beef and
hard tack, retired for the night. Such an
agreeable change it was. Although
there We're trenches filled with the enc
my, directly in our front and not more
than eight hundred yards distant, they
We're well behaved n%eighbors and did not
fire a shot to disturb our peace of mind
the entire night: but we could hear orr
friends of the Twenty-second and the
Second Oregon having a reception" at
Caioocan. A corporal of the Twenty
second told me afterward at San Fer
nando that, that one night he passed in
our Old trenches at Caloocan, was the
most unpleasant he had aver experienced.
Inc following morning March 25th)
the regiment was astir two hours before
making the necessary prenara.
tions to join in the general advance.
Breakfast, which was a repetition of
supper with cups of coffee added. was
quietly eaten. canteens refilled, blankets
rolled and piled up. for they too were FRI
De left here. and all hands sat down for
the soothing influence of a smoke while
discussing the probable outcome of the
approaching battle. lust before dov
break the Fourth infantry marched in TO
occupy the trenche we We're leayi,o
These regulars We're equipped with long
range magazine rifles. of the most mod. !
ern make, while many of our cumher.
some We're as old as the men !
who bore them.
oil away. a faint ribbon of light apnear-
"a through the morning mist on the cast. !
I'm SKY: the shriIl voice of the lizard that
w English words cried to nc
rom the bamboo: the few native birds |
were twlttering softly in practice for the |
morning anthem to the Filipino emblem
liberty. fhe sum and nature was ahout
o proclaim that peace eigned once
more. when the report Of a single shot far
" on the right quickly dispelled the
Illusion. Instantly there followed an
.ther shot and another yet and then they
vent by VOlleys and at will. rafting like
he one roll on the drum. an indescrib-
Die sound increasing each instant in VOL
me and ~f1erceness. and then came a
hort, sharp harsh bark, louder and more
lcious than a Mauser volley. that old
IS the Nebraska with her one-pounder
vas moving out against the enemy. In
ront of Montana all was yet quiet, but
n the right South Dakota had Joined in.
field pieces We're throwing shrapnel
nd Pennsylvania's Tenth was going in
ow, Volley firing had practically ceas-
d, but the firing at will had become so
apid that it almost resembled one con-
inual volley, while the big field pieces
1ere sending in their "proclamations of
.eneYolent assimilation" with as much