Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-01-20
BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA MONDAY JANUARY 90 1902

tunately for me another native stabbed
me in the left shoulder and still an
other native struck me in the face with
the butt of rifle; this blow knocked
me backward onto the men struggling
on the stairs, and being of bamboo
they broke with the weight upon them
and turned a SUNNI mersault and landed
on all fours. felt somewhat stunned
but realized that some action had to
be done SO I made a dash for the kit
chen but found that the natives were
crowding into that from the back and
were upon me, but fortunately spied
a butcher knife and bread knife
which l seized. and lunging forward /
buried the butcher knife to it's hilt in
the breast of a native, and upon turn
Ing to use my other knife saw the
quartermaster sergeant pushing for
ward welding a Japanese sword. We
We're surrounded by dozen natives,
but fought desperately with our fists
and the weapons we had secured The
quartermaster was struck down with
an axe by a blow delivered from be-
hind and just as he fell bullet from
one of our fortunate lads picked a ma
tive off from my front and l killed and
wounded the next two as 1 rushed be-
tween them, but the one to my right
gave me bad cut in the right arm
near the elbow. l then was fortunate
enough to secure a rifle, and with that
and my belt full of ammunition, felt
like giant. Oh, God, how we boys
did fight-only twelve of us left able
to- do anything now; but we fired from
our magazines as rapidly as possible,
and the natives began to drop rapidly
under the shower of bullets, and as this
handful of soldier boys kept popping
them over the black devils began to
take to the woods, and after over an
hours hand-to-hand battle the field
was hours.
Quick to think and act we detailed
1our men to guard the way while we
proceeded to carry the wounded to the
river, where we had discovered five
small dugouts which the natives had
not destroyed. Not deeming ourselves
strong enough to hold the village
against the natives, it was decided
best to take our wounded comrades
and push out to sea and row to Basey
where Company G was stationed and
get assistance.
In about twenty minutes we had all
the wounded gathered up and in the
boats, and after driving the natives
back twice more, we lowered our FLAG.
placed box of hardtack and can of
water with about 1000 rounds of am
munition in our largest boat, and TAX
ing one last look among our dead to
be sure that none who were onlv,
wounded were left, we pulled out to
sea. and as we left the shore it was
sight to see the black devils pour out
of the jungle.
When we got some distance out to
sea we proceeded to bandage, as best
we could, the wounds of those who
were the most severely injured.
Nine miles out from Balangiga and
about six miles from shore the ocean
began to get choppy, and in few min
utes one of our boats swamped. We
took three of the wounded in my boat.
which was the largest, and one was
taken lno the small boat. but we had
to pull away and leave three wounded
and one abe bodied men drifting with
the swamped boat as the other boats
were in danger of being swamped. We
had only gone perhaps three miles fur
ther when another boat swamped. but
we were now so far apart that we
could not help these unfortunaItes.
Two We're wounded and one able bodied
these three are among the missing.
We found the body of one soldier lying
on the beach the following day, as we
we're returning to Balingiga with help.
After the boats commenced swamp
ing, the senior officer, Sergeant Frank
Betron, sent one of the dugouts-a
small one carrying two men-on ahead
toward Basey, but they got lost and
did not reach the American troops un-
til the following morning at 8 o'clock,
and these were stationed at Tawan on
the Island Of Leyte.
The boat was in, with 10 wounded
some of whom bled to death--and
three not wounded, pushed on all night
and at about 4 o'clock Sunday morn
ing, the 29th, we arrived at Basey, Sa-
mar. where Company G of the Ninth is
stationed.
Sergeant Betron reported the news
to Captain Bookmiller, and it was tel
ephoned from here to every garrison
on Leyte and Samar that could be
reached by wire.
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