The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-06-14
FROM THE FRONT.
Discharged Soldiers Go Through
MankatO.
They Report That the Philippines are
Becoming Pacified, But That Much
Remains to be Done.

Corporal Frank Wunderlich and Pri-
vate VIM. 81. Busby of Winona, and
Privates Edward Berry of st. Charles,
and Albert Fl. Sewst of Plainview
spent Sunday in the city on their
way to their respective homes. They
were members of the Forty fifth U. S.
volunteer infantry, which was mus
tered out of the service at San Fran
cisco June Sd. The regiment was in
the Philippines sixteen months and one
day. serving in the towns and villages
in southern Luzon, pacifying the
country and doing guard duty. They
served Uncle Sam twenty months in
all and are glad to return to America
and be discharged.
Corporal Wunderlich's record credits
him with having been in sixteen Skin
mishes, two engagements and four ex-
petitions Each man is given credit
by the government for what he &C
tually does. If he is in the hospital
when the company goes into action,
he does not get credit for what he
did not take part in.
Corporal Wunderlich stated to a
Free Press reporter that the condition
of affairs in the Philippines has greatly
improved since his regiment landed
there. The country is slowly becom-
ing pacifed, although it will take some
years before it becomes absolutely
| quiet. The large bands have broken
up into smaller ones and are being
hunted down by the troops in smaller
detachments. The Maccabebes are
assisting in this work. This tribe is
one of the most warlike on the island.
Originally it was on the side of the
insurgents, but Aguinaldo placed a
force of the tribesmen in the front
rank in the opening battle, to see what
effect the American machine guns
would have on troops that were expos
ed to their fire. The Maccabebes were
literally moved down, and after that
they turned against Aguinaldo, who
had kept his Tagalos in the rear. They
are now the deadly enemies of the
Tagals. The American troops trust
them implicitly, and when they go
through rice field or jungle the
Americans know that safe road has
been opened up. They have been
given Krag Jorgenson rifles, canteens
etc.
| Corporal Wunderlich was in Manila
when Gen. Funston returned with
Aguinaldo prisoner. The fact of his
capture was not generally known in
the city and there was no demonstra-
tion. The Maccabebes, disguised as
insurgents, aided materially in the
capture of the insurgent leader
Aguinaldo is now using his influence
in favor of peace, but the other insur-
gent officers have put themselves for
ward as leaders to supply his place.
The returned soldiers say that some
of the soldiers in the new regiments
recently sent to the Philippines have
acted injudiciously. They were sta
toned in small towns in pacified
section, but by their overbearing con-
duct they drove all the natives out of
the villages. Then insurgent forces
suddenly appeared from nobody knew
where and drove the green troops out
of three of the villages.
The soldiers speak of the insurgent
bolomen as being bad men to meet
The bolo is long knife or sword
about two feet or more long, heavy
and as sharp as a razor. The natives
are very expert with these knives and
an American has no show against one
of them, even if armed with a rife
and bayonet. The native, will come at
the soldiers head and feet at the same
moment, so rapidly is he with his
m ovements The Americans carry re-
volvers for the bolomen.
In one case, a sentinel was walking
his beat. when he was passed by two
seemingly inoffensive natives. AS soon
as they had passed, one of them drew
a bolo and whirled around on the
soldier. The latter heard suspicious
noise and turned in time to partially
ward off the blow, which otherwise
would have beheaded him. He received
a glancing blow on his cheek. The
would-b assassins took to their heels,
but the sentinel shot them both dead.
The insurgents construct magnificent
trenches such as ten Americans could
hold against an army. They do not
dare to expose themselves and run out
of the trenches when charged upon.
Their favorite IL ode of warfare is to
ambush the Americans Only their
first volley is effective, for they become
excited and shoot wild after that. The
Americans know that after the first
volley there is no danger, and proceed
to rout their assailants
In one expedition that the returning