Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1900-02-17
WOUNDED AT SAN MATEO
Trooper Porter Writes From Hospital tC
His Friend IN Honolulu.
Describe th5 NIGHT March and FOrdDs Of Rive
-FI6it In With General Lawtcn Fell
Philippine BarbaIism Alleged.

Frank II. Porter of Troop A, 18th
Cavalry, U. S. ", writes from Santa
Mesa hospital, Manila, under date of
January s, to his friend John Noble,
Honolulu. The writer had been in hos
pital from sunstroke since Christmas.
He gives an account of cavalry routine
in camp before telling of the battle
wherein General Lawton fell.
"On the evening Of Dec. 49," he
writes, our troop was thrown into
fever heat by the order from headquar-
tiers to prepare to 'hiki'-march that
night to San Mateo, which is situated
about twelve miles up river from Camp
Aloa. Needless to say, the street pre-.
sented a scene of great hustle, making
the preparations for the journey. Soon
We had our blankets rolled, our mess
kits in our saddle bags, our saddles
brides, etc, looked to, then as patient
ly as possible awaited the command to
start.
1T was an exceedingly nasty night,
for the rain fell in torrents and the
mud was knee deep, but despite the ex-
cessive blackness and disagreeable
weather we were all anxious to be of.
At last the commands, Prepare to
mount Mount and an instant later
we are in our saddles, formed up in
line side by side. Then with 'Twos
right we form column of twos and
with the ca,i, Forward march," our
long string of horses and riders move
forward out of the camp into the mar.
row, black and miry road, on our way
to San Mateo and our fate as might be.
I'VE are soon Joined by other troops
composing our squadron, and shortly
reach the banks of the Mar Tuenie riv-
er, which, owing to heavy rain for two
days, is rushing by in a torrent, being
considerably swifter and deeper than
usual. After brief halt, we urge our
horses into the muddy stream and
are soon wading and swimming, with
the water up to the horses backs, our
legs submerged, to the opposite side,
which we reach after hard but brief
struggle of ten minutes-i. c.. 1t took
the troop individually about that time,
but the squadron as body was more
than an hour in crossing. ] Will men
ton here that a squadron of cavalry
consists of four troops, with three
Squadrons to regiment.
las we gain the top Of incline lead
ing down to the river we halt to rest
the animals and reform our column,
which being complet ID we push for
ward once more through pitchy black
ness, rain and mud toward San Mateo.
--Aftar~ consuming the greater part OF
the night on the march we arrive, tir-
ed, just outside the town. A halt is
called and we make breakfast on hard
tack, can beef, ETC., and await further
orders.
In the morning we, in company
with battalion of the eth Infantry
and one of the Goth, take up positions
surrounding the town, and soon the
fight was on which was the death of
General Lawton, also Of one of my
most intimate friends. The firing was
hot and heavy for while, but the
enemy could not stand 1t long. Soon
the whole horde of 'Agui's' sprinters
were hiking for dear life across the
rice paddles toward the mountains
with the 18th Cavalry boys in hot FUR
suit. Soon not a niger was to be seen
and San Mateo was added to the list
of American captures But not with,
out sad loss, that Of Major General
Lawton, brave and competent CON-
mander, besides my dear friend, Joe
Kissinger, and others killed or wound,
ed.
THE next day our squadron moved
back to Camp Alva and the secont
squadron took our place for the time
being, going to Montalban, the noun
tain retreat of the demoralized enemy
but upon arriving discovered then
strongly entrenched and REINFORCED
So the squadron fell back to San Ma
teo. On the 22d, with several regi
ments of infantry and two batteries o
artillery, they gave the nigs another
good thrashing, driving them out o.
their entrenched mountain stronghold
and scattering them pellmell in every
direction that they could run and make
good their escape. We captured two o.
their mountain guns, several rifles an(
lot of ammunition, besides killing
and wounding a great many of then
with our incessant volleys Of bullets
and shells.
After this engagement our outfit
the 18th Cavalry, returned, while I wa
brought to Santa Mesa hospital from
an attack Of sunstroke. The regimen
remained at Camp Aloa few days an,
then removed to Pasig on the soutl
lines, where 1t will no doubt soon b
engaged in another scrap, while
must lie here In this detested hospital
Well, John, did not escape scot fire.
in the fight, having received Sigh
wound in the left leg at San Mateo.
81 believe II / were to choose be
tween capture by the niggers and deaf
by bullet, l should unhesitatingl
prefer the latter, for the niggers us
the American captives in the most bar
barous manner, torturing them t
death in many cases by fire or hack
Ing them numerically to pieces.
case like the latter happened only