Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-07-20


The following from letters received from
Lieut.. Elmer, though not of very recent
date, will show something of the kind OF
fighting that has been going on for months
on the firing line in the Philippines, and
the amount Of nerve as we'll as of physical
endurance required in the American SOL
der.
Lieut.. Elmer has been styled by some of
the men, regulars as well, who have gone
iato battle with him as "the fastest fighter
that ever struck the niggers," which prob
ably accounts for the fact that the price on
his head has steadily gone up.
DAGAM, LEYTE,
March "a, 1900.
l left here at $3.50 P. Nj. Wednesday the
21st, for Tananan, company head
auarters), with ten picked men as l was
short of rations and heard nothing from
headuuarters We had a brush with bolo
men going in but it amounted to nothing
except to keep us guessing for the rest OF
the way. Thursday Capt. Beavers and l
went into Tacloban aud back. Yesterday
| started for this place with Is men, two
pack mules and two pack ponies well load
ed down with rations | knew we should
have trouble, for the bridges were all
down and that would be just their style.
As I could have but SO few men | also took
a rifle and belt full of ammunition, as l
often do. Sure enough, we got to the
third destroyed bridge and were having
the rations unloaded and carried across by
niger prisoners when the sentinels l had
established in the brush opened fire and
the "ball was on" Inside of a minute
hell was turned loose and after looking the
ground over for a second and determining
where the crush" was the stiffest, l also
began target practice. The fire was from
the opposite side of the river and the bolo
men attempted to catch us unawares from
the rear. The affair did not last long but
it was quite busy about there while 1T did.
l told the boys to pay no attention to the
fire but kill everything that was in sight
on this side of the river. These bolo men
can't (of course) fight rifles and as they
found that they could not get IN on us
they ran, or rather as many as were in
running condition ran. We then drove
the niggers out of the trench and crossed
the mules over the river, as the banks are
80 steep that they couldn't get down. We
got through all right, but every man was
completely exhausted when we got in at
2.15, having Travelled nearly II miles and
Clicked the Lord only knows how many
niggers, since A. NJ. Not a man was hit
or a mule or pony lost. l sent part of the
men back at this morning and have been
pretty quiet today. We are having won
derfu luck in that we are losing but few
men in proportion to the ''affairs" that we
have.
Sunday-Would like to be with you to
day. | wonder lust how it would seem t
spend day where you knew there was nj
danger, where everything was Just as Il
should be and one was surrounded by rela
tives and friends. Just now that seems
the thing that is to be most desired in life
1t is an intensely hot day here; but doubt
less, you are all sleeping soundly now
dreaming, perhaps, as l so often do, OF fal
away friends.
Monday evening-Another day crossed
off the calendar. We have had what tn
poets call "a glorious tropical sunset, bu
I'll be everlastingly bumped if I'd no
rather see one of our ordinary New Eng
land ones.
Wednesday-Lieut. Johnston and scout
are here and tomorrow we commence oper
atoms in this vicinity There has got t
be clearing out here before we move far
Their. Moxica has received reinforcement
and is calculating on making a stand in tn
mountains. He has all the advantage Q
position and probably will make somethin
of a stand this time. l am in hopes tina
we may get more troops soon and one Q
two mountain guns. In any event til
longer we wait, the worse or more ditficu
the job.
March 31-A lieutenant and 80 me
reached here today for house cleaning {
a few days and with them came your LEI
ters of Jan. 49, Feb and II, and TIL
Phoenix of corresponding dates. Was d.
lighted to hear and can assure you the
letters addressed to me are not thrown il
to space. We shall be busy for few day
and then these men will probably NOV
back and the scouts may come up and the
may not. When we get ready we sha
move on La Pass, the present stronghold
of the enemy and where, or rather beyon
where we lost one man in row the 9Th.
hope the thing will push along for we al
getting tired of this bush-whackiug, an
once the stronghold is broken | believe
will end the affair. The thing drags on
terribly slow manner, and if there is L
one at fault, there ought to be.
April Had two fights YESTERDAY
Things seem to be thickening up here. A
kinds of disturbing rumors in regard to r
Inducements Coining the niggers) from S
mar. Rumors that more men have bee
refused for the island of Leyte. Started OF
Yesterday forenoon with detachments fro
A and D in company with first lieutenal
of Company d. Met band of bolo men al
had very brief session. They tried the
usual game of rushing the rear and di
covered that we held all the trumps. v
did not stop TO count the fallen as we we
after something else. We did not find Il
trouble we were looking for and had N
reached the quarters before we heard fri
down the river, and as we expected Il
scouts from that direction we fairly file
down the three miles that interviewed
tween Dagami and the firing. There '
found the scouts up to their ears in troub
that is, they were catching hot fire fro
across the river and repeated rushes fro
bolo men from across the cane brake. TIL
already had one man badly wounded in t
arm. Our appearance was the signal for
fercer fire for a few minutes, and they G
it back Just as rich as we could give it
them without seeing them, for they we
in pits, concealed in the most dense a
high grass | ever saw. Occasionally
saw q puff of smoke, there was the era
of Krag and something usually moved
that vicinity.
There was an open space that some
us had to cross, and the way we did it
jig time would have been very amusing
a spectator. All you had to do was to she
yourself and you could hear the boom
the Remingtons, the crack of Mausers a
helish yell. 1t was more fun than
tie, for we were perfectly safe in that