The National tribune., 1902-10-09

Calumpit, a Corporal volunteered to re-
connoiter the iron railroad bridge to dis
cover if it were passable for troops or had
been partially destroyed by the enemy. 1t
| was a most dangerous feat, because the
intrenchments were at the very abutments
of the bridge on the opposite side, and it
was not at all unlikely that sentinel was
maintained on the American side to give
| warning of a possible attack from us.
Removing his shoes and taking but a
revolver with him for a weapon, he work
ed his way up to the bridge and slowly
| across it, hugging huge iron girder, un-
| til within hearing distance of the senti-
nels at the opposite end. Canoes passed
in the water beneath him, the occupants
of which might at any time see him out
| lined against the starry sky, or his revol-
yer might strike against the bridge irons
| or something be disturbed by him in the
dark and make noise.
All these dangers were safely passed
and he returned with the information that
the floor Of the bridge had been removed
and troops could not cross save by work
ing their way in single file along the gir-
ders. To do this uEder fire would be i'm
possible. He thus saved the slaughter
| that would have followed an abortive at
| tempt to rush the bridge in the morning.
| There was no comrade to watch him. He
might have gone to the end of the bridge
only and then come back and no one would
have been the wiser, but his own self-re-
spect and pride would not permit him to
do so. Some of the Montana regiment
did work their way across these girders
the next day when the FilipinOs began to
abandon their intrenchments, and arrived
on the other side to join in defeating them
again after they had made a rally a little
further back from the stream.
sPoILING SPIRIT AMONG SOLDIERS.
This spirit of individual assertiveness
and fidelity to duty for duty's sake is ac-
companied in the American by the sport
ing spirit. 1t may seem lacking in refine
ment to apply the term to motives leading
to deeds in war, but there is certainly a
strong sporting strain running through the
conduct Of the men in battle and at other
times. The man who shoots wants to hit
something just as much when he is shoot
ing at Filipino as when he has drawn
a bead on q buck or a quail. He is not
actuated SO much with lust for killing
though at times that gains the upper
hand, as he is by the desire to be success
full in his shot. That was why the two men
sat up in the road as just related discuss
ing the range and wind instead Of their
own chances Of getting hit. A great to
do" was made in this country over some
letters sent home by some of the Kansas
soldiers in which they said they 'potted
Tue IT ilpiuOs ihe qudli OF SuOt luem ike
rabbits" The old grannies who approve
war but do not want anybody to be hurt,
were immeasurably shocked at these evil
dences of brutality on the part of our SOL
diers, and raised towl about the Ameri-
cans committing barbarities. Apparently
they thought soldiers merely fired at ran
dom in the direction of the enemy and
took no aim whatever. II SO they little
know what brings success in modern war
fare. The soldier who aims carefully at
an individual enemy and hits him is the
one who wins battles in this day and gen.
eration. This sporting spirit helps the
soldier become efficient in this particular.
1t helped the Americans in the Philippines
and it helped the Beers in Africa.
The circumstances under which those
letters were written were not known or
understood by the old grannies who were
horrifed by them, or if they had possessed
jot OF common sense they would have
seen that the expressions were correct and
that the conduct thus described was per-
fectly legitimate and involved no brutality
whatever beyond the degree of brutality
necessary for killing men in war War
is brutal enough, in all good conscience,
and sometime the world may get along
without it, but while we have it an enemy
in arms must be killed, disabled or cap
tured, or there can be no success.
On the day in question the lines north
OF the city were advanced four miles to
new line by the capture of Caloocan, by
the Kansas and Montana regiments. The
enemy, as usual, was hidden in the tim
Der and the advancing troops were under
fire constantly from an unseen foe.
Just beyond Caloocan there is an open
rice field Of considerable width. When
the enemy were driven from the town and
the protection Of the woods and the stone
walls Of the town they fed across this
open tract. Hero was the first time dur
ing the day the men had an opportunity
to see the foe they were fighting and they
made the most Of it. They knelt down
and took careful aim at fleeing individuals
and shot them as fast as they could load
and FIRE with any care. They were as
careful Of their marksmanship as il they
had been shooting for q prize. They even
made bets with each other as to whether
they would hit particular person or not,
just a. q man at the targets might bet on
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