Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-08-31

them and they rushed upon us furiously,
evidently with the determination of kill
ing us at once. Seeing that further
resistance was hopeless, we surrendered,
notwithstanding which one of our cap
tors approached close enough to strike
one of our number a crashing blow on
the head with the butt of a gun, and
would probably have finished him if it
had not been for the officer with the
party forcing him to desist. We were
then hurried away toward the river in
the direction of the road leading to Con-
ception, but we had to leave our poor
wounded comrade lying on the ground,
not yet dead, with some of the enemy
surrounding him. He was subsequently
found boloed.
Arriving at the river, we were rapidly
forced across, Our captors being fired
upon by detachment of American SOL
diers that appeared in view. But they
were soon lost to view on account of Our
party seeking obscurity in the jungle.
Through bypaths and over faint trails
We were pressed onward toward Mount
Arayat, where our guards joined a main
body. There we found Sergeant P
and Private N of the -th United
States Infantry, who were being held
as prisoners of war. Then came weary
marches, in which we were almost
scorched with the intense heat of the day
and became chilled to the marrow from
the cold at night when we halted.
We wondered among ourselves as to
what they would do with us, for they
heaped upon us all kinds of abuse, and
we were often told that we were to be
killed for Our stubborn defense. One of
their favorite amuSementS was to step
up and present cooked revolvers, and
snap them in our faces, we never know
ing at the time but that they overloaded.
To add to the terror which these actions
would inspire a Maccabee scout, who
had been captured along with Sergeant
P, had his throat cut before our
eyes, the Filipino remarking loosely
that this was only to show us what we
might expect.
These cruelties were participated IN by
all our captors, guards, etc, except one
conmandante, who had been in COM
mand of the party which had captured
us, and who had prevented Our being
killed on the spot at the time. He COM
plimented us on the gallant stand we
had made against vastly superior num-
bers. General Aguino, whom we saw
often, was generally very harsh, but he
sometimes gave us cigarettes, and held
conversation with us.
Our marches were terrible. We were
fed solely on rice Only once was the
diet varied, and then three spoonfuls of
salmon were issued to the five of us.
As a consequence, We became very weak,
emaciated and sick with the mountain
fever, and sometimes some of us could
hardly walk or stand.
On the 5th of January, 1900, while we
were at Camansi, in the widst of about
thousand insurgents, we heard shots ex-
changed with the outposts. Never was
the whiz of bullets more welcome to a
soldiers ear. Shortly afterward they
became so frquent that Our hopes of
relief were raised to the highest pitch,
friends were near. But, alas for the
delusion. AS the attack increased, we
were taken out and lined up by General
Aguino himself Then nine Filipinos
were brought out and placed in line
facing us at some thirty PAGES, with
loaded rifles Did you ever look squarely
into the muzzle Of a rifle, knowing that
death was lurking there? All, my friend,
all the evil you have ever done IN your
life comes up to you like a horrid NOV
ing picture. Home, mother, all that is
sanity crowds your mental vision, over
shadowed by the grim visage of Death.
Well as the firing continued to grow
heavier, we were ordered to kneel, and
all obeyed but the sergeant. He refused
to do so. and stood up as straight as
soldier on parade. General Aqulro gave
the order to the firing party, and as the
command "Firer was given | simply
had time to think God bless my poor
mother" Swiftly the leaden messengers
of death sped to their mark, and the
five of us fell wounded or dead. Then
the murdererS rushed upon us with their
bolos, and put finishing touch to their
dastardly work. I saw them cutting up
the other fellows, and feigned death, al
though | had a great hole in my chest.
Therefore, they did not bolo me much,
for the Americans we're getting quite
near. Then our murderers made pre-
cipitous flight.
Dark. shadowy wings seemed to over
power me, and l struggled with myself
as with a foe Indeed, felt as if
fighting with Death, for it seemed ages
after the murderers left us, and yet it
was only few minutes from that time
until the arrival on the ground of Lieu
tenant s. and Dr. G.. of the American
troops. Their voices were like those of
angels to our ears. They found Private
L. shot quite dead. Private c. was NOR
tally wounded, being shot and then bo-
loed in the back of the neck, by which
his head was nearly severed from his
soiroI column He was rational and