USA > Nebraska > The first Nebraska in camp and field, by first Nebraska boys > Part 10
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had been buried alive. They contented themselves with taking a plate, emp and saucer cach and leav- ing the rest. The chinaware was valuable but they could not take it away. They continued their prospecting later but withont success. For a long time the soldiers were digging in every spot where the earth appeared to be freshly dis- turbed, and some finds were made. But the craze gradually died out and things settled into the ro- gular routine of duty.
Every day three companies went on outpost. The furthest post was about two miles from Sam Fernando with connecting posts between. Ont on these posts the mosquitos were terrible, no other word will describe it. They were even worse than at camp, for there a five could be built, but on the ontpost one had to simply stand it and -. But they might as well had a fire as far as keep- ing concealed was concerned for every post could be located two miles away by the flapping of hats to keep off mosquitos. When the boys had noth- ing else to do at camp they would improve their rille practise by shooting mosquitos, and many times the ground would be covered with wounded ones, some with legs shot off and some with wings gone.
One day after we had been there a few days a scouting party went up the track looking for Filipinos, and found them, not a mile from town. Our outpost in this direction was just in the edge of town, though we thought that the whole Fili- pino army had retreated up the track. We were soon convinced to the contrary however. They opened on the scouts suddenly, and the bullets few like hail around om quarters. We scamp- pred like rabbits and got behind stones or any
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thing that gave a little protection, and we did not hesitate long in making a choice. It is strange how small a thing a man can hide behind, we have seen a man get behind a corn cob and be invisible. But we did not remain under shelter long, for we were ordered to fall in and be ready for trouble. We remained under arms until 8:30 and then were dismissed, as the Filipinos re- treated immediately after tiring.
The most of the boys did considerable rambl- ing around the city into the country, partly from curiosity, but principally to look for chickens of other forage, of which there was plenty A man's standing as a soldier was ganged by the amount of forage he could get. One day tive or six fellows went ont into the country looking for anything that they conld cat. They went quite a distance beyond the outpost without finding any- thing, when one of them entered a bamboo honse and there fonnd a crate of chickens and a bunch of bananas. One of the boys looked at them and said they were too small to satisfy him. There was but one gun in the crowd, and borrowing that he said he was going up the road to see if he could get some larger chickens. In a few min- utes they saw him coming down the road as fast. as he could run. When he came up to the rest of them he said, "Lets not stay here." When they asked him why, he replied. "If you bad come as near to getting shot as I did you would not want to stay either." He had been walking up the road and saw a Filipino at the same time the Fili- pino saw him. The native threw his gin to his shon.der and started toward the American, who jumped into th brush beside the road and ran. His comrades could not deny that he ran and ran
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well too, so they all agreed to go, not forgetting the chickens and bananas, however. One of the fellows said afterwards that he had nearly all the feathers off one of the birds before he discovered that it was a mosquito. These fellows got plenty of chickens after that, but they confined their op- erations to the immediate neighborhood of the town. We had plenty of domestic game, yums and other vegetables all the time we were here. and what was better, plenty of good water, which we got from the fine artesian well near the depot. Our hopes for a speedy termination of the war received a chill one day when three Englishmen came from the enemy's lines under a flag of truce, and reported that the Filipinos were in good spirits and thought that they had the best of the fighting. Still the rumors kept floating around that we were soon to be relieved and sent home. Every one would laugh when he heard it, but deep down in his heart he half believed it because he wanted to. But soon the suspense was ended.
