The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1900-08-01
soldier letter.
MANIA, r. L.,
June 18th, 1900.

41fAENA44fAa Ill
June 18th, 1900.
Editor Register;
AS native Of Point Pleasant
and reader and admirer of your
valuable paper, 1 write you some
of our experience since our arrival
in the Philippines. On January
lat the United States Transports
Lanley Vostock and Columbia
sailed into Manila Bay with the
And u. S. Vols, after very pleas
ant voyage of thirty days from San
Francisco. We anchored close to
the U. S. Battleship Oregon until
the following day, where we dis
embarked. The first news we
learned was the sad account of
Major General Lawton's death,
which the boys felt very keenly, as
no doubt he was the idol of both
Volunteers and Regulars alike
On the Dock we were met by our
Colonel, Milton 1. Thompson, for
merly Major in the 18th Infantry
Regulars, and who took a conspicu-
Eous part in the Cuban oampaigne.
We instantly marched out to La
Iona Church, to what is known as
! the North Line. 1T is situated on
the extreme north of the city near
Calooca, and protects the Manila
and Lugapont Railroad. Here the.
}, Western md Tennessee Volunteers
took pnrt in some hot fighting and
when the second battle of the In
surrection was fought, the first two
nights Mt La Iona we were called
to arms on several occasions, by
some of our out posts shooting at
imaginary Insurgents, but it never
} amounted to anything. We re-
remained at La Iona until the af-
! ternoon of January goth.
The boys were beginning to de-
spair, thinking they were not going
! to sec active service; however their,
! despair was soon shattered, ps on
! the afternoon of January Goth, as
we we're preparing for supper, an
order came into camp for Compan-
J les q, ID, e, #, q and Ell to take
! three days rations and prepare to
leave camp Immediately in light
marching order, which means pom
ohio, haversack and canteen; we al
SO carried one hundred rounds of
ammunition. We started at. $3.50 p.
IN and marched until IL O'Clock
We covered about ten miles over a
pretty rough country. We instant.
ly went into camp, which was sim
ply stack arms and lie down be-
side the stack. We arose the fol-
lowing morning at 4:30; each man
cooked his own breakfast, and we
continued on the march, travelling
at the rate of from seventeen to
J twenty miles daily, and only going
into camp when darkness prevented
us from going any farther. This
day we we're obliged to ford several
rivers, ono of the rivers being too
deep to attempt, we were taken
across in native canoes; one of the
canoes tipped over, throwing the
men in the river. They were soon
rescued but their guns were only
got after some difficulty. During
the night we went through one of
the most difficult trails, on the Is
land of Loazon. 1t is known
amongst the Spaniards as the wal
ley of DEATH" as the Insurgents
massaored several of their troops
here; it is a regular death trap, and
once ambushed here it would be
pretty hard to get out. About 1920
we got out of this trail, and at IL 100
O'Clock we went into camp for the
night We took some desperate
chances with regard to camping.
The following noon we reached
Morang, which had been taken two
days before, by the 9th Vols.
Here we learned the object of our
mission, which was to scatter bands
of Insurgents in the Province of
Morang, who were trying to form
junction with General Callie's
troops at Pate. We were also ex-
peoted to re-enforce General
Sohwaus Flying Column at Santa
CRUZ.
After breakfast the next day
Companies @, D. Eand q went up
on the mountains to make recon
noissance, and did not go far until
we ran into large body of Insur-
gents, strongly intrenched ON the