The National tribune., 1902-06-05

DAYS that elapsed between the demand
for the surrender CT Manila and its en-
forcement Every regiment but this had
been sent to the mainland and was sched-
uled to participate in the attack upon the
city and its subsequent occupation. Regi-
ments that had scarcely wet the soles OF
their shoes on the island were thus to be
favored. while the Oregons, the very first
to land on the soil of Luzon. and pre-
pared specially for the task by six weeks
of persistent drill and contact with the
natives, were threatened with being left
as mere garrison at Cavite. From bugler
to Colonel there was a depression of spir-
its that gave the camp a funeral tone.
fight the Spaniards, and now what all be-
lieved would be the only battle was likely
to be fought without them.
At 1.-THE lyceum" at night, under the
protecting canopy of their mosquito bars
and to the music of the culeN band. the
officers discussed the situation in all its
phases. 1t really seemed to be folly for
the Commanding General to hope to ac-
complish anything without the valuable
help of the Oregons. and ways and means
of impressing this fact upon Gen. Merritt
were warmly debated. Some of the Off
GERS declared that if there was fight and
the Oregons were not in it they would
resign and not go home. Discipline kept
the men from talking to their officers
about the matter. but any officer who was
not deaf had no difficulty in learning the
state of opinion in the ranks from the
chance remarks they overheard and the
jokes and sarcastic comments they made
to each other.
Col. Summers took the matter up with
Gen. Merritt, and so forcibly presented
the claims of the regiment to participate
In the capture of the city, and especially
the superior qualifications of the men for
policing it, because of the fact that most
of them could now speak enough Span
fish to converse with the natives, while
the new regiments could not, that, instead
of being left as garrison at Cayite, the
regiment was selected for the most i'm
portant duty of all, that of entering the
walled city to receive the surrender of the
Spanish troops and to guard and patrol
that citadel of Spanish power in the Phil
ippines. This assignment involved the pos
sibility of having to make an attack upon
the walled city from the water front, the
regiment being transported to the city by
water.
Late in the afternoon of Aug. II orders
were given for the regiment to prepare
to go on board transport at O'Clock
the next morning and accompany the feet
In its bombardment of the city. Then
followed a season of feverish activity and
noisy hilarity. Everything in the shape
of property and equipment of the COM
pany or the men was packed in chests or
bundles and stored with the Depot Quar-
termaster, and when taps sounded each
man lay down on his bunk with just what
he was to take with him in the morning.
This consisted Of a ration for a single
day, issued by squads, $50 rounds of
Springfield ammunition, gun and bayonet.
blanket and poncho. The ammunition was
a cumbersome burden. A wise and
thoughtful Government had sent men to
war where battle of any duration what
ever would call for the expenditure of not
less than $50 rounds per man, and where
It would be rank folly to permit soldier
to carry less than 100 rounds with him in
service. and had provided him with an
ammunition belt that would hold but so
cartridges. The remaining 100 he must
carry about his person as best he could,
usually in his pockets and his haversack,
though the capacity of the latter was none
too great for the rations he ought to have
with him.
In this case rations were discarded and
the haversacks filed with cartridges. AS
the Colonel tersely said in giving his Or
ders to the officers, at is not bread you
will want tomorrow, but bullets" and so
1t was bullets we took, none of which we
used, while we nearly starved to death
before we got into friendly relations with
the Commissary again. We also ruined
most of our haversacks. They were of
the cheap canvas variety, with canvas
straps, provided by parsimonious board
for the use of the National Guard, and
the great weight of the ammunition broke
the straps when we undertook the next
afternoon to do a little double time in get
ting into the city, and a whole lot of am
munition was expended in action"
Yet there was weeping and wailing and
crashing of, teeth, for the Sd Battalion
was ordered to remain at Cavite as gar
rison. with the exception of one company,
which accompanied Gen. Merritt on the
Newport as his special bodyguard, and az
ter the capture remained at headquarters
on duty until after the campaign against
the Filipinos began, the following Spring,
when it Joined the regiment.
GIN THE Mx-UP"
That night was a hilarious one within
restrictions of noise in the mess room Of
the officers quarters, which had recently
been removed to the commodious rooms va
Gated by the officers of the 18th. The
Commissary, who managed sort of Off
GERS club, had procured some ice from
tne neet ana some champagne the Brigade
Commissary had been thoughtful enough
to bring, and for brief time at least the
joy at the opportunity of getting into the
~mix-up" on the morrow was given free
expression.
When the sun the next morning rose
over the hills back of the laguna and look
ed down upon Cavite. it discovered the
Oregon regiment In line on the wharf
ready to embark upon the side wheel
steamer Quong Hoi, having had reveiile
and breakfast early. The men were in
what was then supposed to be marching
and fighting order, but the error of this
supposition became apparent before night,
and was recognized even by those in au-
th0rity when we began actual work in the
field the following Spring.
The soldier in the Philippines, to be of
any service, cannot make beast of bur-
den of himself on a campaign. Besides
his gun, poncho, a 100 rounds OF ammuni-
ton and possibly days rations he should
undertake to carry nothing, except in an
emergency, and the emergency should be
an actual one and not imaginary.
So cranky was our craft that we had TO
load the lower deck first to avoid the dan
ger of her turning turtle and when we
disembarked we had to reverse the process
and let the battalion from the upper deck
march down and through those below; a
process that reused the ire of those who
thought they ought &c be the first TO land
and be initiated into the mysteries of the
surrendered city.
SIGNIFICANT MOVEMENTS OF TIE FOREIGN
FLEETS.
d.