The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1899-10-04
VIVID DESCRIPTION
OF M'ARTHUR'S ADVANCE
80 4,
American Soldiers Fought in Water and
Mud at the Advance on and
Capture of Calumpit.

wrrth the work. and battery Z Of the
Oh First but emphasized their repu-
tauon. over on the left Hobbs. with
X of the Thi-d. made scows Of his field
pieces. certainly they were never
wheeled to position. Swift kicks scat
tered dying cook fires and the cooks.
hurryihg to their shaeks Tor belts and
rines. called sharply back to the two
or three extra rationers" found in
every company. mo seconds; do you
neysr get hlled: Again a rattling OF
tin rs cans and cups were being replac-
Cd in haversacks or hooked TO canteen
straps, and dimly seen lines along the
road side were now to be discovered;
at first ragsed and broken, but rapidly
filing as the men hurried to their
places under watchful eyes Of sergeants
and company officers. Company Joins
ecnraEy: battalion connects with bat
talon. and soon In the village street
was TO he seen only widely separated
santinels left over storehouses and
quarters with an occasional group Of
Chirese litter bearers. heried along
by the hospital corps men. iabbering
excl:edly and all together as to possi-
bic loot: or. calling back to a lonely
looking sentry as they fastened by,
"MGcho boom-booml Fa' I'M"
Five o'clock. Dawn swiftly running
shows long line Of men in brown
standing knee-deep in water waiting
the signal for advance. The long.
swinging move TO places had been
made without a single shot Of alarm
having been fired by insurgent look
outs. Never have / known a more
complets exempliacation OF the calm
that precedes the storm. Occasional
ly a battery horse stamped heavily or
a riding pony nipped a stock Of sweet
cane as a mouthful OF desert for his
alncst forgotten breakfast. Then.
from far away on the railroad. Lieu
tenant Briggs. with his s-pounder and
tack hammers" as the men call the
gatlings, gave the word for advance.
Forward; guide right" ran from right
to left, and forward blew the brass
trumpets. It was a case OF wade from
the start. From ahead scattering
shots sounded at detached points along
the insurg@nt lines. A great craning
Of necks and much peering into bam-
bro thickets followed Go ahead. men;
go ahead" squashl Splash, answered
a thousand pairs Of feet, as they surg
ed through mud and water, and then.
at a thousand yards from the now
plainly seen line Of bambOos. spoke
the frst real resistance; clean cut
volley splashed in the pools ahead.
around or FAR behind. Go ahead, men;
no firing; go ahead" A canefeld is
just before US; the stalks tower high
above rife muzzles as the men. with
a great splashing and rustling. disap-
pear within the stlhf blades Now the
battalion on .he right opens and the
left blazes out. Take It easy but 20
ahea1,' bagls the field officer Of the
battalion in our front, but his voice
Is lost in the spashlng Of feet and rust !
ling Of cane blades. The trumpters.
with one eye on company commanders
and the other looking out for a pos
sioly extra ugly mud hole. keep the
two short and one long notes Of for
ward; march," singing clear above the
racket Stlll the men can gee nothing
of the enemy. All! there's the edge
OF the field And then. with many a
precautionary STEADY, now" on the
part Of officers. the men are al II
How long? I don't know. -Four hun
dred yards ahead, across a knee-deep
sheet Of water streak Of brown, with
o thin line Of drifting gray az a crest,
SHOWS DULY against the silver green
background Of another cane field. II ls
the Insurgents trench. Like perfect
ma"hlnes our men nip shining car
trIdges from the blue web belts with
eager fingers. Home snaps the breech
mechanism; up the barrel comes into
the line Of sight Of eyes that have
never left off watching that brown
ribbon Of earth ahead. Even "hospital
c'rrs" from right to left turns the
heads of but few. on to the right now |
rings cheer. It Is Wise, the little
officer boy Of the 9Th 60 In II COM |
pany'' he pipes; and mudstalned. wet,
p'ntlng, but victorious the whole line,
Tith roars and shrleks, plows across