On the 18th day of May we had the worst scare of the whole campaign. About midnight an orderly came from headquarters telling the majors that we had orders to proceed to Calumpit to take the train for Manila. We were told this in the morning, but there was not much cheering for we were afraid that it was not true. It however proved to be true, though it was said that we were going only for a rest. We arose early and packed np with light, happy hearts. About 8:30 we fell in and marched to the church square where we formed in close order and listened to a farewell speech by Gen. Hale. He complimented the regi- ment warmly on its excellent work, expressed sor- row at our depleted condition and said he hoped
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that if we again went on the firing line it would be in his brigade. After giving three cheers for Gen. Hale we commenced our long, hard march. The day was intensely hot, and each had quite a load to carry. We took our first rest about three miles out and after that we halted several times. The march was one of the hardest we had had, and the men were pretty weak. The sick and lame were sent ahead but by the time we reached Cal- umpit over half of the men had dropped ont, and these were the best men, those who had stood the work on the tiring line all the time. We had part of a regiment when we reached Calmmpit, while the rest were scattered from San Fernando to Calumpit, a distance of ten or twelve miles. We rested a short time here and then boarded the train for Manila, but we did not get there Greatly to our surprise we were side tracked at Caloocan, a station about three miles from Manila. There was much discussion as to why this was done, and many reasons offered, but we finally came to the conclusion that we were there and that we did not know why. We remained here that night, the next day, and the next night. We were completely worn out from the march in the heat, but tried as we were we could get but little rest on account of the mosquitos. Some of us found a little relief by sleeping on the top of the cars.
In the evening of the second day we received orders to Obe ready to board the train the at 7 o'clock the next morning. That night we went to bed rejoicing, not even the mosquitos cansed our spirits to fall, but at 11 o'clock orders cane for the first battalion to proceed at once back up the railroad, as an attack was expected on one of the garrisons. Co. E stopped abont three miles np
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al a bridge, Cos. L and F went on to Polo, abont two miles further, while Co. A proceeded on about two miles to Meycanayan. The expected attack came, and was much harder than was anticipated. The boys thought that a few Filipinos might com- menee to shoot at them, but instead they were as- saulted by a myriad of mosiqnitos with whom they had a desperate fight. The next morning Cos. A and E were relieved and went to Manila, but Cos. L and F were evidently forgotten. They stayed there four days waiting for relief, doing ont post dnty and fighting mosiqnitos. Time hung heavily on their hands, as it always does when one is waiting for something, and they began to look around for some amusement. This is one trait in the American that makes him a good soldier; it is the only way to keep from getting homesick and pining away. What they did for amusement would appear very insignificant in print, it is snf- ficient to say that they had plenty of diversion.
While the boys were here the Filipinos had come back to San Fernando in force and made a determined attack. They were repulsed, but only after a severe fight. How hard it was may be judged by the fact that in the evening two trains of right or ten cars each passed through Polo loaded with dead and wounded Americans soldiers going to the hospital at Manila. They were all from the four regiments of lowa, Montana, Sonth Dakota and Kansas. We just missed this fight, and were glad of it, for if we had been there some of cars would have probally contained some Nebras- kans.
At last on the fourth day they were made happy by the sight of two companies of the Min- nesota regiment which had come to relieve them.
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The boys say that they had considerable amuse- ment listening to the Minnesotans tell of the hard- ships they endured with Gen. Lawton on the campaign to the lake, and how they had to do all the fighting while the regulars stayed in reserve, Bat fortunately the boys did not have to listen to their woes long. In an hour after the relief came they were on a train bound for Manila. They went immediately to the "nipa barracks" in Ma- late, which had been built for the 22d regiment. The barracks were convenient and airy. They were built of bamboo and were abont four feet above the ground. Each room was large enough for one company, with a little room partioned off for the first sergeant. There were also kitchens and bath rooms, and each company had a dining room. The reason that they were so convenient was probably because they were built for regulars, of whom the officers took the best of care, sheltering them against the sun and rain and not allowing them to overwork themselves.
When these two companies arrived from Polo there were fonr companies of the regiment in the barracks, the other six having been sent to San Pedro Macati to do ontpost duty, relieving the California regiment. San Pedro Macati is not as large as the name would indicate. It was simply an old stone church such as are seen in all the country villages, surrounded by a few bamboo shacks, situated up the Pasig abont four miles from Manila. Our camp was abont half a mile be- yond the town behind some little breastworks which the Californians had built. We had not been there long before we built little houses just large enough for one man to sleep in. These were made the same way as at Malolos, mostly of the tops of
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bamboo honses. We did all our cooking in the stone church, and carried the "grub" out to camp. We could not light a fire ont at camp as the Fili- pinos were not far away, and they might shoot a hale through some of our cooking utensils.
