The National tribune., 1902-10-02


killed we called "Esse," being his own pro-
! nunciation of the Spanish word "este,"
5 meaning this" 1t was the only Spanish
word he appeared to know, and when told
I to do or get anything he always pointed at
whatever he imagined was wanted and in
J the day of his death, which was within
two weeks from his christening.
1t was amusing to watch the Chinese
drivers when the train was suddenly at
: tackled by natives from ambush. They
!. erOuched behind their stolid animals, acted
pane stricken, yet they appeared to be all
right again as soon the firing ceased.
Apparently they did not like war for war; s
sake alone.
CAMPAIGNING WITH WHEATON.
The utter absence of any engineer corps
made that difficult task. In nothing
} more than this did the lack of preparation
for the campaign appear Six weeks after
} the attack on Menila WheatOn's flying
column was sent to clear Pilars army
out of the Pass region. The nature Of
the ground to he operated over was well
known before the movement was planned.
Pasig was the base of insurgent operations
for that region, and lay on an island be-
tween two rivers. From one side, the
south, the broad. deep and swift Pasig cut
off approach to the city, and from the east
the San Mateo.
As we operated on the south bank of the
Pasig, we would q to cross that river
in any event, and Ably the other, also
) The only bridge lad been at Pateros,
across but one arm of the Pasig, quite a
distance above the city. and even that had
been destroyed. Yet when we reached the
river after days fighting, not a single
provision of any kind had been made to
cross the stream, though the river 10
miles below, at the city, was full of cas-
lcces and launches.
Finally, on the second day, an old casco
and steam launch were procured and con-
lverted into a ferry equipment, by which
about one company at a time could be put
across the stream. Two companies of the
Oregons crossed below the mouth Of the
San Mateo, still having that stream be-
tween them and Pasig, and then the boats
were taken further up, to be used for fer
rying over the Goth Regulars above the
mouth Of the San Mateo, to advance upon
the city from the south, while the Oregon
companies took the defenders on the east
Hank, though with river between them.
The two Oregon companies got into n
hot tight with force on the same side of
the San Mateo as themselves, aided by in
surgents lying behind intrenchments lining
the opposite side of the stream. There
was no way to send them reinforcements
and no way to retreat across the Pasig
again, in case they had been defeated,
which, fortunately, they were not. My
company and another were ordered to
cross to their support, and stood on the
bank of the impossible river for an hour
listening to the sounds of conflict. but un-
able to get over. Meanwhile the Goth Inf
was slowly being placed on the opposide
side OF the river, in readiness for its ad
vance. The crossing was commanded by
Filipino intrenchments, and had the enemy
been at all enterprising it could not have
been made, at least not without serious
loss.
While we were standing on the river
bank, anxious to Cross to the aid of our
comrades, an officer of the United States
Engineers OF mypacqualntance came riding
up, and l asked him why no provision had
been made to get 2the army across the
river. in view OF the fact that it was well
known in advance that the stream would
have to be crossed in order to capture the
city. He replied:
For heavens sake, don't ask me.
am not an engineer officer now. / am only
an Aid on the Generals staff
| While this was going ON the Washing
ton boys were capturing Pateros. They
advanced under fire to the river bank On
the opposite side the enemy were safely
ensconced in the cement easements Of
houses, regular stone forts, and if they
had not been so tenderly careful of their
own safety they might have done our men
great deal of damage, but they would
not expose themselves enough to take aim.
A gun of the 9th Art had been practicing
on them from the crest of hill about two
miles distant, but was now still because
| of the danger to our own men from its
shells. Searching up and down the stream
the men found few dugout canoes, and
with these they crossed the stream a few
at time, exposed to the fire of the Fill
pinOs, feat absolutely impossible with an
enemy that did not consider their indvid-
ual safety Of infinitely more Importance
than the doing of damage to the foe Then
they charged the stone forts, and the enc
my fled helter-skelter into the brush and
| swamp back of town.
do not mean to say that there was no
engineer corps at all, for much work was
done by such an organization in clearing
out distractions from the Pasig and in re-
pairing railroad bridges, ETC., but that no
such organization accompanied the ad-
vancing columns. Whenever bridges had
to be repaired or rivers to be crossed or
roads to be mended, q pioneer force was
selected from the ranks, and these did the
job the best they could with whatever ma
terials and tools they could find at hand,
1t speaks volumes for the intelligence and
skill Of the men in the ranks that they
were always equal to the task.
Occasionally a cheap bamboo bridge was
found across small rivers, but generally it
was necessary to ford them. At first the
men took off their shoes and rolled up
their trousers, but the bottoms of the
streams were generally covered with cob
BILE stones and the current swift, making
barefooted navigation painful and wettinG
likely. Before long the men sconed to
make any preparation whatever to cross
fordable river, except to hold belt and rifle
and haversack over their heads The hot
sun soon dried out their wet clothing, but |
their feet suffered. Army contract Shoes
are not built for that kind Of work, and |
they gave way quickly. Dust got into them |
and became grit in the wet, with the re-
suit that sore feet became a common COM
plaint, or rather fact, for there was no |
complaint. l have seen men tramping |
without word upon feet so sore that were |
they at home they would not take step.
These same men in barracks would have
''kicked" at the cook if their coffee had not
been quite to their taste, and thought
themselves hardly used if they had to walk
their post In the sun for two hours. Out
in the field they marched all day in the hot
sun, with their feet sore and their bodies
covered with the "dobie itch," without a
murmur.
CTo be cOntinued)
Tho Vast Earnings Of Fishermen.
(Snccess.)
- L. I