Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-09-21

JOying good health with the exception
of a few scratches and bruises and
sorrow-filled heart. Just to think our
foreign service has almost expired
and not an "unfortunate" until this
month.
We are camping tonight Is miles
from Jolo Jolo. We were ordered out
the night Of July 2, to chase down Jik-
iri and his band Of outlaws. After
marching all night we had breakfast
on the morning of the 3rd and rested
until about noon and then took up
the march again. At 1886 on the ev-
ening of the 3rd the first shot was
fired and the boom of the guns could
be heard all night. The firing ceased
about dawn Of the morning Of the
4th, but was resumed at o'clock.
l was detached from my troops and
attached to the machine gun platoon.
For a while it seemed that we were
powerless, but victory was ours in the
end. The evening OF the third was a
running fight across mountains and
swamps until Jikiri and his band Of
Moro followers took refuge in a cave
which was so strong that the noun
tain batteries strong three-inch gun
would make no impression on it.
About 8.45 the morning Of the 4th,
as 1 was at my post at the machin :
gun with bullets whistling about my
head, and under cover as much as
possible, my best chum, Bernard,
whose home was in New York, gave
one scream and fell into my arms,
only to die without speaking. He was
shot in the right cheek, the bullet
ranging upward and penetrating the
brain. The hospital corps relieved
me Of my burden and back to my
post 1 went, thinking, as we fired
round after round of ammunition, II
1 should forfeit my life without seeing
Rock Hill again. Yes, 1 certainly
thought of all my friends and then
my comrade, and to see his place va
cant at the gun certainly made my
blood run cold.
At noon of the 4th firing dwindled
down, only to be renewed at 8 p. M,
but entirely ceased at about o'clock.
At o'clock on the morning Of the 9Th
the firing commenced from the enc
my's side and continued until 1O.3O,
when Captain Bryan decided to charge
the cave.
At 1l.O5 the command to charge
was given and never do I want to wit
ness such a dreadful sight again. The
battle lasted just 25 minutes after we
charged the cave, and I was blood
from head to foot, but only felt few
slight bruises, yet I thought I was al
most dead when looked at my cloth
ing. Such a funny feeling 1 never
had.
The cave was dug out some five
feet downward in large mountain
and then ranged upward for 25 or 80
yards. When we charged the cave
the fight was hand to hand, the Moros
using bolos, spears and prizes, while
we used our revolvers. Our rifles
were in our way, the first was so close
and it being dark you could only see
by the flash Of your revolver.
Well, 1t ended In bloody slaugh-
ter, as we lost four men and twenty
one wounded, while we left nothing
breathing, no not one, to tell the tale,
and now we are chasing the remain
der Of his followers over this island
through swamps and marshes. Jtkiri
has given the Sixth cavalry trouble
ever since we have been here and we
all feel at ease since he and his fol-
lowers are out Of the way. But there
are more yet to be gotten, and think
we will get them easy.
I think IL I ever reach Gods coun-
try again I'll stay there, for nave
certainly seen some hard service since
I have been here. I rendered my res
1RnatlOn as SeTScdHl ldol <aPlii III Oh
attempt to transfer, but nothing do
ing. They just won't let you transfer
out of the cavalry, but you can trans
fer from any other branch Of service
to the cavalry.
We have lost a great many fine
horses from hard service. The sun Is
extremely hot here in the day and the
mosquitoes at night are as thick as
raisins in a -millionaire's fruit
cake on Christmas day.
We sail for the United States on the
18th Of December, this year. My en-
listment expires the 23rd Of April,
1910, and no more for me. These
two enlistments have satisfied my de-
sire to be a soldier, as there Is too
much hardtack and corned beef for
my appetite. Yet I would not sell my
experience for Rockefeller's millions.
Say, my paper has about given out
and we are in the field and can't get
any more, but we expect to get In our
quarters the 1st Of August. The Is
land the fight occurred on Is called
Patian.
AS ever, your friend,
Benjamin F. Thompson,
Troop *" Sixth U. S. Cavalry.