Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-20
Trying Experiences Of Co. G.
in the Philippines.
BEFORE DEPARTURE
Some of the Difficulties of Conducting
a Campaign in the Orient
Described.

Under date of Aug. 6, three weeks be-
fore the Montana soldiers sailed from
Manila to their homes, Harry Paxson,
bugler of Company G, wrote from Zapote,
Cayite province, to his parents ill this
city. The letter has just been received.
In his letter Mr.. Paxson says: w
have had several promotions during the
last month. Major Cook was promoted
to lieutenant colonel, Captain Duncan to
major, Second Lieutenant Gainan to first
lieutenant, and Meade to Captain. Ser
geant Erickson is also a captain in the
Thirty-seventh infantry. Both Erickson
and Colonel Cook are reginental favor
ties.
I'VE left Manila on the 18th ult., and
after IA miles of tran1ping we passed
through the towns of %Paranaque and Los
Pinos and made our am here at 'Puente
de Zapote,' relieving the Wyoming bat
TALON. We were soon fixed comfortably,
but not until we had spent our tin for
a bamboo bed. After a few days a gen.
uine typhoon sprang up and in six hour
the river had risen Is feet and covered
the ountry for miles around to a depth
of three feet. Our tents We're swept
away, money, clothes, blanket and
many other things went to the tide. Oh,
it was a gala day! For fifty hours we
We're up to our waists in dirty water. and
it was cold, too, and the fierce wind drove
the rain clear to our flesh. We didn't
get much to eat, but | warmed some
coffee over a candle. Finally orders came
to move to BacoOr and With much pain
and WEAKNESS we waded the mile and a
half, sometimes up to our chests and Of
ten out of sight if we happened to step
into a ditch. The current was swift and
often threw men off their feet. That
night found us sleeping in our wet clothes
on the floor, a battalion in one house. We
We're chilled to the marrow.
1T took US several days to dry what
we had left. and thus we lived five or six
days., Company G in a little room Is feet
square,, a kitchen and the hospital corps,
like rats in a trap. When the water a
subsidized we marched back to Zapote
again. 1t was a curious sight, sure
enough. Company G fell in with seven
privates and two l~ieutenants, the SER
geant called the roll and the commanding
officer gave right forward, tours right,
and the little Band marched down the
beautiful lane of Bacoor. The reason our
numbers were so few was that sickness
had depleted our company-sickness
brought on by bad weather. 1t did not
alIecI me mucn until the last three days.
I have had a little malaria and my first
boil. 1t rains all the time. Another ty-
phoon is due. but / don't think it will
be like the first one, for the natives say
the water has not been as high before in
IA years.
"Zapote is a little village, "a miles from
San Fernando. 1t is very near the end
of the south line. We are guarding the
bridge. but for what use I cannot tell, for
the flood carried away a part of it.. A
mule or a cariboo, however, manages to
fall through every day or two.
"Soper is our first sergeant now and
does very well. He says he wouldn't
care to have such a job in the states,
The pay rolls are in and we expect tc
line up before the coffin in a few days. !
understand we are going to get paid every
month after this. All Of the troops ahead
of us are gone except the Thirteenth
Minnesota, and there is quite a bare pos.
sibility of being assigned to the .Sheri-
dam I think we have had our last bat
tie in these Stands. We went on a scout
ing trip with General Grant to San Uico.
las this morning, but nothing was seen
We met the Fourth infantry scouts at ar
old ruined Spanish fort. Part of the
Fourth will relieve us in a day or two