New-York tribune., 1906-03-17
A DEED OF HER0ISM.
Soldier Tells President of Incident
about Andre1cS and Johnston.
[From The Tribune Bureau


Washington, March 16.-President Roosevelt has
received letter from John H. Hodsdon. OF Boston.
formerly a soldier in the Philippines which gives
picture OF the conditions confronting American
soldiers in the islands. 1t also records a hitherto
unknown deed Of heroism. The letter follows:
Theodore Roosevelt. President u. S. A. Washing
Dear Sir: 1 have the honor TO write YOU letter
oo-uay nearing on the character of officer in our
countrys service whose name has been in the
newspapers Of late connected with the recent fight
at Mount Dajo. on the island of Jolo. Philippine
Ny object IN doing so is this: I myself have been
solaler, having been private in the 7th United
9tees @ infantry in Cuba under General Chanse. and
iy Try, IN the Philippine Islands and while with the
Lieutenant Gordon Johnston, then in charge of our
asC battalion scouts, and had the good fortune to
Lincoln C. Andrews, of the LIST Battalion of the 4Sd
tnlatry United States Volunteers ian officer who IS
lrue grit from boots TO helmet and gentleman),
upon the expedition known in official records as the
La Paz, Leyte Island Philippine Islands
s ms particular pa fortificatlon was situated upon
sdo s4e only f by very steep trails running up to it
General Ambrusia Moxica, of the insurgent forces,
mad concentrated force of five hundred rifle
retnue of native assistants to carry to him ratioRs
and and munitions Of war, and from his strongly for
engineer brought from Manila. he would harass
t 1u[ slan detachments stationed at different loca-
from the location of the mountain somewhat in the
Their Notifications were constructed by cutting
saplings of species of tree whose wood is very
with their tops leaning out toward the approach
to scs1e fhy 10 S SuSH an angie that a man uK6 i
the side OF a boat, and then by setting a second
row, weaving iexibie and strong vines from the
one to the other and filling in the space between
about seven feet from the ground and the inner
closed sloping position for the rifiemen to lean
over while shooting, and with large head log
their heads They had, with the benefit of scien-
tnc construction OF the angles of the trenches and
situated far up on the ridge of a large mountain,
%RdGh fta tne attacking party must scale and then
vines. cross a cleared space, where the defenders
The Irregular foPaton ana on ths n slopes Of the
mountain made the collective movement Of any
large number OF men all but impossible. while the
splendid forticatons and numerical superiority OF
the DEFENDING forces would have made a general
assault a foolhardy trick they having two rifle
men to our one, and bolomen enough 10 give them
our one -O''e % iu' twenty 1--WE men u
Our officers, however determined after a spell
this purpose Captain % CURTIS o of fi tS B G IG
y s y. was instructed to continue a strong firing
from In front OF the position spur O
mountain m L 6he regulars under Lieutenant AIcNabb
being engaged on the other spur. further around
to our lefD, while Major Andrews and Lieutenant
Of frst position. taking with them Johnston's
Scouts and my detachment Of Company men.
Half a mile to the right Of the main position We
came upon a ledge rising straight up into the air
cut us off from their position did we not scale II
and after consultation Johnston and Andrews de-
cided that we must know what above, and I
went up by the aid Of some rubber vines to in
Eestgate. later reporting the facts evident to
the officers, Whereupon Lieutenant Johnston de-
cided he wished to make personal investigation
and ordered me down over the vines while he went
up in my ploce
Major Andrews Immediately ordered me to send
two men along with Lieutenant Johnston. and be
fore he had been absent five minutes told me to
help him up over the vines and send two more
men with HIM Perhaps fifteen minutes later
or the men returned and said that by order OF Ma
1or Andrews was to send three more men up
to them, that they rush the Notifications
on the upper part Of the ridge Just above them
and as quickly as 1 heard them firing I was to
bring up the rest of the men.
Immediately turning over the orders to Ser
gcant Black, of the scouts, selected two men, and
with them went up where the officers and the
four men accompanying them We're when our lit
tie party numbered seven and two officers.
Major Andrews instructed the what had
TO do, and we knew that 1t simply to follow
him and Johnston into the works Of the enemy, for
he tersely informed US that our officers would lead
the way, not send ahead. and that were to
go there quickly and then fight.
Lieutenant Johnston begged of Andrews to al
low him to lead the charge, for he told Andrews
that he had at home to mourn him so deeply
had Andrews, with his wife of only a few weeks
Andrews knew well the fortune Of war was death
Major Andrews, however. refused, and moment
later we made our rush and the first man to enter
those trenches Lieutenant Gordon Johnston
up quickly, took the second position and while
had them the got spur OF the
tain. and as II enfiladed a portion OF the spur
where the regulars lighting we drove the in
other part of the mountain in our Very sin
cerely yours, JOHN II. HODSDON.
No. IS Congress street. Boston, March 13