Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-09-23

4
4 the Lieutenant, there was case in
the PHILIPPINES that good many of
! the hluejacketS on the war vessels
have reason to remember, The Fill
ipinos, early in the campaign, had
been throwing up intrenchments along
shore in odd places without exciting
much attention. One day the blue
Jackets on our shop and those on sew
eral others were given permission to
take a sea bath. Every fellow who
could swim went overheard in jiffy,
and with two or three hundred men
in the water the scene was worth re-
/ membering.
''ln the midst of the frolick!ng the
Fillpinos behind the new earthworks
opened on the ships and the men I'm
the water. They didn't have the range
or there would have been sad work
then and there. All their bullets fell
short, hut when they struck he water
! they glanced from the surface, and
we could hear them strike the ships
side, and occasionally one whlzzed
along the deck. There was sharp
call to quarters, and the swimmers
came up the ships side like so many
squirrels, and some of them ran to
their guns without waiting to dress
I'm a few minutes our vessel gave
the rebels broadside. and having
the range, the shot and shell made
the dirt fly. The rebel guns did not
reply, but a Filipino leaped TO the
top of the trenches, waved his straw
hat dehantly, and jumped down The
men at the guns responded with shot
and she'll and again the dirt of the
intrenchments few in every direction
But again the Filipino stood up anG
waved his hat This was the oder
of the day for several broadsidcs, the
Filipino timing his hat waving so as
TO escape every time
by this time the game had become
exciting, and the gunners changed
their tactics. They fired the broadside
as usual, but held the fire OF one CUR
for some seconds, and let drive lust
as the saucy Filipino came up for his
hat waving, and he went down That
ended the engagement so far as the
FilipinoS were concerned But the
next morning | saw with my glass
Admiral Dewey leave his flagship in
his launch, and start on tour of
inspection. We feared that the rebels
lurking about the intrenchments might
pick the Admiral off and tried to sig
nal him that there was danger.
He didn't see the signals. or didn't
understand them, and his launch
steamed along shore in way to make
us very nervous. The Captain ordered
the men to quarters, saying to me that
If the Admiral was fired on he would
demolish everything in sight. At
last we attracted the Admirars atten-
ton, and he came steaming up to de-
mand of the Captain why his ship was
cleared for action The Captain ex.
planned what he had planned to do
and the men cheered Dewey seemed
very much touched. and there was n
conference which led to n movement
that stopped fortlfcatlon building
: within range of our heavy guns"
There were queer characters in the
Philippine war as wen as in the civil
one man in volunteer regiment wa.
taken sick in every enga cement !r
which the regiment participated. iis
told his captain that ii was like sea
, sickness, but that II was caused by
fear, and that he was a coward and
deserved no mercy. The captain said
nothing. but in the next engagement
the seaslck man was detailed for work
! with the hospital corps. He hadn't
been at work an hour when he came
, on run to the company, went to tho
2 skirmisb line, and from that thee Oh
was one Of the most daring mon IN
his regiment.
Il was on the Roanoke" said the
captain. when the Monitor came
, down to meet the Merrlmac. In the
, matter OF glancing shots there never
was anything like that fight. I re
: member well how we on the Roanoke
felt the night after the destruction OF
the Minnesota and other vessels. We
, knew that one more dash hy the Me.
rimac would finish ia, AMI were moi
} In very cheerful mood when We
heard the Monitor was coming.
In fact. we know more about the
Monitor than the government ever In
tended we should know. That night
when we saw off to the north a light
that conducted itself contrary to tho
accepted rules and regulations. We fcIt
the Monitor was in supporting dis
lance. When she came up and re
ported for orders she seemed so ride
ulously low in the water ana so gen
orally inadequate that we lost heart.
Il heard the order that carried lei
10 her position for the night, with in
structions to keep IN hiding untI the
Merrimac came out the next morn