Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1900-01-17
ANNAPOLIS. MD WEDNESDAY. JANUARYl7. 1900.
A SOLDIERS LETTER.
PRIVATE E. B. JOHNSON,
OF Company B, Ninth Infantry, Writes
to His Brother Advance on
Porac Shell Bursts
Over Camp.

The following extract is taken from
letter from Private Edward B. Johnson,
OF Company b. Ninth United States Vol
unteer Infantry. The letter is dated De-
cember 3. 1899. at Capas. Philippines.
Private Johnson was among those re-
ported to have been killed in a recent
engagement on the islands, and his fam
lily were very much concerned about his
fate. The letter from which these ex-
tracts are taken was received here Satur-
day, January Is. 1900. Among other
things Private Johnson says:
81 arrived here on the 10Th of Sep,em.
Der. and joined the regiment at Sata Rita
and we started on a "hike. When
say hike" | mean advance. We ad-
vanced Porac on the 28th Of September.
General Wheeler was in command of us,
and Colonel Bell. with the goth with Gen.
eral Macarthur. also OF the goth. went up
one road. and we of the 9th. another.
and after marching eight miles. located
the rebels outpost. They opened fire
on US. which we returned. The firing
was kept up some time, and finally we
opened up the artillery on them. and you
talk about negroes going-they fed. We
went over their trenches and into the
town. where we staid all night. We did
not lose man. We had one wounded,
and Col. Bell had four men wounded.
We took ten prisoners and killed about
welve OF the Filipinos and wounded two.
"On the morning of the 2oth we went to
Angeles. The Filipinos attacked this
place on October Sth. This did not
amount to much, but on October 10Th
they made another attack at night.
was asleep. We always sleep with our
clothes on. but sometimes take our shoes
off to rest our feet. On this occasion
had my shoes off and was sound asleep,
when she'll burst over my quarters and
woke me up. grabbed my gun and
belt and shoes and ran for the scene Of
action. The Filipinos had surrounded
the town. and things looked pretty dark
for while. Finally we got every thing
in shape. The armored car opened up
on them, as well as the gatling gun on
the wall OF the grave yard. The negroes
got about ZOO yards off. but the 2th and
18th Infantries gave them such a hot fire
that they will not soon forget. We had
one man killed and seven wounded. Our
man WHO QlCQ was kiliGu III ttS SudIh uC-
fore he had time to get out, when the
firing first began. We did not find out
how many were lost on the other side.
but FIVE days aiterward Chino came in
from the Filipinos' line and said he help
ed to bury 1856.
"On the 9th OF November we advanc-
ed from Angeles. was with detach-
ment of three squads that we're an escort
for two 3H-inch guns of the First Artil-
lery, and we went out from the North
east of the town for about two miles. We
got our guns ready to lombard the ene-
my's trenches at day break, but the
scouts went over and found that they
had gone, and we forded the river and
started north. Five miles up the road
we reached the town of Maburlacat.
where we found COL Bell and spent the
night. The next day a scouting party.
with Col. Bell, went up the Bamban
river, and found the Filipinos strongly
entrenched there beside the mountains.
He had twelve mounted men on horses.
and he went over the hills and coming
down behind the enemy, killing Io and
capturing 90 rifles. After that there was
a general advance of the Izth. 18th and
sc h Infantries.