The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-07-27
STRIKING STORY OF
PHILIPPINE FIGHT
Carter H. Harrison Receives In,
teresting Letter from His Son.
ARE NOT HAVING A PICNIC
Food is Scarce and Poor, and it is Cold
at Night and Often Wet-Longs
for Richmond Paper and
Virginia Tobacco.
ARE NOT HAVING A PICNIC

The following letter Of more than usudi
interest is from Sergeant Fred >. dai-
rison. Company B. Twenty-seventh IN
fantry. Z. S. a.. now seeing service IN
the Philippines. It is written 30 tAe
Young officers father. ex-Delesate Car
ter H. Harrison, of Powhatan county.
The story of the sharp encounter with
the Moros is a strikingly tine piece OF
descriptive writing, and the whole gives
an excellent idea of what the boys
in the Philippines are undergoing to IN
crease the nations colonial wealth. The
letter is appended:
headquarters Lanao, EXP.
Camp Wears N1inrd. P. l., May 80, 'o2
Dear Dad:
1--WE have now been in the field for
considerably over month. and l have
put off writing hoping against hope that
we would soon return. But at present
we seem no nearer than the day we
started out, except we have almost &C
complished our object, having taken
forts without number and killing between
500 and 1000 NIoros. I haven't space to
go into details, for as said we are IN
the field. and even food is as scarce as
hens teenth. even though we have been
visited by the paymaster out. here. Our
camp is only about 25 miles in direct
line from Malabang. still to get here
one must go over three times that dis
lance over almost impossible trails. Our
provisions are brought by pack trains,
and sometimes they are delayed and we
have to adopt bruins plans of sucking
our paws, and at best it is only bacon
and hard tack. which we cook lndivid-
u;.lly, but 1 have had some rare meals
Of stuff oca7 fro, the MOrOS such
as rice and bananas, both Of which grow
hereabouts in profusion, and occasionally
chickens, all Of which I have learned to
cook in the most approved soldier style.
STORY OF THE FIGHT.
Suppose you saw some account In the
papers of our principal fight, at Bayan
or Bayang, as it is sometimes spelled.
with the Sultan I mentioned in my letter
just before leaving Malabang. We had
a pretty hard job to take it. We lost
one officer and eleven enlisted men and
four officers and fifty-two enlisted men
wounded Our captain and eight of our
men were wounded and one killed We
advanced from a camp we had occupied
for two days, waiting for the fool Sultan
to surrender on May 2. IL NJ. having had
pretty sharp skirmish with a lot OF
them who alta cked our right flank and
rear. "B Company was next to artillery.
But before SOliiSs tllcl L VIII tSiA > W
exactly the troops that were with us in
the advances Second Battalion of this
Regiment in 'front.' forming advance
guard and firing line. next First Bat
terry. mountain and then 3D. company
supporting them then detachment a
Company forming rear guard First three
forts we tackled were taken by First
Battery, after bombarment by artillery,
without loss of a man. One time they
90, ha
and made it pretty hot for 3D. and the
artillery, but when we got up to main
fort it was a different proposition. 1t
was decked like a ship in red bunting
The artillery and .'B" Company took
highest position Two companies We're
DESIGNATED to take the fort, the other two
to protect our TANKS, both sides being
wooded. and detachment A Company
70 protect rear The artillery shelled the
fort for twenty minutes. seeming 70 90
great execution. but we thought it funny
that We could see no Moros running
away. Then the two companies adj
yanced. when in about 200 yards the
music began The Moros opened up with
fourteen smooth-bore cannon and "hole
arsenal of Remingtons and Mausers.
The two companies sheltered themselves
behind knoll a hundred yards away
and "B" Company was sent up IN sport.
THE three companies charged up tie
trench outside the fort, killed over two
hundred natives in the trenches, banged
away at the fort until it got too dark,
drew off seventy-five yards. formed cor
don dug rifle pits and spent the most
miserable night of our lives. 1t poured
rain all night and was so cold you
couldn't keep from shivering TO save
vour life: couldn't stand up for fear OF
getting shot by one of our men. But
when it got light enough to see we saw
five white flags and the scrap was over.
This is a rotten account of the srandest
sight ever saw. but will tell you the
whole story and make you some maps
when we get back. We had lots OF hand-
to-hand work Had pretty good many
close calls myself. Closest one. Moro
snapped gun in my face before l realized
T saw him, swung his kreos high in the
air to give me what would have split
any ones skull. but while it was in the
air nv siy-shooter got in a word just at
the critical moment, and | was brushlng
blood off my face and hands second
later.
enclose $40 paymaster check to pay
hack = part of what I owe you. Would
,yi,.o anythins for an occasional Sunday
picbmond paper, also couple pounds a
and e ..Richmond Gem tobacco. II
vou send it put not more than two
I,o,1ods in box and mail it to me-