The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-03-31

1t the sweet odor always associated with
Easter decorations, and was satisfied
His work, too, began to receive the ap-
prevail Of many OF the scoffers. and in the
cool of the evening many OF his comrades
sat with him before the bamboo arch and
mingled the perfume OF their corncob pipes
with the fragrance Of its decorations.
| Even the Chaplain came around when
he heard what had been done, and con-
.ratulated DOdson and his terminate on
their achievement, aud in recognition of it
declared his intention to forego the shade
of the mango tree for the Easter services
the following morning and take his stand
in front of the Easter arch.
f. - 49, NATIVES GET BUSY.
But Chaplain's plan and Filipinos and
Commanding Generals do" something else.
When time came for church call the fol-
| lowing morning Dodson's arch was still
Chaplain and the rest Of the regiment
were several miles distant. A lonely bam-
boo arch, with a few empty cracker
| boxes, rice straw and tin cans marked the
| spot Of the camp. The regiment had
folded it's tents like the Arabs, and had
marched away-not SILENTLY stolen away"
like the Arabs, for the bang Of the
| Springfield punctuated nearly every step
of it's advance, while the sharp crack Of
| the Mauser answered it for q time and
| then the natives were too busy running to
| do any more shooting.
ATTACK MADE AT MIDNIGHT.
Sunday is the great day for the Filipi-
| nos to undertake any project. Especially
| do they consider Sunday a splendid time
for a battle. This being SO it naturally
follows that the better the Sunday the
better the battle, and that Easter Sunday
| is the best of all. But as they do not
e - L. 1,niy
| and make all their attacks at night, they
chose the eve of Easter for the occasion
of ''grande combate con los Americanos."
| This was why, shortly after midnight,
| there was q sudden outburst OF firing at
the outposts on three sides Of the camp.
| and in a few minutes cracking of Maui
sers and singing of bullets over and
around the tents. Up sprang the men, and
they were quickly in line. and were taken
| by their officers to the edge of camp and
1 deplOyed behind rice ridges, which were
| high enough to hide a portion Of their
bodies when they lay PROSTATE. For an
hour they replied to the attack, the enemy
not being at any time within 400 yards,
| being afraid to come closer. Then the at
lacking party withdrew. with such of it's
wounded and dead as it may have had;
| abandoned hats and canteens and pools of
blood on the ground they had occupied
being proof of the existence of such, and
| the battle was over.
THE RETURN ENGAGEMENT.
/ The sensitive wire let the authorities
| in Manila know Of what had been going
on that Easter Eve, and it was determined
to make a counter-attack at daylight on
Easter morning, it being very well known
that after their exploit the Filipinos had
gone back to their intrenched position, to
boast Of their exploit and smoke cigarets.
1t was afterwards learned that they had
Dragged of killing 200 Americans, which
was true enough il they had omitted the
ciphers. two men on outpost having lost
their lives. The regiment had but laid
down to sleep when the order came for
the connter-attack. The men were
aroused, coffee was hastily made, tents
were struck, bull carts were loaded with
the impedimenta, and just as the dawn
ushered in the day Of Easter the column
started in the direction Of the enemy's in
trenchments, four miles away. Within
two miles of their objective the troops
were deployed and advanced in line, silent.
ly. The first notice Of their approach was
given by an outpost about half a mile
from the enemy's lines. A sentinel fired
his gun and then ran for dear life.
!. ADVANCING UPON THE FILIPINos.
The line could not advance at 80 rapid
a a rate, and when it came within sight and
shooting distance Of the works the men
J could see the Filipinos swarming into
: them from the houses they occupied, the
: intrenchments being on the edge OF q
! town at the crest of small hill to ap
, preach which it was necessary to advance
over several hundred yards Of open ground
e completely covered by the fire from the
trenches. This did not worry the Volun
) teers much. They had become used t.
walking up to trenches. They lay dowr
e upon the ground and gave tho Filipino.
several yolleys, and then rose up and ad
t vanced steadily, firing as they did SO.
e II Private Dodson thought Of hi,
e he kept his Springfield going, he sale
: nothing. He was too busy. One thing b,
did wonder at little, and that was VIII,
y there were no signs Of the enemy aban
: doning their trenches, a. was their Gus
3 tom. before the attacking lint GOT - Close