Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-06-22
MSURREC1lON OYER.
That is What Private SWEET Writes
from the Philippines, Regarding
the Filipinos.
Only Scattered Bands Of Guerrilas and
Thieves, and Not Much Fighting
to be Done.
An Interesting Letter from the Islands
Regarding the Condition Of
Affairs There.

Affairs There.
.J..R. Edick of this city has an inter-
esting letter from William A. SWEET,
formerly a member of Company A
who re-enlisted in the Thirty-sixth
volunteer infantry and is now stationed
at Lingayen, where two companies of
the regiment are doing garrison duty.
SWEET writes that he is not in the best
health and v 81 overestimated
my strength in remaining here, but of
the $3.50 I got when l re-enlisted l put
$500 with the paymaster, so l will
have a little stake when l get out. The
Seth has had quite a name as a fight
ing regiment. TO start in with we
had a c~rackerjack of a colonel, who
understood how to fight goo-goos to
the queens taste. Bell has been made
a %brigadier general of volunteers and
AAoo ANouAuo1 ICA III DdAupdus UO
3Gth is all split up, one or two COM
panies in a town doing garrison duty.
M and X companies are quartered in
this town whion is regimental head
quarters. We have good quarters
and good cots to sleep on. The cots
were sent here as a gift from Miss
Helen Gould and we got 1000 of them.
We .have a great deal of guard duty
to do. have about $50 or 800 native
prisoners, mostly insurgents OF Lad
rones. We work them at building
roads and bridges and policing the
town.
II have not been in Manila since last
September. We have been on the go
ever since l Joined the regiment. When
the boys left Manila was up at the
palace. was sent to Company NJ and
the next day, the 2nd Of August, we
were shipped to San Fernando. We
had a hot time capturing the railroad
from San Fernando to the end Of the
road. We came so fast the natives
did not have time to take up the track
and left it after smashing the engines
and burning the cars. We expected a
big fight at Tarlac, but Bell took two
battalions of the 36th, and K troop of
the Fourth cavaIrv and took the town
without firing a shot. About twenty
miles from Tarlac we captured an en-
CINE and train. Bell put the third
battalion in skirmish line on both
sides Of the cars Mats) the scouts and
a Colts rapid fire gun on a car ahead
OF the engine, got on the cab himself
and had a man cover the engineer with
a carbine, ordered the men to load
magazines and chambers and if the
goo-goos opened fire on us to shoot like
h. Then he gave orders to turn
her loose, as fast as the engine could
go straight to Dagupan. The GOO
COOS took up a rail and Of course that
ditched us but fortunately no one was
hurt to speak of. That was the wild
est ride l ever took in my life and I
never want another.
Since l have been in the regiment we
have had a hot time. Bell is all right,
only he liked to kill us off with hard
marches. 1t was nothing to march 80
or forty miles a day; we marched
sometimes 4S hours without stopping
except to, eat a lunch.
The fighting is all over. We run
into a bunch of Ladrones once in a
while but nothing to speak of. We
have lost three men and had four
wounded since we left Manila last
August. Our first lieutenant had his
leg shot off. There have been a good
many officers and men killed and
wounded in the regiment.
l enclose a clipping telling about
Summerfield. He was in Company K,
North Dakota. He was out with two
other fellows and the niggers started
the fight. The other two ran off and
left him. He allied two of them be.
fore they got him. He was a good fel-
low and "a good soldier.
think they will begin moving back
volunteers in six or eight months and
I think this will be one Of the first reg
iments to CO."
SWEETS letter is dated May 3. Speak
ing Of the other North Dakota boys on
the island ne says: "Out of Company
A Mike Classy, Jimmy Ream, Emil
.Beigel and myself staid here. Mike
and Ream r in Company F, Both, and
Beigel is in H company, 37th. l have
not seen Beigel since last September.
About thirty of the North Dakota boys
:staid here and they are scattered in
the different companies Of the regi-
ment. Some went to the 37th and
some to the 18th cavalry. Gault Of
G company, N. D., is promoted to SER
'goant major Of the third battalion I'D