Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-16
PURSUIT OF THE TAGALS
WASHINGTON BoY's EXPERIENCE IN
THE PHILIPPINES.
Weary March Over Mountains - In
trenchments FOund Deserted
Streams Crossed En- Route.


lions of the American troops. He takes
occasion to describe number or marches
made to attack different towns, but which,
on the arrival of the boys in blue, were
found to be deserted. They had expected to
find them strongly fortified.
In the course of his letter he says:
AT 8 o'clock the morning of December 16
reveille was sounded in camp and shortly
afterward the men were busily engaged
preparing for a hard days march Al
o'clock seven companies of the ablest
bodied men, with a hundred mounted men,
one piece of artillery and pack train OF
about fifty mules could be seen passing
through the deserted streets OF Cagayah.
We had about fourteen miles to march 20
the point where we expected our first tsou-
ble-the town of Tagaloan, where our
mounted detachment had been engaged
few days previous. We crossed about seven
streams and just before entering the 'o"si
we were fired on from the mountains at
long range, but no notice was taken VI
this We marched into the town, WHICH
was entirely deserted. After taking rest
and eating dinner we crossed the lasa-
loan river, which was up to our shoulueIt t
in places, and owing to the s"lil Luz ~
the men were obliged to cling TO eacH ON -
while crossing There were trenches all
along the river bank, but fortunately III
us they had been deserted mat hlshl W.
camped on the bank of the river anu W.
Joined by company A, which mad CONS
within two miles of the place by water,
We dried out our wet clothes nee, men
started out for Chow, and that hlsn' ""
had fried chicken for supper, as we iidu
been told we could kill anything we wanted
to eat. On the following morning, the
18th, we were on the march before Gay
light bound for Santa Ana, place oniy
four miles distant supposed 10 De stIoiSS
fortified, but which was founo 10 oe &c
serted. .uo ona
1.-The colonel ordered a rest mere, anu
it was yet quite early in the mornils, -
we at once skirmished around LOT SUM -
thing to eat, and 1t was iunhy ,,.ino
around the corner of a shack with apout d
dozen hungry soldiers in pursuit, auu l
would not be long before that same pig
or whatever it might be, Woulu We a, 10
soldiers mess kit On leaving santa ANA
that afternoon all the sick men ana those
not able to stand a good, stiff march' %eIe
left in Santa Ana with Company A, WhiSn
remained there. AS we were lea cav $50 une
town we were fired on from the inodh
tatns. We simply changed our course anu
compelled two native prisoners 10 suiuS
us over a sort of blind tran TO the i go
of the trenches, which we reacheu ~. ~
davs later The course over winch lile
native prisoners took us was over a noun
tain and down into deep canyon. We
marched through this canon all tnal d. ~. ~ q
noon and it was after midnight whei ~
mack train got in, owing to the oeiay
n Getting the cannon over the trail. we
crossed one stream thirty-eight times, anu
all along the route the natives Wouiu ~,
stones down from the top OF the "a,is So, "
the canon in the effort TO 90 US ha' 'iA'
but fortunately no one was hurt. ,,
1T was raining and just gettlne , "a
when we got out of the canon mo d ~, ~
gan in the mountains, called fahpioilel'
Ill loo a
serted I was detailed for guard duty
and If was the Eloomiest night had ever
experienced. 49, ,o., ,a
ION the following morning, the 18TH, we
were up at O'Clock, and soon on .iie
march. and the first thing to greet US was
a river, waist deep. This day we were
rear guard, and we had not got into me
when we heard the crack OF hras, anu
a little later we saw the result OIL Una. siiE.
for beside the trail lay dead native, VINO
had tried to spear the man who was con,
Meeting link between the advance suai u
and the main body His shield lay pesioe
him. but it would not stop a krag puilel.
..Jera the trail begins to ascend anu
after a hard climb we are on the summit
of a high mountain. Then 1T was almost as
hard descending on the other side, put aIte l
reaching the base we had pretty eooo
marching except for fording stream sew
eral times. The natives took pop shots at
ne while we were stumbling along IN the
water We soon arrived at MaHtpog ana
remained here the rest OF the day ana ina
night The next day we marched PACK
oVer the same trail for a couple of miles
and started up sleeper mountain than
the one passed over the previous day, winch
on account of the cannon, played out three
companies This mountain is right In the
hack of the one which Fort Suray is sit
mated on and we expected to begin the
fight here but the Tagals got on to u.s.
and when ge got to the trenches from the
rear we found them deserted. They were
| hot IA
built so thew could not be flanked, and for
half a mile in front of them they had diff
ferent sorts of traps in the way OF bricks
so arranged that they would either get
YOU tangled up or cause you to fall on
sharpened sticks. They had other traps
that would spring by stepping on vine or
stick and cause a spear made of bamboo
to strike person in the body and cause a
nasty wound In front Of the trenches is a
deep ditch full Of sharpened sticks and the
breast works are made of earth. rocks and
logs, put in the ground perpendicularly to
the height of about eigh, feet and just
wide enough apart to let a rifle come
through. we set to work and destroyed
the trenches, then went on into Santa Ana
1.-The Goth we remained in Santa Ana tc
get rested up, and that night we received a
call from the natives, who got on the out
skirts Of the town and shot through ouI
shacks. On the 21st we marched to Ma
Htboe again. The Tagals had been there
| a short time before, for they left their fooc
| and everything else IN their haste. we Ole
not remain long, however and were soor
| climbing the mountains. Being in advance
| again that day we did not have the can
| non to bother us, but nevertheless 1t wa:
| the hardest march 1 ever experienced II
my life, climbing from one peak to a higher
| one under the hot tropical sun, for hour:
| without water. 1t was awful, but we stucl
| it out.
| "Soon afterward we made the descent
| which was much shorter, but sleeper Evi
| IDENTIFY the enemy did not expect us to came
| that far for they did not discover us unit
| we were within thousand yards Of thu
| village called Slo. situated in a prett!
| little basin in the mountains The minute
| thew spied us men, women and children
| ran in every direction. We opened fire a
900 yards range. and when we could SCI
| no one in the place we dashed down thu
| mountain into the town, and here we dis
covered that they had been having flu
| neral in the little bamboo church, but the.
left the body in their flight. Four dea'
were found on the side of the mountail
| and no doubt others were wounded.
I'VE camped here that night and the mex
| morning we burned the town. except tn
little bamboo church with its CHASTITY occu
| pant. On the 22d we marched back owe
/ the same trail to Malitob. We campe
there that night and the following morning
burned the town down, for we had bee
fired on when leaving the town on the pre-
yious day. We then started back towar