The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-09-27
JOHN PEARS KILLED.
Kenosha Boy in Philippines Writes
of the Death 1f His Com
rade in Arms
FIGHTING WITH THE FILIP1Nos
Joseph Makowsky Tells the Story of His
Experiences in the Philippines-Be-
sieged by Tagals in Church.

alive and so far have been able to keep
from stopping bullets. Perhaps the
papers have enabled you to know as to
our movements since we left home,
but am going to tell you anyway.
When we left home we went to Camp
| Meade We were there until the I'd OF
| November, when we went to New York
on the big transport Thomas. On the
4th of November we left for Manila
and reached there on the 23d of De
cember, after being on water for forty
nine days. Christmas Eve we landed
and in heavy marching order we
marched ten miles, most of the way
being through dirt up to our knees.
We got no supper that evening, but
the next morning we got our I'LL OF
those we'll known articles of soldiers
food, sow-belly and bareback. After
brea kfast we marched into the firing
lines four miles away. There we
stayed for ten days, when we got or
ders to pack up. We were taken
aboard boats and down the Passig
river into Manila Bay, where we were
put aboard the transport Hancock.
The soldiers aboard were Companies
| G, E, F, G, H, of the Forty-seventh
regiment of the u. S. V. We were
taken to place called Legaspi, about
300 miles south Of Manila. Here is
where Our troubles began and the 47th
had it's first fight. We were taken
aboard a Spanish boat, the Venus.
About three miles off Legaspi we wait
ed for the warship Nashville. At
about O'Clock on the morning of Jan
uary sd the Nashville passed us and
steaming in close to shore began max
ing examinations. From our boat we
could see the long line of trenches.
The trenches were crowded with men,
| but no shot was fired, they seemed to
be watching us closely. The Nash
vi1ie's inspection took some time.
| Well, after a little time we were or
dered to land, that is, about IT'S men,
some of each of the five companies. It
was about noon when the landing
boats got close to shore and we could
see the Fi1ipinos moving behind the
| trenches, evidently getting ready to
stop our party from getting into the
town. Just about that time the big
guns of the Nashville were brought
into action and I tell you for about an
hour you could not hear yourself think.
| She DESTROYED the trenches the Fi1ipin-
os had built and quieted a couple of
cannon. We were under fire the min
ute we landed. We killed about fifty
Fi1ipinos and wounded a number. The
fire from the Nashvil1e's guns set fire
| to a couple of warehouses and there
was hot time all around. We had
five men wounded. I should say the
fighting lasted about an hour and a
half, when the American flag was
raised over Legaspi.
tell you this is anything but pleas
ant business. wish you could see the
trenches these niggers dig. For some
reason they don't stay in them when
firing begins. They on'tlike our vol
| ley firing. We scout around the big
hills and kill niggers wherever we are
fired on. The 9th of February is day
I'll never forget. We were stopping
in church in Darago, when at about
1 O'Clock at night 200 Bo1omen and
about 800 rifemen made an attack on
us. The guard got in all right with
the exception of one man, and they
said he was drunk, at any rate he got
killed and cut all to pieces by those
terrible Bo1os. We had to do our fight
ing through the church windows and
opening in tower. There were about
$50 of us belonging to Companies
and H. shot 1913 shots in As minutes.
They could not get close enough to set
the church afre, so they set everything
around about us afre and tried by that
to smoke us out, but the church we
were in lies on hill and the wind was
in our favor, so they failed. The peo-
pie who lived in this place deserted it
when trouble began. A few Spanish
and Chinese that could not get away
were found cut to pieces, heads, arms
and legs being severed from bodies.
We lost two men, one of Company H
! and one of Company F, and had fifteen
wounded,
I The next day we marched to the next
! town, where we found that Company
I
being attacked by Filipinos. At day
break they rushed out and killed forty
eight Filipinos and captured number,
They made the prisoners dig big hole
and bury the dead in it. This took
place in town called A1boy.
| From there our detail went back to
Legaspi, On the 18th of February we
packed up and went Ia boats to town
called Tabaga. There were Compan-
les E, f, G, of the 47th, and twelve
companies of the 10th regiment; we
had easy landing. Later on, though,
we hadsa little fighting. You will be
surprised to know that IN some places
the insurgents have and use the ole
fashioned bow and arrow. The towns
in which we had tc fight are Legaspi
A1bop, Daraga, Marbarne. Camalig
Legone, Tabags, Guenebatan, besides
little skirn1isE1es in perhaps thirty
: other places. We lost in all abou