The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-03-16

nlSned Excellent Mark for Sharp
shooters.
Rev. Edward Wooten has received an
other interesting letter from his son,
Lieutenant Bradley j. Wooten, adju-
tant of the First battalion, Twenty
eighth regiment, United States volun-
teers, which is doing very active ser
vice in the Philippines. The letter was
mailed at Manila, sixty miles from
their camp, on February Sth.
Lieutenant Wooten wrote as fol-
lows:
"Taal, South LuZon,
February 2, 1900.
ON the night Of January the 9Th,
we got ready to move our camp and
on the morning of the eth we marched
to a river n the companies of the
First battalion Of u regiment cross
ed the river and camped on the other
side. l went with Major Morgan, of
my battalion, and inspected the Thir-
tieth regiment. We then went back
across the river and camped with our
men that night.
At 5 o'clock Sunday morning we
marched over to Cavite Viejo, and a
few miles or the other side our scouts
were fired upon. We halted and those
mounted got down n went forward
with Major Morgan and looked at the
works Of the enemy with field glasses.
The enemy kept up a hot fire from a
stone bridge n splendid earthworkS
across the river On either side of the
bridge. We ran guns of the Fifth ar
tillery up to 200 yards Of their works.
After some fighting, the insurgent
sharpshooterS wounded one of our
scouts to the left and we shot down
three of their men at their guns.
Two of our companies thanked the
works to the left and as the insurgents
ran, shot into their TANKS, and Com
panies A and G shot into them from
the rear. The fighting started at 7:3O
a. m, Sunday, January 7th, and last
ed two hours.
We went to the bridge after the re-
treat of the enemy and found beauti-
fully fortified breastworks made of
bamboo and rifle holes worked in bam-
boo, and in between was sand packed
hard.
I'VE had fifteen men wounded in my
| battalion.
ed ohnso in the inSurgent trench
with severe wounds. L gave him
a drink of cold coffee and had a con-
verSation with him, from which l
learned that he was a deSerter from
the Sixth artillery, which was at that
time stationed at Honolulu. He was a
military instructor in the insurgent
army and ranked as a second lieuten-
ant. He died before 1 left him.. I have
We buttons from his blouse, which 1
will send to you when 1 get a chance.
/ counted 104 Filipinos killed and we
had only 400 enlisted men fighting.
Wounded so many of them didn't have
time to count them. They were armed
with Mausers, Remingtons and Japan
rifles, of which we secured thirty-one.
1t is very difficult to get their guns,
as there are so a in the trenches
who nave lone and as soon as a fell
low drops they pick UP the gun. Those
who do not carry rifles carry balos, a
cutting weapo
I'VE marched back to our camp and
ate dinner. Thence we went back to
linus and found Lieutenant Cheney, Of
the Fourth infantry, dead, and
other two battal1onS were engaged in
a fight near linus. We Joined them
Immediately, but the enemy retreated.
One sergeant was killed in their bat
talions. In one company there were
seven wounded. About twenty insur-
gents were killed. They had lots Of
cannonS.
I'VE marched at 5 a. m. the next day
and our battalion a a running fight
most of the day. We lost no men in
killed or wounded in the pursuit. A
few of the enemy were killed on their
retreat. we sent out Single COMPANIES
at different times and they ran into
robber bands and killed a few each
time.
After two days stay, Major Nor
gan and 1 took 12S picked men, with
two days rations. We left at 2:30 a. m.
and marched twenty miles on foot
leaving our horses at camp. Slept I'm
der shelter tents and had two blank
cts. The men had nothing but straw,
as the march was so hard they threw
away $50 rounds Of ammunition, re-
tanning only guns and rations. We had
a native pony to carry our stuff as a
pack pony.
I'VE arrived at the town of Slang,
and Major Morgan and 1 went in and
took Dime with General Wheaton and
staff. While there Genera Wheaton
sent a message to Colonel Berkheimer,
one battalion to Taal, which order was
for US to move the following morning.
About half Of our 12S picked men
were footsore and we'll nigh worn out.
I got a horse from Slang, eight and a
half males from Dos Mariands. We
started back at 6 a. m. the next morn
ing for Slang and stopped for lunch,
which Major and I ate with Major
Miller, an old acquaintance whom we
relieved at st. Augustine, Fla, during
the Spanish-American war
That afternoon we started for In
dang, eight miles further, with mule
teams, to carry two days rations and
the men carried one days rations. 1t
was a rainy day, and the bulls slipped,
the hills were steep and the bulls were
tired and 1.-THE Chino drivers were
mad" and everything was tough. /
worked until late at night getting the
teams along, then an order came from
the rear stating that an ambulance
with four mules couldn't get down the
hill. After getting the teams agoing
Company A, which was in the rear, to
move on.
Il went back TO see about the am
bulance and took out the two head
mules. The brakes were out of whack,
so I tied the wheels and told the driv-