Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1899-08-11
LETTER FROM FRONT.
WALTER WILLIAMS DESCRIBES AN
ENGAGEMENT IN THE
PHILIPPINES.
He was i'm the Thick of the Fight Graphic
Account of the Movements of the Troops
the War.
the War.

Walter Williams, now enlisted in the
army writes the following interesting
account of battle in the PHILIPPINES:
Manila, H. l., June 10, 1S99.-Dear
Paren;s:-We have been fighting most
of the time. We were in the trenches
about five miles from Manila until
about week ago when we moved on
"Paranague" about three miles south OF
where we were entrenched. There was
not much fighting but the bullets
buZZed over our heads pretty lively.
We took the town with loss of five or
six mer. We marched OH through the
town, out on the other side and our
company was sent back to Manila to do
garrison duty in an old fort.
Last Tuesday, | never heard so much
shooting. They had one of the hardest
battles that has ever been fought on the
islands. will tell you what l can
about 1t. About five O'Clock two COM
panies of the 2lst Regulars moved out
posts, and then on towards the town of
Talaba. When they were coming
through the brush towards us they run
in contact with great many native
women headed by two plen carrying
white flags They claimed to be friends
of the Americans but proved to be
enemies. When they neared the bridge
that crossed the Zaporte river the in
surgents opened a hot fire on the two
companies from their trenches on the
opposite side of the river. The enemy
had eight smooth bore guns which they
used at long range but the boys steadily
advance until they were within range
when they got behind a hedge fence
and opened up deadly fire on the
rebels. Then our men advanced until
there was nothing to seperate them but
the river. General LswtOn was with
the two companies and when he saw
that unless he had reinforcements and
more ammunition they would not last
long. When mere was received two
guns were brought from the sixth ar
tillerv and they arrived just in time TO
save the 2lst from complete aDnihila-
ton. The natives had attempted to
flank us on the left so as to cut us off
from Las Pinas but as it was seen in
time they poured in such deadly lire
that they fell pack into their trenches.
Then they made flank movement on
tn. right and the two companies OF the
Dist, being out of ammunition, had to re-
treat About this time more reinforce
ments came and they were saved. If
they had not have come when they did
it would haye been all off with the boys.
More ammunition came and we made an
other attack at 10 o'clock. Four more
big guns came and more troops and we
had hot time then and there. We
were in good force at about one or two
o'clock and moved nearer the bridge,
and there we fought not over hundred
yards from the natives trenches. At
about o'clock two battalions of the
9th infantry made flank movement on
the right and squad was sent to the
bridge under terrible fire from the
natives. They rested and then went
on across and all the rest followed In a
desperate charge. Our officers took the
rifles from the wounded and killed and
used them themselves. When we
charged across the bridge the natives
| had to retreat With us at their back
when l say us mean the l4th) and the
9th in front, they got confused and we
took about 200 prisoners | do not
know how many natives were killed
and wounded but they think from what
one of our wounded counted, 159 in a
space of 90 yards, and there were
hundreds he could not see that there
must have been great loss. The
trenches were filled with dead. There
were over hundred of their guns cap
tured The natives captured twelve OF
our wounded men.
The different troops engaged in the
| fight were the 2lst, 18th, 18th and 9Th
infantry, 4th cavalry, 9th artillery and
Mountain Battery f. The "Men OF
War" In the bay threw no less than
eighty big shells but it didn't do much
good.
| We have been here three weeks and
have had very nice time except in the
last week. ! hope to hear from you as
soon as possible.
| WALTER WILLIAMS.