There was no fighting here, thonght the ont- posts used to shoot back and forth a little, but we had gotten used to this, and could lie down and be Intled to sleep by the music of the Mauser bullets. We slept a good deal during the day when we had time because the mosquitos would not let us sleep at night. We have neglected to say that there are two kinds of mosquitos in the Philippines, day mosquitos and night mosquitos. The night mos- quitos are abont the size of a snow bird, and are black, with a round tail. They are covered with a thin growth of hair. They are so strong that frequently when two of them flew against an or- dinary man the shock would knock him down, and instances of soldiers being knocked senseless by three of them often ocenred. On a moonlight night a flock of them overhead reminded ns of blackbirds going sonth in the fall in Nebraska. The day mosquitos were different. They were small, only about half as big as the night mos- quitos. Their backs were striped and the under parts of their bodies were spotted. Their tails, in- stead of being rounded, were pointed, nor were so belligerent as the night mosquitos but confined themselves to alighting on the exposed part of a man's body and making it look like a nutmeg grater, and feel like a nutmeg. Some of the boys will never forget one night when they were on the outpost nearest the enemy. The post was so near the outpost of the enemy that it was good policy to keep quiet, and they had kept on the safe side,
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until suddenly one of the fellows raised his gun and tired into a tree. The others jumped up and then fell down again asking what the trouble was. "Why," he replied, "didn't you see that mosquito on that limb." Then they felt like court martial- ing him.
Oh, those nights on outpost. It is a wonder that we are not all grey headed. Many a time a man would be put out in front of an ompost and near the enemy and compelled to stay there alone. Everything would be as still as death, and while the sentry was straining his ears until he could al- most hear a man breath in San Francisco, and at the same time trying to look on all sides at once, suddenly a lizard about three feet long would drop out of a tree with a thud and run away through the rustling grass. The soldier's heart would stop beating, and he would be turned to ice for a few seconds. He would rogain his composture only to go through the same experience many more times. If a regiment or two of the enemy would open fire on him at such a time it would be an immense relief.
Many things happened then to which we now look back with a great deal of merriment, though it was serious business to us then. One cloudy night a sergeant was taking some men up a road to relieve au outpost when he saw a dark object in the edge of the timber near the road. Stop- ping bis men he commanded in a deep. steru voice. "Halt, who goes there." No answer, but as they watched the object intently it seemed to move. Again that stern voice commanded "Halt who goes there." Again no answer. Ouce more the sergeant spoke in even a sterner voice, "Que more time and we fire." When there was no an-
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asked if we were ever fired on that hard, when it was simply a few shots from an outpost. They were so scattered that they did not get together until the next morning. Some stayed oot in the open between our trenches and those of the enemy, not knowing where they were, and afraid to move, lest they should get amongst the Filipinos, others came behind our works before dark, and still others wandered around in the darkness trying to find the American lines. With some of these lat .. ter our outpost had some fun. A bunch of them. latking in a low tone, stumbled onto one of our outpost. The fellow on post waited until they were close, and then yelled " Halt! who goes there" and clicked his gm. The poor fellows all com- moneed to talk at once, saying "Hold on, don't shoot. we're not Filipinos." The outpost ad- vaneed them and gave them some advice. "Why." he said, "I might have shot you. It is a wonder I didn't." After he had thoroughly scared then he told them where they could sleep. This was the way the old men had of breaking in "rookies, " a sort of an ivitiation ceremony. If there had been any soldiers on the island when we arrived, we would probably have gone through the same ceremony. But there was not, so we learned it by hitter experience, and were willing to impart to others our hard earned wisdom.
