Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-08-16

1
Lieut.. Dutton upon the encouragement
given the insurrection by the anti
imperialists" in this country
Dagami, Leyte. P. T., June "A, 1900
Friend Purnell:
Thinking perhaps it may interest
you. | will write you a short sketch of
the operations Of the regiment and the
work it has done in the Philippines
All If the regiments sent to the Phil
ippines. last fall. none have harder.
more disagreeablc work to do and
none have accomplished their work
more thoroughly and effectually. Re
cruited AT Fort Ethan Allen" VT.
under command of Col. Arthur Murray
of the LIST L. s. Artillery. we sailed
from New York for Manila via the
SucZ canal ana landed at Manila Jan.
LIST, l900-the regiment was sent -
form part Of the defenseS Of Manila.
forming a line Of one company. camps
occupying distance Of about TWO
miles constantly covered by patrols:
there We saw no fighting but We're kept
busy patrolinS and making rough maps
of the country to the front
Neither officers or men cared to
spend their term of service in GLORIOUS
inactivity" and by the constant appli-
cation Of our field officers we We're
made part Of an expedition. under
command Of Brig. Gen. Kobbe to occu-
ny southern Luzon and the islands Of
Samoa and Leyte. the last two islands
We're to be ana were occupied BY the
10
was the only regiment of the expedi-
ton that landed and carried out the
instructions as originally given. From
the first landing at Colbayog, Samoa.
began that record of endurance. abil-
ity and sublime attention to duty
which has won them praise and COM
mendat ton of even the commanding
general at Manila, and the fighting
43d' is equaled by few and eXcelled by
no regiment in the Philippines regular
or volunteer. OF the operations of the
two battalions left in Samoa, I can
write but little from personal knowl-
edge, but have heard Of their good
work. The % battalion landed At
Colbay0g. and after slight resistance
drove the insurgents out without los
ing man. The Cd battalion landed at
Cotbalogan and met with spirited r.
sistance. especially from battery IF
artillery posted on a hill overlooking
the city, but with cheers that could be
heard above the roar Of battle the men
of the 45d charged up through the
thick underhrush. captured the guns
ana completely scattered the enemy
with loss of one man killed and one
wounded.
The I'd battalion under command of
Major l.. G. Andrews. formerly LIST L.
81 L. 5. Cav. and one of the bravest
men | ever saw. landed at Tacloban.
Leytc. Feb. list. 1900. We met with
strong resistance. Then many of us
for the first time met real war" As
we listened to the Screech of the shells
of the Nashville" the whistle of the
Mausers of the enemy we realized a :
one man said we are up against the
real thing now The route of the
rebels We're complete and we chased
them for miles through SWamps and
rivers and over hills, one detachment
even going II another town. Polo. ten
miles distant and driving out three
hundred rebels and camping there un-
til another company came to relieve
them the next day. Since then it has
been a case of constant move The
enemy has made many determined
stands in strong positions only to b."
driven out Of every stronghold they
occupy. and with heavy loss. Officers
and mon have distinguished them
selves 70: bravery. and the work they
have done has been simply superb. I
VIII give a short description of one Of
our battles that YOU may see what they
are like. Our battles are only Skin
mishes in comparison with the battles
of the Civil War. but il takes the same
American bravery and grit for forty
men to charge two hundred insurgents
in a fortified position. as it did to
charge the heights Of Fredericksburg
or the death-crowned hills of GettyS-
burg.
on the west coast Of this island
is town called Hiiongas during the
month of March. the LIST Sergeant of
company "C" was there with sixteen
men but was forced to withdraw and
one man was killed After that the
insurgents fortified the church which
is surrounded by stone wall about
twelve feet high and two or three feet
thick. They dug man-traps and had
about a dozen cannon and about fifty
rifles. plenty of ammunition and large
force Of bOlomen. The place was very
strong and wei fortified. and some Of
the man-traps We're very ingenious.
On the morning Of May 6, Major
Andrews with one company Of the 23d
Infantry. parts Of companies "A. ID
and * of the 43d. and fifty men of
Company C" 43d Infantry. landed to
drive the enemy out. The company of
the 23d Infantry was landed on the
north side of the city, the balance on
the south side. and proceeded by a
/ flank movement to surround the town
connecting with the left flank of Com
pany * Of the sd The men of Com
pany &C. Of the 43d Infantry. under
command Of Capt. Goldsborough. and
one section of Company X 23d In
fantry, under my command advanced
directly upon the church intending to
draw their fire which we did. being
fired at when about one hundred yards
from the fortification: the men fell
back about one hundred yards to get
out of range. and the gun-boat Pam
pango" sheled the church about half