The National tribune., 1902-10-09


performed in few hours by Lawton's
column that went to San, Isidro in the
Spring of 1899. Common dugout canoes
were the only means of transit. Carts
and guns were carefully rolled upon the
gunwale of a canoe, one at time, the
craft barely keeping them out of the wa
ter. Men swan alongside to keep tle load
from tipping over, while other swimmers
towed the outfit with a rope. On the other
side long lines of men with ropes dragged
them up the steep bank, where the ami
mails that had also swan over were again
hitched to them, and the procession started
once more.
1t would seem strange to an old soldier
of the civil war to be carried off the field
by Chinese litter bearers when wounded,
but that was the way American soldiers
in the Philippines were attended to during
the Spring of 1899, and possibly may still
be- Chinese cargadores could be hired at
about the pay of regular soldier. and
could do better service, as they were
trained to carry burdens, and sometimes
wounded man had to be carried several
miles on a litter before he reached an am
bulance. This left the soldiers to use
rifles. Whenever we started on the march
when with Lawton, either with the bri-
gade or on q special raid, each company
had a member of the Hospital Corps with
it, accompanied by two of these Chinese
cargadores with litter. Sometimes it
was wounded men and sometimes men
Frustrated with heat who were borne by
these Oriental bearers. Quite in contrast to
the Chinese caribao drivers, these men eX-
hibited no special fear under fire and would
follow the Hospital Corps man upon the
field and pick up the wounded with as
much courage as white men would have
done. Apparently they did this because
they had engaged for it and it was their
business, while it was not the business of
the drivers to remain under fire. l see no
special difference between Chinese and
white men in this respect, the ordinary
white civilian suddenly exposed to rifle
fire exhibiting as much sign of alarm and
panic as civilian Chinese. l believe
Chinese under white officers would make
splendid soldiers, though not equal to the
American, because not possessing his in
itiative and pushing spirit nor his pride.
After all has been said about soldierly
qualifications, personal honor and pride
lead them all.
PERSONAL COURAGE AND PRIDE OF AMERI-
CAN SOLDIERS.
OF this fact 1 saw plenty of evidences.
The American stands his ground and
fights and if need be dies in his tracks
because he is too proud to run. 1t is not
30 much that he fears what his comrades
might say as that he would despise him
self if he let his fears get the better of
his resolution. There are some who have
not this strong self-respect and are salts
fed to make an appearance of courage, to
cling to the Spanish style of honor, salts
fed to "save their face only; but not so
with the great majority. My experience
with American soldiers is that. they re-
spect themselves, and their steadfastness,
courage and dash are result of this feel
ing chiefly. The few who ask for or
eagerly accept some detail that will take
or keep them out of the fight are in a
minority. and they do not long retain the
same with officers, only more SO, for the
men watch them closely, and soon know
who the fighting officers are and who are
the shirks. and unless there are other rea-
sons for dislike. opinion of them is likely
to be based chiefly upon judgments thus
formed. More prominence may be gained
and more honors received by an officer who
asks or has given him some special detail
that keeps him out of danger, but he can
never occupy in the hearts of the men the
position filed by the officer who stands
side by side with them where the bullets
6y. Such is human nature.
l remember al incident of personal
courage and pride in my own company at
the battle of Malabon About a dozen of
extreme flank and were lying on an open
turnpike exposed to heavy fire from ma
tiyes behind intrenchments which we
could not reach because on the opposite
side Of stream. BY lying close along
the edge of the pike partial shelter could
be had, but two men sat bolt upright in
the road because they could see to shoot
hot hnir char 1nl IN if1an off tp.n
to safety, though so far as appearances
went they might have done SO without
any loss of prestige among their comrades,
who were themselves seeking what shell
ter was possible, strictly in accordance
with the spirit Of the drill regulations.
While sitting there as unconcerned as
though at a picnic, they discussed the
range, the force Of the wind and the re-
suits of their shots as soolly as though at
target practice. Not content with this.
when II became time to retreat because to
advance was impossible and to remain
was Of no value, they walked upright
and carried a wounded comrade out of
danger. 1t was not bravado nor q desire
to make show which made them do this, |
but they would have been ashamed of
themselves il they had not.
At another time / sat between two of
my men behind the slender protection Of
q rtce ridge Is inches high during a strong
night attack. The man on the right sat
bolt upright, carefully aiming his gun at
the red flashes Of the enemy, while the
man on the left dug himself into the ground
rs far as he could. keeping his head down
behind the ridge except for the instant
he raised it to discharge his piece. The
first was putting his bullets where the
enemy were, but the second was only help
Ing to disconcert the enemy by making a
noise. The nrst was too proud to seek
safety at q disadvantage to shooting. The
second was not q coward by any means.
He was under fire for the first time and
had yet to get his nerves attuned to the
Gauser song.
XANsANs AT RIO eRANpE DE pAMpASGA.
When the Kansas regiment crossed the
Rio Grande de Pampanga and captured
the heavy intrenchments on its opposite
bank, several men swan the river. under
6re, with q rope for the purpose of at
taching it to a tree on the opposite side. |
to be used to pull over 4 bamboo raft bear
ing q score Of their comrades. The tree
was almost at the very face Of the in
trenchments to be stormeS, and vet the
Filipinos had not man brave enough to
come out from cover and cut the rope. |
NOR to expose themselves sufficiently to
get good shot at the daring men. They
crouched behind their intrenchments IN
fear OF the rifemen across the stream who
were combing the crest with their bullets.
Had they been Americans, or possessed
the personal pride Of Americans, there
would have been a score Of them jump to
cut the rope or to kill the daring men who
were fastening it and had come alone