The National tribune., 1902-01-30

The combined footrace and battle that
wheaton's "Flying Brigade" INDUCED in
on July II, 1899, is yariously known
among the boys Of the Oregon regiment
as the Battle Of Hombre Rum or the
"Laguna de Bay Hike 1t was more OF
q hike" than battle, for we chased
the insurgents up hill AMI down dale,
across brushy ravines and swamps, for
about 10 miles, at regular siX-day-go
yo,I-plcase speed, winding UP with a
Hscr:ip'' in which there were a few cas-
ualties on our side and we hoped not
few on theirs, and then tramp along the
bay shore about 10 miles back to camp
again. 1t was Il full day OF the siren
uous life.
The object of the Flying brigade was
TO drive Gen. Pho del Pillar out Of the
Pasig region and cut the Filipino army
In two by occupying the Pasig from its
source in the Laguna to Mania. while
dominating the laguna itself by the river
gunboats that had been improvised by
the army. This would render it impos
sible for the insurgents in the provinces
south of the river to cross north, or vice
versa. The brigade had done its work,
had captured the strong position at Qua
delupe Church and the insurGent head
quarters ut pasig, heavily defended by
trenches. and the nciGhboring towns Of
Cainta, Pateros and Tayguig, driving one
force of the enemy north into the Mara
quina Valley and another south along the
Lagma toward the mountainous province
of BatangaS. where the last stronghold Of
the insurrectiOn now seems to be in Luz
zon 1t was this last force which played
hide-and-seek with us that day.
The afternoon before Pillar had como
quietly back and made a sudden attack
upon the Washington company, holding
the advance position on the south at ray
guig, and had been driven off with the
L., 4
little later he ran against one of the COM
panies of the 22d, with the result that IA
of the latter were killed or wounded. This
determined Gen. Wheaton to make clean
sweep Of it, and he planned combined
advance and turn of a long line, with tht
hope of surrounding and capturing Pillar
force. The line was to include three reg
iments, the WaShiugtons on the left, with
their left resting on the LaguDa and act
ing as the pivot, the 0regOns in the cen
ter and the 22d on the extreme right, the
entire line being about three miles long
and in extended order. The Washing
tons were already near their assigned pO-
sition. as was also the 22d, but the Ore
CONS were about two miles down the river
at n little barrio called Malapat he BatO,
and had composed themselves for the
sleep of the Just when the order to move
up the river to the starting point for the
sweep arrived.
order came the men had been aroused
from sleep. the tents struck, the company
bull carts loaded and the regiment was on
the march for its new sleeping grounds,
which proved to be a rice field of unex-
celed hardness and rOughness, as this was
right in the middle of the dry season.
Reveille was at o'clock i'll the morn
ing, and after hastly-prepared break
fast of coffee, bacon and crackers-ofi.
cially designated, and not inapproprlateiy,
as "hard bread" on the ration returns-we
started up the steep hill that cons stituted
the rim of the river valley. and gained
the high ground where the 22d had spent
the night. That regiment moved off TO
the right, while We followed for dis
tance in a column of files, this formation
: being the best adapted for moving along
the narrow trail that led over this rough
and hilly region, which constituted the di-
vide between the Laguna and Manila Bay.
1t was also the easiest from which 10
form line OF battle, since as soon as we
were in the proper position we simply
executed a left flank and the line was
formed. Using the Washingtons for a