The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-07
BRAVE BILLY JOINER.
savannah Boy Distinguished Himself
in the Philippines.

savannah Boy Distinguished Himself
in the Philippines.
While the recent brilliant exploit of Brig.
Gen Fred Funston, in effecting the cap
tur, of the Filipino chieftain, is still
linging In the public ear, the minor
but not less brave. exploit of Savannah
boy may prove interesting to his friends
at home.
The Morning News has received from
Private g. B. Knox, Company C, Fifth
Infantry, an interesting letter, descriptive
OF charge made on camp
OF ''goo-goos," by squad OF
soldiers of his company in the
party was Private William A..
Joiner, formerly member of the Ocean
Steamship Company's police force and
well known in Savannah. Joiner enlisted
In the army without telling the people in
this vicinity much of his intentions, and
his disappearance at that time was a nine
days wonder. The writer of the letter,
Knox, is also a Savannah boy.
The incident of which Private Knox
writes occurred near Pidigan, Philippine
Islands, where his company of the Fifth In
fantry is stationed on Jan 20,dast The letter
was written that day, but has only reach
ed Savannah in the last day or two, more
than Two months having been consumed
in its actual transmission through the
mails.
Private Joiner was one OF a party, con
} slsting of a sergeant and five men, sent
out to surround house in Santa Anna
ana erect the capture of Filipino lieu
tenant, supposed to be in hiding there.
The party was guided by a native. an
| alleged aTniOn Of
them in the proper direction, carried them
by circuitous paths and dark trails right
up against an encampment of goo-goos
fortunately the noise of their approach,
| which had ben made with the caution al
ways observed in such forays, had dis
turbed no one in the camp and the men,
bers of the party became aware of it's ex-
istence before the goo-goos knew OF theirs.
The Americans could distinguish with a
dim light, from the smouldering campfire
and the forms of men about the embers.
| They could not distinguish, however,
whether these forms were those of friends
or enemies.
The sergeant suggested that the conda-
ton of uncertainty on the subject was
not necessarily unpleasant or undesirable
and there was no real necessity for any
attempt to solve the mystery. when in
doubt, turn back" was evidently his
| motto, and he urged the advisability of
abandoning the purpose of the night
march and returning to camp.
This did not suit Billy Joiner He told
the sergeant he was going to find out,
and started. He crawled on his hands
and knees for about a hundred yards, to
a point very close to the camp, making
his way through the bamboo fence and
plenty of stiff and thorny bushes. He
moved with exceeding caution, but nee
essarily made some noise and expected
every moment to be shot at from the
camp by some watchful sentinel.
From the position he finally attained he
made out that there were only about
twenty-eight or thirty goo-goos in camp,
so far as he could see. They were sit
ting and lying about the fire, apparently
blissfully unconscious of the proximity
of any of the hated Americanos. Joiner re-
| turned to the place where he had left
the squad and made his report.
The situation cast gloom
over the military ardor OF the
sergeant and he again suggest
| ed that the party return to the COM
| pany. Billy did not like the suggestion
| and insisted on a charge. The sergeant
| apparently rather a vacillating individual
assented to this counter suggestion and
the half dozen Americans charged through
| the brush in the direction of Filipino
camp, yelling and brandishing their rifles
| as they advanced.
When they came to the fence, abou
| fifty yards from the camp. the Filipinos
| began to fire and the sergeant and three
of the men stopped for breath. Joiner and
! a comrade named Lane continued the
| charge, and routed the Filipinos, killing
three, wounding four and capturing one
| other.
Joiner's conduct in this engag emeni
| brought him the congratulations of his
fellows and high praise from his officers
| He himself has borne the honors ac-
| corded him modestly enough.