The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1905-08-03
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Che philippines.


800 Observation-Disclosures
Several days after we had arrived at
our new quarters we received infor-
nation by courier that party of in
surrectos, lead by Graciana, had cap
tured Harrow City, six miles to the
south of Iloilo, from the native con-
stabulary. We were Immediately Or
dered to capture Graciana and his
band. The task looked easy, but proved
to be the extreme. The first mile or
two was very fair marching; after that
our trouble began. We came to a
bridge that crossed one of those narrow
but very deep streams that are so nu-
merous in the southern islands, and
had just got good start over it when
we received shower of lead from
both sides. There was swamp with
a very thick underground on both
sides of us. To those who have never
| been in tropical country it may be
of interest to know that the forests
and swamps of the southern islands
are almost impossible. The under
growth is very thick with running
plants. There are many snakes, spi-
ders, lizards and ants that gives one a
great deal of trouble. We answered
their attack by firing into the
swamps without seeing soul, but
finally, when things became so warm
that staying on the road meant death,
we did the only thing possible under
the circumstances, that was, to take
to the swamps after them. That was
what they wished. Their work with
the bolos was fierce, but believe our
bayOnets were just as good when you
consider that our thirty caliber krags
were back of them. We were greatly
handicapped by the heat, clothing, and
many other things, and considered our
selves lucky when we reached Harrow
City in about seven hours. We were
a company consisting mainly of re-
cruits; all suffered from the severe
heat,of the tropics, and none of US ex-
perienced in the meanest and dirtiest
kind of fighting in the world-that of
guerrilla warfare Our enemy were
less handicapped. They carried moth
!, ing but their bolos and obsolete fire.
J arms, and the clothing they wore
} wouldn't cover your hand. They were
like spirits, you could not hear them
} move. 1t was their spirit-like move
) ments that caused seventeen of our
, men to be bolod, but everyone we did
2 happen to see received messenger
3 from our krags. We never knew how
: many we assisted to the other world,
$ but sincerely hope that there were
D enough to make company when they
S reached there. It was owing to the
: fact that the arms they had were most.
). ly all obsolete, together with their
i poor craftsmanship, that we came out
n so lucky. Graciana the most slippery
y of all the southern insurrecto leaders
escaped, while the few we did take
n Immediately took the "oath of allegi
n ance" and were allowed to depart; ir
g other words, they returned to the hill!
y again.
y On entering Harrow City we fount
s everything in disorder and no one il
a sight. We at once took possession
4. and made the convent our headquar
10 ters. The city had hundred or NOR
% native huts besides the palace, presi
is dentes, padres, and five or six othe
is houses of the better class. Our order
,r were to burn all buildings excep
It church property, consequently W
it made hasty examination of the bes
appearing shacks, finding money an
N other valuables, which the occupant
70 had left behind. Several chests Q
at Mexican money were equally distribr
D. ted among us, but we left far NOR
sd behind US than we took owing to ou
~ not having proper facilities to carr
lis it. In the palace we found ches
ur full of paper money, but thinking
a worthless we passed it by, one ma
d. taking two packages of it, in order
lis send it away as souvenirs to b
n friends at home. Pianos, of whic
of there were four in the palace, music
cabinets and other articles Of interit