The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1900-03-16

bnG IIuAe va tn6 xlE4s UI tne main enc.
We started G.. company ahead. We had |
captain ordered me TO take my squad and /
go ahead as an advance party. Wei
pushed ahead, on the lookout for traps L
and pitfalls. We struck one trap, but |
sprung 1t before 1t could do any harm. |
To get TO the main ridge we had to go |
down into deep ravine and then climb |
up the ridge from that side of the ravine. |
knew how. Well, Steep Rock would be |
easy compared with the climb that we |
had to get down into that ravine. We |
had to use gun-straps, and everything |
else we had in that line, to lower each
other down the rocks. We finally reach |
ed the bottom, and pretty sights we
were, with our clothes half torn off of
us and our hands and face scratched and
cut. We stopped In the ravine and had
good rest, and then commenced our
climb up the hill toward the biggest fort.
L. was awful hard climbing, and the sun
boiling hot. We had to stop every few
minutes for rest. We got within 600
yards of the fort before we were seen.
We wouldn't have been seen then only
we had to cross an open space in plain
view of the fort. When we crossed the
open space they fred on US, and l am
wondering yet how we missed getting
killed. The bullets struck all around us,
and spattered dirt in our faces. But not
q man was hit, although there were some
of the closest calls ever saw. I think
our company is specially protected, as
we have been under fire over q dozen
times, and haven't had a man hurt. VIII.
we reached cover, and stopped to take
rest. While resting, We heard the
boom of our mountain battery. They
had got one Of their guns into position
on the ridge we mad just left, and had
opened up on the fort. The first shot
they fred went over the fort and burst.
The second one struck about 20 feet in
trout of the fort, and blew big hole in
the ground. This scared the Insurgents
and We could see them running away.
We moved around to the right of the
hill, to try and cut them off. But they
| reached another hill ahead Of us. They
| were about 400 yards from us, when we
saw them. We opened fire on them as
| they we're running into the brush, and
| kept Fl ing as long AS we could see any
thing to fire at. We then turned and
cleaned out entirely, with the exception
Of an old brass cannon, which was more
dangerous to the men behind it than
those in front Of it. I had a signal flag
with me, so signaled the news to che
commanding officer. We stopped here
for rest and then pushed on to another
hill, where there was another fort. AS
soon as the natives saw that we were 60
| ing TO take the first ore they deserted
this one. We went through this one and
then crossed to another one. 1t was get
ting quite dark by this time, SO we stop
ped here for the night. We were pretty
tired, but everyone felt happy, as We all
knew that this would wind up all caul-
| psiQning for quite while,
Early the next morning, January 8,
the captain sent my squad back over the
ground, to look for dead insurgents
When we reached the place where we had
the fight, with them, we found all kinds
Of stuff scattered around on the ground.
We skirmished around through the
brush and found eight dead insurgents,
and several paths leading away from the
place were covered with blood, so we
didn't miss very many Of them. We then
hunted aroundsfo see il we could find any
arms. We finally found three bolos, or
swords, and we were just getting ready
to give up the search when | stepped
right On rifle. And what kind Of a rifle
do you imagine it was? a "Colts" A
calibre, made in Hartford. 1t was Us
much Of surprise as the day when we
were out scouting on Luzon, and ran
across Waterbury clock in q Filipino's
hut. When you write to Aunt Maggie
again, tell them that they will have to
stop sending guns to the Filipinos. We'll,
we went back to camp, and reported to
the captain. He was very much pleased
at sight Of the rifle, az every rife cap.
tured ia as good as 100 insurgents. While
we were here we got word That the other
columns had been as successful as we,
capturing every fort in sight. Company
L. and Company D. each had a man
wounded, making three in all. The only
thing that saved US from having more
men hurt was the mountain battery, and
the two three-inch guns, which were
mounted on ridge, about a mile north
OF US, and when the first :shot was fired
from one of the three guns, the shell
burst in one of the forts aud killed 20 of
the insurgents, and we found over 100
dead, around the forts, which were COW
cred by these two guns. The insurgents
| would stand and fight as, but when it
came to the big guns, they couldn't stand
it. We captured in all that day about 20
forts, and destroyed them as fast as we
got into them. This breaks the backbone
Of the rebellion on the island. After we
had destroyed all OF the forts, we receiv-
ed orders TO burn all the native huts
within two miles of the forts. We work.
ed all the rest of the day doing this. The
next morning, January 10, we received
| orders to return to CeDu. We started
back by the way of Company I.'s camp
and we had to march nearly 10 miles
through a ravine. The scenery through
| this ravine was fine, reminding me Of the
Rockies. All the way we could see wild
monkeys playing In the trees. We stop
ped at Company rs camp for dinner,
and then pushed on, arriving in Cebu at
8 p. No., after march OF 20 miles. We
were all ready to drop by the time we
got in, but were glad to get back where
we would have roof over our heads.
| spent nearly all the next day clean
! ing up, and getting into shape again af-
| Ter our hard campaign. We have been
taking it easy since then, having nothing
to do but guard duty. Yesterday, quite
| a number Of the Christmas boxes arrived,
| but mine was not among them. I was
not the only one disappointed, as there
/ were quite number who were expecting
| boxes and didn't get them. There were
so many sent That think they couldn't
get them all on our trane port, so we will
probably get ours later. [ will write as
sOon as 1T arrives.
Last night just before dusk, we heard
| cannon firing out In the ocean. We went
out, and found it came from a British
| cruiser, which had stopped to pay visit.
She was firing salute to our flag. She
had her war paint on and is On her way
to SouthAfrca. Theirs re qnite num-
Der Of British war vessels stationed
around through here. Tell Florrie that
have seen probably ali the principal
places in and around Manila and the
Pasig river, also the postc flee. I may
never have a chance to see the nurse,
Miss Murray, that you speak Of as we
are over 500 miles from Manila, by wa
ter, and besides there are five or six hos
pitfalls in and around Manila. From your
loving son. Ben.