Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1900-10-20
BENEVOLENT
ASSIMILATION.
a Republican Newspaper Ac-
count of a Philippine
Battle.

Just past this few hundred yards
we saw a solitary body lying in the
read The body was almost striped
OF clothing, and there were no marks
OF rank left on the blood-soaksd coat
But the face Of the dead man had a
look had never noticed On the face
o. other dead men had fonnd NJ in
surgent uniform On the field OF baSzle,
in the wake Of an American flrhSk
line. The features were clear cut ans
forehead singh and shapely. decided
the man must have been an insurgent
ofheer. A soldier came running down
the trail.
That's old Pillar" ne said eve
got the old rascal. I guess he's sorry
he ever went up against the Thirty
third"
There amt no doubt about its be-
ing Pillar" ratified on the young sol
der. I'VE got his diary, and his let
tiers, and all his papers, and Sullivan
OF our company's got his pants, aid
Snider's got his SHOES, bat he can't
wear them because they're too small,
and sergeant in G company got one
of his silver spurs, and q lieutenant
got the other, and somebody swiped
the cuff buttons before 1 got here or
1 would have swiped them, and all L
got was stud button and his collar
with blood on it,
So this was the end of Gregorio del
Pillar. Only % years old, he managed
to make himself a leader OF men
when he was hardly more than boy,
and at last had laid down his life for
his convictions. Major marsh had the
diary. In it he had written under the
date of December 2, me day he was
killed:
THE general has given me the pick
Of all the men that can be spared and
ordered me to defend the pass. re-
alize what terrible task is given me-
And yet 1 feel that this is the most
glorious moment or my life. What I
do is done for my beloved country.
No sacrifice can be too great"
A private, sitting by the camp fire.
was exhibiting a handkerchief. Its
old Pillars. It's got Dolores Hosea
on the corner. 1 guess that was his
girl. Well. it's all OF with Gregorio"
Anyhow" said Private Sullivan, "I
got his pants. He won't need 'em
any more"
The man who had the generals
shoes strobe proudly past, refusing
with scorn a Mexican dollar and
pair Of shoes taken from one of the
private insurgent soldiers. private
! sitting on a rock was examining a
golden locket containing a curl OF q,
woman's hair. Got the locket of has
neck said the soldier.
As the main column started on its
march for the summit of the mountain
a turn in the trail brought us again
in sight Of the insurgent general far
down below US. There had been no
time to bury him. Not even blanket
or a poncho had been thrown over
him. q
a crow sat on the dead mans feet.
Another perched on his head. The fog
| settled down upon us. We could see
the body no longer.
We carved not a line, and we raised
not a stone.
But we left him alone in his glory.
And when Private Sullivan went by
in his trousers. and Snider with his
| shoes, and the other man who had the
cuff buttons, and the sergeant who had
! the spur, and the lieutenant who had
the other spur, and the man that had
the handkerchief, and another man
that had his shoulder straps, it sud
denly occurred to me that his glory
was about all we had left him.-Rich-
ard Henry Little in Chicago Tribune.