Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-05-04
Manila, P. l., March %, 1900.

MdllIld, L. L., MdICIl q, l3uO'
MR. JESSE CAYHUE-Dear Friend
] will endeavor to write you a few
lines which I hope will find yourself
and family as we'll as they leave me-.
will relate some of my experiences
since l came to the Philippine Islands,
as know you will be glad to hear d.
rect from the front, having had all
these experiences yourself.
| enlisted at Plattsburgh, N. Y,
Nov. %, 1898, soon after l was mus
tered out of Co. II, at Montpelier, in
the 2lst u. S. Infantry. We left
Pittsburgh April 10, 1899, and ar
rived in Frisco seven days later, going
on board the transport Hancock i'm
mediately. The next morning at 5
a. m. we steamed out through the
Golden Gate and headed for sea. We
arrived in Manila Bay, where Dewey
fired his first shot that beautiful May
morning. on the 18th of May, having
had "a very pleasant trip, considering
that we had 1900 soldiers on board.
On the 18th of May we went ashore
and marched six miles to the front.
We marched through the city, but
had no chance to see what kind of a
place it was. We were on the firing
line for eight months.
! will describe some Of our battles.
Some people in the States think we
have been lighting savages, who have
nothing but bows and arrows, but
such is not the case, The Fllipinos
have as good guns as we have, using
the Mauser rifle, one of the best guns
made, the same rifle that the Span
Yards and Germans use.
On June 10th we joined Gen. Law
tons brigade to campaign in the
part of the island. We
Is miles that day and got
into an Engagement abeot p. m. AZ
ter two hours fighting we captured
the town of Paranique on the south
side of Manila Bay. We camped there
that night and the next morning
to Los Pinos and Baccre,
where the 'nigs" had their strong
lold. We knew nothing of their
strength but soon found out, our
lead and wounded beginning to come
20 the rear by the score. The "nigs"
we're about IL, 100 strong, while we
had only 5000, many of whom had
allen out on account of the terrible
neat.
They were on one side of the river
md we were on the other. They had
ought us for miles, retreating across
he river to their stronghold and set
ing fire to the bridge. We reached
jhe bridge in time to save part of it,
put on the other side they had trench
IS II feet wide, topped with steel
'ails and ties, and had artillery plant
I'd SO as to command the bridge. They
opened up with their big guns and
terrific fire followed from the small
arms and big guns loaded with can
lister. We worked up to the bridge
md some Of our men forded the river
below and hanked them while we
charged the front and carried the
trenches at the point of the bayonet.
Our loss was very heavy, but moth
ng compared to that of the enemy.
Their trenches were full of dead after
our terrible charge, and their dead
md wounded also covered the ground
Tor 300 yards. We went to give some
If their wounded water from our cam
,eens, and they tried to knife us. You
IAN gain some idea from this how
we'll they like the "Americanos" as
they call US. After that battle we
marched back to Manila, on the 18th,
md the next day marched to Los
Iona church, four miles out, where
We stayed till July 5, when we started
or MOrong.
During our campaign in the noun
aims of Morong it was the rainy sea-
son and terribly wet. We captured
IA towns in that province and clean
I'd up the country around. On the 25th
If July we got orders to go against
Calamba, where the enemy were in
arge numbers. We arrived on the
10Th and landed. Three troops Of
.he fourth cavalry joined us, and a
,attle followed. We fought in water
10 our necks for three hours and rout-
I'd the enemy.
Icannot say what our loss was. One
sergeant Law wounded in the water all |