The National tribune., 1911-01-12

Editor National Tribune: Before my
enlistment in the LIST New. Cav, under
Capt. F. NJ. Linscott, / was q typical
Nevada cowboy of the wild and woolly
West, and used to "whoop her up in
true cowboy style on the ranges of
western Nevada.
Imbued with the patriotic desire to
fight the foreign foe who sank the bat
tleship Maine in Havana Harbor, send
ing to a watery grave more than 200
brave sailors / enlisted as one of the
81 making up the first troop of Ne
vada cavalry. The troop was put thru
severe military drill, and we were
taught that the secret of success in
warfare is in the prompt and absolute
obedience to our SuperiorS. In due
time our troop was ordered to Manila.
We sailed out of the Golden Gate on
Nov. 6, 1898, on the transport City of
Pueblo, on the trip across the 1900
miles of sea.
On Dec. 6 our transport entered Man
fla Bay, all new to us sagebrushers, who
had hardly ever seen further than the
cattle corral. Manila and Cavite were
presented to our view with all the pic
turesque appearance of ole Spanish
towns that had made no progress in
the march of improvement in the last
400 years. The cauSeway which con-
meets the island of Cavite with the
mainland at San Rogue was one of the
most interesting sights that greeted the
eyes of the troop. After two days on
fhe transport we went ashore.
The first two months OF our service
was put in doing guard duty and drill
ing. 1t was on Jan. so, 1899, that my
comrade, William Bruce, and myself
ventured outside our picket lines on
pass from Capt. Linscott, prompted by
a desire to see more of the surround
ing country when we were confronted
Inv q nj EilininO soldiers and
made prisoners As we were marched
out of sight of the Stars and Stripes, L
then realized forcibly what its protect
ing folds meant.
Curiosity caused a couple of Uncle
Sans boys-Bruce and myself-to suf
fer months OF captivity among a semi
barbaric race. We were marched to
San Francisco de Malabon, weary and
footsore, where we arrived at o'clock,
after being respectfully treated but not
overfed We were not certain as 20
what disposition was to be made of us,
but our uncertainty, however. was soon
at an end when a court-martia1 was
called the following day to try US as
Rpies. The court-martial was presided
over by the Major of the post and was
made up of a Captain and two or three
Lieutenants. The Filipino Major ask
ed us in Spanish to give an account of
ourselves, which we found quite diff
cult to do, not knowing much Spanish,
but by speaking an Ineligible word
now and then, and by signs we made
our story fairly well understood. The
court, however, was not disposed to
turn us loose, and after a short con-
eultation stood us up before the trib-
unal, and sentenced us to be shot the
following day. Then we We're hustled
off to Jail Bruce's bed that night
was on the floor and mine was rude
bench about four feet long and 10
inches wide tucked away in a pesti-
lence- breeding structure built of stone.
After going tc bed Bruce and l COM
pared notes, took stock, and conclud-
ed to meet our fate like American SOL
diers and show the natives that there
were other things that an American
feared more than death.
The morning of our execution, Feb.
/, opened up bright and clear. We
were brought in a small cup of poorly
cooked. rice and a couple of cooked
eggs for our breakfast It was all we
wanted. too, for a man expecting short
ly to be ushered into the presence of
his Maker Is not ravenously hungry.
In few minutes, however, we were
made to understand In pigeon English
that Aguinaldo had refused to sign the
death warrant, and had ordered US sent
to Malolos. We started on three days
march to Malolos. Our treatment was