Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1900-05-24
Extracts of a Letter Received From
the Philippines.
LEGAsp1, P. L, Mar. 2, 1900.

DEAR FoLKs:-I am well and hope
this will find you all the same, for 1t
will be a long time before I hear
from you in this out-of-the-way place.
We still have some excitement here.
I celebrated Westinghouse birthday
as never hope to again, ten hour
battle and running fight at that At
$3.50 a. m. we were up, at 4:S0 on the
march, and at s we were fred on
from the front and both tanks. We
were marching in a column of two
abreast and out into the brush, vines,
jungles and bolos with a yell we
charged. We soon came out on a
hot lava bed and the way the nlggers
counted their beads" there for the
last time was a sight. For an hour
we struggled, swan, waded, crawIed
and pulled each other through rice
field under pitiless fire of Mausers,
Remingtons and big artillery. At
last we were through on solid ground
and had the cover of their first
trenches to rest in. In few minutes
we charged them, then came run
ming fight of about eight or ten miles.
The country was rough and only just
a good road to CamslIg. Oar COM
pany was put on the advance guard
and was IN charge of the left file of
the support. We started on the road
after the charge and had gone about
SO yards into the jungle when vol
ley was poured into US at less than
100 yards. How those Mausers snap
ped and shreiked, the Remlngtons
howled and dug up the earth and
that piece of artillery threw stones,
chains, slugs and heavy spikes, but it
was aimed too high or we would have
been wiped out. As it was, a man
next behind me got ball on a rib
just over the heart. saw him fall,
but for fear of another volley we
charged the breastworKs which yield
ed. The road was overgroWn with
vines and so dark we could not see
over so or 100 yards, and there were
trenches and breastworks every 100
yards, and they shot from the tops
of tall palm trees. They also had
covered bitches about ten feet wide
and eight feet deep, set with poison
ed stakes in the bottom, and from be-
hind distractions they shot poisoned
arrows at us. On our TANKS and rear
hung the ''bolo" men, but our little
band of 300 went among the number
less like whirlwind through dry
cornfeld. They gave way in front
and closed in on our rear, and when
we reached CamalIg and had taken
it, it was a little after six o'clock.
The next morning We advanced across
the country and took Calabing after
short skirnalsh,
AS for these people, I think we are
up against the only tribe of rebels
left. The wild Tag6los are quite a
large tribe, bat only occupy part of
Luzon Island and what they endure
III times of peace under their name of
religion is little better than what
they put up with in this war. Every
little hamlet has fine, large church
with a stone wall around it sometimes
Is feet thick, and I never saw church
es better finished in America than
they are here. The people only get
about 12aa cents, U. S. money, per
day, and if one dies the priests, who
keep them all in ignorance and super
stitiop. teach them that they must
bury in consecrated ground and they
charge q big burial fee. A death
banquet fee, big rent and ell collins
comes through their hands. A native
pays all his earnings into the church
and if he wants to build be must pay
a fee to get permit and then rent
on the house he builds and in return
they are taught superstition and
falsehood.
Those who have surrendered to Us
and become somewhat acquainted |
with our ways, have made a great |
change, and when we tell them the i
priests only care for their money they
believe it pretty well.
The volcano at Albay, or Macon, as
it is called, has given US some real
excitement. At l 30 O'Clock on the
I'd inst 1t got on tear and showed |
how tearing up jack was done. I was
.AanI;nn. In the r,do de-. oe ALn