The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-04-13

u Ghh3Ouhl EuOb III lBt lie KNOW our Ifltn1f
0 the enemy. were just in frcnt of us
but not d response on the part OF tbt
troops to indicate where we were oI
!. that there were other than the outposts
. any where in the vicinity. What
weary night that MAS! Lying on THE
, top Of the wall, q well probably fweivs
feet wide, with their guns placed in
! front OF them ready for instant action
! many OF the men who were unable td
: remain on the wall down in the various
+, avenues In the cemetery, some of them
7 lying on the stone flags, and u fellow,
{, more nervous perhaps than the Others.
! having fallen of the wall, being fshed
> out ON OF them IN the mOrtuaTy
: others of them Oh the outside passing
up and down the road, keeping their
} weary vigil IN this manner nutiI the
bours NUMBERED themselves into dawn.
Then what o sight did we behold
From the bay, possibly two miles to
our left, for twenty miles to our right,
there WIS u line stretched out that
showed that during the hours of night
pretty nearly every M Of the o~rgapiza,
lions In that city, both volunteer aud
regular, had taken their place, pre-,
pared for the impending conflict. IL
was q magnificent tribute TO the mill,
tary sagaeity Of General Otis aud his
subordinate officers, that when the time
for aotpnl conflict occurred, we were
strictly IN IL,
HAbout > o'clock IN the morning we
began 10 appreciate field rations, II
meant 4 couple OF hard tack, D little
canned beef or canned salmon, q quart
Wng Of coffee and a can Ut tomatoes for
desert on, II you please, IN lien OF the
oatmeal chat we might have received
when WE were MT home, Bpt some of
the men were tho full for breakfast, for
their heart was in their mouth, and
that was not to be wondered ut Oh the
first day Gf battle, We hear u great
deal w these times ab0pt men being alb
solpfaly devoid of fear, bnt my candid
conviction, IN discussing the matter
with many men, IL that there IL no such
thing, Bnf least ! shall forget to shy
what want TO In this connection, let
me state here that after the first morn,
ing OF being under fire, whether they
were devoid Of fear or no, there II one
thing 10 be saidi That under no cir,
opmstnpce did they show II, and II mat,
tered not how close the enemy and how
whitening the fire, the men of the
First Montana for that ~ the lowd
with which ! am most familiar, gave
40 indication of the white feather or Of
balnR nfrnld cf lnnning up against any
thing that might be before them, An
instance of the bravery Of some OF our
men manifested itself daring this ono
night Captain Halahan OF NJ company,
with ~probpbly FIVE ar six OF bis out
posts, Ind been apt off from the rest Of
the company, and occupied y position
midway betwn the insnrsept line aud
Ours, WIS M exceedingly desperate
position 10 hold, u would appear that
they Ind been almost forgotten and
WaFp IN eminent danger pf being shot
from thp front by the insurgents, or II
thpy raliFed ~ their OWL line, OF being
mistaken by tho mon on tho walls and
being killed by The members OF their
own company, INT assuming n boil
trout, with paItlng snlpte, they sim.
ply tnrnpd their fApes tpwArd the
enemy and began the p~erilons march
hnnk ~ Tho cemetery, lmmadiNtply
they werp disoafnpd by tho men on tho
walls, md before the order could ha
ponnlpFmapded, two on three of tho
men haa begun aripR upon them, taxi
Ing deliberate aim, when tho voice ~
one ~ them wAs heard ~ n tone nf rea
Irish sweetness, md Wn knew TINT chat
Wns not y Filipino, Int enc ~ our com
Indesl md thpn Tho voice ~ Captain
HnlnhAn, IN almost ~fhnnderons tones,
calling upon ms mon IN pensp fling,
NAftRr wp had finished our hrpAkr
tnaFl ana while tho Wrnngomenfa were
holnR mnde fnr npr fWiher progress,
Ehp 1Nehfinn WAS raised, who Ind fired
ilfsfy And remember thnt thnlp was
4 good hlf nf dlsppsslnn IN the United
slalns on tho pArl NJ some III Mr. Agnl
nnldN'R friends mud therefore nnr cue
mlpHl ~ ~ whether Tho AmnliaAn
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