The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-03-28
THEIR FIRST BAT TIE.
Sergeant A. D. James Writes Of the
5Ist Iowa's First Engagement.
ONLY ONE MAN KILLED

ON ~ YIN = MAN AxAAGU.
Gives His Opinion of the Natives.-Aw full
Slaughter by Single shen.-Inter-
esting Letter from Cavite.
CAy1TE, p. L., Feb. IA, 1899.
To TIE DENIsON REVIEW:
Dear Friends: 1t is almost a year
since we left home to take up arms for
our government against foreign pow
er, but now that is thing of the past
and today we are fighting against the
ungrateful people we came to help.
The boys of the 51st Iowa have had
some experiences that only come once
in a life time. Some were pleasant,
others the reverse, but none that we
will ever forget.
Shortly after we arrived at Manila
we were ordered to Iloilo, a pretty little
city on Fancy island, but the insurgents
had possession when we got there and
they refused to let us land, and from
some cause OF other we were ordered to
Cavite where we landed after having
spent ninety five days on board the
transport Pennsylvania. We have
good quarters here; the rooms are
large with plenty of room, air and light.
The LIST sergeant and l occupy one
room thirty feet square. Our kitchen
and dining room are in an old church
building
We had hardly got settled in our new
home when we were ordered by Dewey
to take the town of San Rogue on a
peninsula to the west of us. Then we
got our first experience at real soldier
ing. The insurgents fired the town
and commenced their retreat with the
third battalion close behind. while the
second was their support and the first
guarded the town of Cavite.
1t was very hot, with burning build
lngs on all sides and the sun beating
down from above, but the boys ouly
thought of the dirty rascals ahead.
Our company was on the left and
followed the sea wall and part of the
| time we were in the fire and the rest
in the water. We drove them back
something over four miles. There were
more than 10000 natives in the PENN
sula, while our invading force number
ed only about 200 men, but when call
to arms sounded every man was in his
place with two hundred rounds of am
unltlon and three days rations of coffee.
bareback and canned meat We had
to threaten sick ones with the guard
house to get them to stay and guard
the quarters. No one can ever say that
there is a coward in the 5lst Iowa.
1t was lots OF fun, but awful hard
work and we were glad when the halt
was ordered and we were allowed a
little rest, but it was little rest we took
for it was nearly supper time and all
we're hungry, SO every man gave chase
to pig or a chicken and never was a
supper eaten With more relish.
That night we slept In the native huts
without blankets and nearly froze, for
the nights here are as cold as the DAYS
are hot.
The next day we took look over the
| field and many and curious We're the
things picked up. Nearly every man
wore some sort of native dress and all
had long knives, while some had pieces
OF furniture, china dishes, trunks, coins
and various articles of native handi
work.
One Of the band boys lin going through
a native hut was surprised and stabbed
by an lnsurgent who had failed to es.
cape and had hidden himself there. lie
did not get far however for cavalry
sergeant was near with cdrbine and
promptly sent the dirty coward to the
happy hunting grounds
On the evening of the second dav oul
battalion was ordered back to Cavite
but we hope to get out on the firing line
again soon.
used to think that the Spanish were
mean to the natives. but the Americans
have treated them worse in the last
eight days than the Spanish did in ter
years, but they have deserved every Bit
of it, for we think about them as the
western pioneer did of the Indians
that is, that the only good Filipino is
the dead one.
The Tennessee regiment is the kline
of soldiers for this country for s'they
don't like niger nohow," and yor
bet they make these natives hard tt
catch. The report here is that they
started part Of the Tennessee troops
back to Manila with over two hundred
prisoners and when they reached the
city they had only thirteen left anG
when asked what became of them they
said, ''Oh, they started to run and We
just killed 'em Off .
Our loss SO far is between sixty an6
one hundred, while some place the in
surgent loss between 5000 and 10, 600.
The heavy artillery went out to the
out post last night to blow up a bloch
! house of the insurgents.
One incident Of tho hottIo fbn@ nil