The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1900-08-09
SOLDIERS LETTER
Notes of Philippine Campaign
by W. S. Diller.

tOHoWS:
San Fernando, P. L., June 1S, 1900.
DEAR FoLKs:-I have Just got back
to San Fernando after being ont
since the Goth Of May. / have al
ready told you in another letter that
there had been live horses given to
each company Of the regiment to
form troop Of 81 outs. We have
been on the move ever since we
weTs o organized ON tne oti or may.
The ten of us stationed here started
with 25 prisoners, IL Americans and
13 insurgents, for San Isedro, where
one Of the military prisons is stu
ated, 35 miles from San Fernando.
We left on the 10th of May at a. m.
and arrived in town called Aryatt,
which was about half way and is
situated at the foot of one of the
highest mountains in Luzon and
which most every soldier that served
in the Philippines is familiar with.
The town is garrisoned by one
pdtLdAlOh VI NhO IA0 Iuls we ar
rived there at 4:30 p. m. We stayed
there that night and left at in the
morning and arrived at San Isedro
at 8 p. m. Turning the prisoners
over TO the guards at the prison we
stayed until morning and started on
the return to San Fernando at a.
M. and arrived there at p. m on
the last day of May, having been
gone 8 days. We stayed in San Fer
nando all day the 1st and rested, as
we felt pretty sore after riding 20
miles in three days and not being
used to it. We were just getting
ready to go to bed when we we're or
dered to be ready to leave at a. m
with days rations and proceed TO
B llinag and meet the rest of the
scouts from the other companies I'M
d n the command of Lieut.. Walker
of Co. o. AS we had the farthest to
go, it being about 30 miles, we were
the last to get there, and when we
arrived we found "a of the other
boys waiting for us. We camped in
Ra mag that night. The town is
garrisoned by feur companies of he
35th Inf, which has its headquar-
tiers there. We left at in the morn
ing, June 8, and secuted the foot
hills and river valley from there to
town called Norzagaria, about four
teen miles, passing through the town
of Angat about noon, where we had
dinner, and which was garrisoned by
one company of the 35th Inf. We
left there at O'Clock and arrived at
Norzagaria at 5. There we met Go,
G of the Sd Regulars and were is
sued one days rations and were or
derered to prepare to leave at a.
m. to attack force of insurgents
which were reported to be entrench-
ed in the mountains at place called
Tic Tic. Promptly on time we left
Norzagaria, while Co. G waited un-
til daylight, as it was only ~ miles
that they had to march, while we
had about Is, and we're supposed to
attack the insurgents in the rear and
small detachment of o. E, 35th
Inf, were to attack in the front,
while Co. q of the Sd was to act as
support and flank. The attack was
well planned and but for some mis-
take about the time and place would
have been a great success.
About O'Clock as the thirty men
of the 35th Z. Y. S. were crossing
river, the water being about waist
deep, they were suddenly fired upon
from ambush at about so yards from
behind ledge of rocks. Six of them
fell at the first volley. A retreat was
ordered, and in the retreat two more
fell. They retreated about 100 yards
until under cover and returned the
fire. About this time Co. G came
charging down from on the right and
left, and the insurgents seeing their
position and hearing the yelling of
the charge left their trenches and
three dead and two wounded and
skipped. AS the fight happened one
hour earlier than expected the
mounted men were not close enough
in the rear to cut their retreat off,
and once they are on the run they
are hard to get sight of. There were
about $50 of them. The casualties
were, men wounded of 90. E, 35th
U. s. "; one fatally shot through the
stomach and died at the hospital at
Norzagaria. He showed excellent
bravery and courage, as well as one
other who was shot through the hips
and continued to fire while in the
water until he was taken out by his
comrades and taken to the rear
Stretchers were made and we
started back with the wounded and
arrived at $3.50 a. m. June A. On the
9Th the scouts went to the scene of
the fight on the 4th and destroyed
the camp and trenches and burned
all the houses in the vicinity and re-
turned to -Norzagaria after scouting
the country we'll. From the sth to
the 9th we awaited orders and on the
10th we left for place called Biac
ma Ba to, but arrived too late to take
part in the fight of the 18th, not get
ting there until the morning OF the
18th. The troops there we're under
Generals Grant and Funston. On
the night Of the 18th we camped in