The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1900-03-16
WASHIN GTON.
BEN FoULOIs IN THE PHILIPPINES.

l.
Dear Mamma: We have returned from
our campaign in the mountains. We got
back to CeDu, January 10, but this is
the first chance have mad TO write. We
left here January 5, leaving the barracks
in charge of the sick men. Before we
started, we had toround up allithe natives
in the town to carry our extra ratiOns,
as we couldn't get mules into the noun
tains. Well, we had great time round.
ing them up. They thought they were
all going TO be killed. We got about 200
Of them, and packed our rations on them,
aud started. We marched out to where
K. Company was camped, about eight
miles from Cebu, and stopped for the
night. We carried nothing but ponchos,
to cover US at night, and the dew, which
fell that night, soaked US through. The
next morning we waited until 80 q. m.
for our ma or to join u. When " STAR
ed our com pany Was the rear. guard for
the column. We marched nearly all day,
| through q ravine, with little brook run
ming through it. We had so walk in the
brook the biggest part OF the time. We
stopped in the rsvine for dinner, and had
an hours rest. We started out again,
and about o'clock in the afternoon we
began to climb into the mountains. just
before dark we reached the top Of one
that was with us, had their mules play
out. Ny squad and two others were de-
tailed to stay and guard it, while the rest
Of the column went Oh about two miles
farther, and camped in a valley. Our
three squads were divided into two
guards, 8 front and rear guard. I took
charge Of the rear guard, while the SER
geant took the front. Everything was
quiet until about O'Clock in the morn
Tag, when the sentry on post woke me
up. He said he could hear some one
crawling in the brush in front of US. /
got the rest of the guard out, and formed
skirmfsh line across the road. We lay
there for while, when we heard the
sounds again. We waited until we could
hear the sound plainly, and then fired.
We waited few minutes, and then ad-
vanced into the brush. We looked
around, and in under a bush found
dead native. We searched him. and
found papers on him, which proved that
ne was an insurgent spy. He had fine
knife strapped TO his belt, and I took
that, as war relic. reported the case
to the officer in charge Of the battery.
We buried the spy where he dropped,
and by that time it was daylight, so we
joined tbs battery again.
We started out on the road again at 6
a. N. and marched to where the column
had camped the night before. The COL
umn had gone when we arrived, leaving
one company to relieve az, as rear guard
AS soon as we were relieved we took
abort rest, and then started after the
column. We marched nearly all day
under sun that was hot enough to boil
eggs, up one mountain and down anoth-
er. We finally came in sight of the COL
umn as they were climbing mountain.
We followed in the rear, and had nearly
reached the top of the mountain, when
we met the head of the column coming
back. The guiue had lost the trail and
mad taken us up the wrong range of
meuntains. Well, everyone was mad
when they found it Que, bat there was
no help for 1t, 30 we had to turn around
and 60 down to the bottom OF the noun
tain, and cross valley, and then up an
other range OF mountains. We reached
clear space about half way up the
mountain just before dusk, and camped
for the night. We turned In to sleep,
soaked through with sweat, and long be-
fore morning were running around try
ing to get warm. It was an agreeable |
change, though, as we had enough heat |
during the day. The next morning, |
January s. we started out again, our |
company guard for the battery again. |
We had been on the march about two |
hours, when we heard cannon-firine. |
The troops coming up In the opposite d. |
rection had commenced the fight ON the |
forts. We pushed on, and soon we got
orders to leave small detachment with |
the battery, and the remainder Of the |
company to move up to the head |
Of The column. Bow we. ever got
there, without breaking every mans
neck, is mystery TO me. When we got
.he order, we had just started down a
steep mountain. The lieutenant started
IN run down, and the rest of US after
him. 1t waa the widest race ever took
part in. We rolled and tumbled clear to
POTION Of the mountain. We were all
pretty sore from bruisee, but We got
here. We had a short rest, and then
itarted through the valley to flank the ,
orGs on the hills in front OF as. we
ramped along in q river bed, when it
made turn and brought us in plain view I,
II one of the forts. Our company was
n front, and *. Company next, with the H
lther companies following. AS soon az
he inaurgents saw us, they began firing
N us. Imagined fort on Steep Rock and
roops marching along at the foot OF It.
that was just our position exactly. The
I'LL was so steep that we couldn't climb
B, and we had to pass around its front,
Q as TO come up on the flank. Well,
yhen we came in sight they opened fire ,
n as. They were miserable shots, and
My wounded one man out of K. CONF ]
any. He was about 20 feet behind me
'ilen ne went down. We didn't let them
ave much chance at us, az we double :
med across the open and turned another
end OF the ravine, which hid ua from | !
aeir sight, Here We stopped to take q | !
asts and the companies were divided,