The next day the stragglers were looking for their regiment, but there was not enough regi- mont left to find. It would have been easier for the regiment to find the stranglers. The poor gnards that were put over the abandoned equip- ments had a lonely time away ont from any troops in the burning sun. Finally the officers got the regiment together and took it back to Manila
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We hope that afterwards it redeemed itself.
That day the advance on Paranaq ne continued, but when the live arrived, there was no armed enemy in the town. The Colorado's line did not extended to the coast and through the opening the enemy escaped. The Colorado boys told us after- wards that they left the opening purposely, and all the night before could hear the Filipinos going ont.
We had been here several days by this time, that is, six companies of our regiment bad, and we were beginning to get impatient for relief. Every morning we wondered if we would be re- lieved that day, and of course many rumors were afloat concerning the time for us to sail for home, though we were not sure that we were going nn- til we heard that the Oregons bad sailed. On Saturday night, the 17th of June, it was rumored that we would go to the city in the morning, and for once a rumor was true.
The sweet sounds of "taps" that night seemed a promise of rest and of peace to many a weary, heartsick soldier, and as the sound rose and fell and finally died away in the distance, moilow and maxpressibly sweet, many a sad young heart yearned for that far away home with all the yearning of a war-sick soul.
The next morning we had breakfast before de ylight, and started about 5:30. We were in the best of spirits. At last to us came an end to the lousy weary months of wading swamps under a blistering sun, and driving a fleeing enemy, only to go a few miles further and meet the same ene- mv, or probably turn back and drive them from the same ground again.
We did not walk fast, but arrived in time for
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dinner, a dinner that seemed to ns almost a dream. Some companies had oyster stews. Think of it, a soldier eating oysters. It is al- most beyond belief. However, that was only a start; we lived well here, making up for what we had lost. We had fresh beef, potatoes, prunes, bread, canned corn and canned tomatoes, in fact, we lived there as well as at most hotels in this country.
Our working days were over now. We wan- dered around Manila visiting the places and peo- ple we used to know. Some of the places had changed a great deal, but not so the people. They were as friendly as ever, and anxiously in- quired for all their friends among the soldiers. Many of the women cried when they heard that some one whom they had known well had been killed. We had some good friends among those Filipinos whom we will never forget, some so friendly that even a war between their race and ours could not shake their faith in us, and thank God kept that faith to the end. Our regiment was popular with the natives in the district we had guarded, and when we went back to visit we were were greeted with "Nebraska mucho bueno," (Nebraska is very good, ) on all sides.
Now that we were sure of going home we be- gan to look around for some souvenirs, but hardly a thing could be found, and what we could tind had enhanced in valne about ten times The "rookie" regulars had come there with money and bonght everything in the shape of souvenirs that they could find, while the volunteer regiments were out doing the fighting. While we were much disappointed at this, the worst was to come. When we went to get our Christmas boxes, which
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we had left in an old church, we found that they had been broken open and nearly everything stol- en. Oh! but weren't we mad, and we swore vett- geance on anyone found with any of the things in his possession. But it was not necessary to kill anybody, for we never found the least clew to anything. It was a most contemptible trick. The boxes had been packed away containing everything, except the eatables. just as they had been prepared for us with so much care at home. All of them contained some valuable trinkets which had become very dear to us on account of association. But they were gone, and all we could do was to give vent to our feelings, and this we did in a very forcible manner. However, we were there only five days and the keenness of our feelings was soon worn off by the prospects of again seeing those who had been kind enough to send, through us, those Christmas presents to the regulars in Manila who were too frail to go on the firing line.
