Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-06-16
OYER.
That is What Private SWEET Writes
from the Philippines, Regarding
Z the Filipinos.
Only Scattered Bands of Guerrilas and
Thieves, and Not Much Fighting -
to be Done.
An Interesting Letter from the Islands
Regarding the Condition of
@ Affairs There.

J. r. Edick of this city has an inter
esting letter from William a. SWEET,
formerly member of Company A
who re-enlisted in the Thirty sixth
volunteer infantry and is now stationed
at Lingayen, where two companies of
the regiment are doing garrison duty
SWEET writes that he is not in the best
health and says: 81 overestimated
my strength in remaining here, but of
the $3.50 I got when re-enlisted put
$400 with the paymaster, SO / will
have little stake when get out. The
ing regiment. To start in with we
had a crackerjack of a colonel, who
understood how to fight goo-goos to
the queens taste. Bell has been made
a brigadier general of volunteers and
has headquarters in Dagupan. The
36th is all split up, one or two COM
panies in town doing garrison duty.
NJ and K companies are quartered in
this town whicn is regimental head
quarters. We have good quarters
and good cots to sleep on. The cots
were sent here as a gift from Miss
Helen Gould and we got 1000 of them.
We have great deal of guard duty
to do, have about $50 or 800 native
prisoners, mostly insurgents or Lad
rones. We work them at building
roads and bridges and policing the
town.
Il have not been in Manila since last
September. We have been on the go
ever since joined the regiment When
the boys left Manila 1 was UP at the
palace. I was sent to Company M and
the next day, the 2nd of August, we
were shipped to San Fernando. We
had hot time capturing the railroad
from San Fernando to the end of the
road. We came so fast bheNnatives
did not have time to take up the track
and left it after smashing the engines
and burning the cars. We expected
big fight at Tarlac, but Bell took two
battalions of the Seth, and K troop of
the Fourth cavalrv and took the town
without firing a shot. About twenty
miles from Tarlac we captured an en-
nd froi pn11 fIo irl
battalion in skirmish line on both
sides of the cars fats) the scouts and
Colts rapid fire gun on car ahead
of the engine, got on the cab himself
and had man cover the engineer with
a carbine, ordered the men to load
magazines and chambers and if the
goo-goos opened fire on us to shoot like
h. Then he gave orders to turn
her loose, as fast as the engine could
go straight to Dagupan. The goo
COOS took up rail and of course that
ditched us but fortunately no one was
hurt to speak of. That was the wild
est ride 1 ever took in my life and l
never want another.
Since l have been in the regiment we
have had hot time. Bell is all right,
only he liked to kill us off with hard
marches. 1t was nothing to march So
or forty miles day; we marched
sometimes 4S hours without stopping
except to eat lunch
The fighting is all over. We run
into bunch of Ladrones once in
while but nothing to speak of. We
have lost three men and had four
wounded since we left Manila last
August. Our first lieutenant had his
leg shot off. There have been good
many officers and men killed and
wounded in the regiment. @
enclose a clipping telling about
Summerield. He was in Company K,
North Dakota. He was out with two
other fellows and the niggers started
the fight. The other two ran Off and
left him. He allied two of them be-
fore they got him. He was good fell
low and a good soldier.
gSI think they will begin moving back
volunteers in six or eight months and
/ think this will be one Of the first reg
iments to so.
3 Swett's letter is dated May 8. Speak
ing OF the other North Dakota boys on
the island he says: Out of Company
A Mike Classy, Jimmy Ream. Emil
Beigel and MYSELF staid here. Mike
and Ream are in Company F, Seth, and
Beigel is in H company, 37Sh. / have
not seen Beisel since last September.