As soon as we came off the firing line out of the mud and the danger, we began to think of our personal appearance; and it needed it very much too. Three of the boys in one company borrowed all the razors and started a barber shop, which was well patronized (at first). The chair was a table on which the victim lay on his back, and then two of the operators held him down while the other shaved him. It was a pleasant operation, equally so with having a limb amputated or being sea sick. The razors had not been sharpened since we landed on the island, nor did either of the fellows know how to shave or even strap a razor. One day a fellow from one of the other companies came over and asked for a shave. He
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was laid on the operating table and the torture commenced. Both sides of his face were finally shaved (and cut) but when the chin was reached it was like shaving a stiff hair brush. After several attempts, at each of which the razor turned and went into the man's face, the barber gave up the job and told him that he would have to go to town to get the job finished. He was glad of a chance to get away and paying the extorted fifteen cents, he got away from there as soon as he could. Al- though the proprietors were several times threat- ened with lynching they continned their barbarity until we went aboard ship.
In the afternoon of the 20th of June we re- ceived orders to have our boxes packed by eight o'clock in the morning, but before we had them tied we were told not to pack them until further orders. This came as an unpleasant surprise and naturally set us to wondering. The explanation came in the shape of a romor (as they always come) that the Utah boys were going with us, and were not yet ready to embark. Once more and for the second time a rumor came true. The next noon orders again came to pack boxes and this time were not contermanded, and by afternoon they were on board the caseos in the river, where they stayed till the next day. At 6:30 the following morning the first and third battalions formed, and soon two thirds of the happy Nebraskans started for the river front to take boats for the ship. The second battalion came while they were wait- ing for a ing to pull the cascos out. It was 1 o'clock before we started, and 3 o'clock before we reached the ship. After we were assigned to places, all we had to do was discuss when we would start, and we spent lots of time doing that.
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In the army every little thing is discussed and argued with the exhaustivemess of a pleading in a court of law. The reason of this is two fold; first, every little happening las some meaning to men as benighted as the private soldier, and second, the soldiers have no other way to pass leisure time.
Our ship was the Hancock, one of the largest and best transports in the service. She was farge and roomy, had electric lights and electric fans, shower baths and other conveniences. This was the ship on which the recruits cameover, and which they had continually praised to us. Their praise caused a slight feeling of wearmess among the old men of the regiment who remembered the little Senator, so we called the Hancock the .rookies paradise, where you have ice cream and electric fans." On the 26th, four days after we camas on board, the transport (frant pulled into the bay with the 16th infantry and U. S. mail on board. We could not help wondering if those boys felt as happy as we did the morning we en- tered the bay, atal as we looked back over our ex- periences a feeling of pity for them stole over us. It was somewhat remarkable that there was no enthusiasm among our boys. They were gloomy and discontented, and impatient of the de- lay. Then also an irresistible fooling of depression come over us as we thought of that long voyage home. When we started for the Philippines a sea voyage was mw to us, nor did we realize the dan- ger we were in And even if we had it did not seem so hard to us to dis then. But now, after living through a hard campaign, we were so anx- ions to reach home that a thousand probable dan- gers presented themselves to our imagination, that under other circumstances would never have
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ocenred to us. We heard several boys say that they had the same feeling even after reaching San Francisco.
As the days passed and still we were lying in the bay, the impatience increased, and the boys spent nearly all their time grumbling and loung- ing around in a half hearted manner. We knew by this time that we were waiting for the Utah boys, but the rain which was falling every day was probably the cause of the de.ay, together with the roughness of the bay, which the sailors said indicated a heavy storm at sea.
At last we thought this almost nnendurable delay was ended. On the 29th the Utah battery came on board but we yet had to wait for their officers. We waited two days for them, and when they did arrive we crowded along the rail yelling and hooting. After venting our pent up ill feel- i igs on them we felt better, both because we had gotten rid of mach acemulated ill humor and ber canse we knew that we would soon be started. And so we were. About 5 p. m., while we were eating supper, we heard the two long hoarse bla-ts from the whistle, then the faitle of the an- chor chain and we knew that we were finally bound for "home, sweet, sweet, home." There was no cheering, no enthusiasm, nothing like the noisy, patriotic departure from San Francisco over a year before. It was simply a quiet departure, but on many a berth that night sleepless eyes saw the dear familiar faces of those far away, and every spot of the old home which had once been so dear to them.
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