USA > Nebraska > The first Nebraska in camp and field, by first Nebraska boys > Part 7
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then they again advanced, keeping in the shelter of the graded road as much as possible, and all the time tiring at the scattering onomy. Turning to the left they then started toward the powder magazine, while from the left. Co. D) was advance- ing toward the same objective. The advance was through tangled jungle and underbrush, with the whistling of flocks of Manser bullets to spar them on. The advance lasted but about half an hour, and then they stopped to rest, while the natives could be seen running in every direction. A few men were sent around to the front of the building to watch the enemy and keep them engaged, as they were still firing very heavily from a hill ou onr right, where was situated the telegraph head- quarters of the Filipino army. Soon the colonel arrived from the blockhouses where he had di- rected the attack. He was lame from his horse falling on him, and had to be helped up the hill. He immediately ordered an advance on the de- posito. By this time most of the companies had come up, and forming skirmish line we started, with the Utah battery throwing shells ahead of us. Along the road were many stone fences, from behind which the enemy fired at us, retreat- ing from one to another. Though their lire was heavy it was high as our boys made them keep their heads down by shooting close to the tops of the walls. As we were rushing up the road Major Mulford suddenly called to us to stop until the Utah battery ceased firing, as we were getting in range of their shells. Just as we halted a shell stroek in the road between two groups of us but fortunately did not explode, After the artillery ceased firing we continued the advance in open order, maitaining our fire all the time, until we
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reached the deposito. The first thing we did then was to go to the reservoir and get a drink of water. Never did water taste better either. We had a little to eat also, which was the first since the evening before. Sentries were then posted on the wall, who amosed themselves by doing some sharpshooter's work on the Filipinos. From our elevated position we could see them running in small squads through the surrounding jungle, and we laughed and said sarcastic things about their ability to fight. We were in the best of spirits, and jubilant over one victory.
From the ease with which we had driven the enemy, and the little exeention they did, we thought that we would soon have them whipped. O! the egotism of the American soldier.
After eating a hearty meal of canned roast beef, salmon and hard tack, we pitched tents, and those who were not on guard tried to get some sleep, but most of the boys were so tired, and the ants bothered so much, that sleep was almost im- possible until nearly morning. However, the Filipinos let ns alone during the night, which was some satisfaction.
After reveille in the morning, we rested a few hours, and then piled onr blankets and kitchen outfits on ox carts, which were to follow us. About 10 o'clock we fell in for the advance on the waterworks, Co. F supporting the Utah battery. We had advanced about a mile when we were sud- denly brought to a halt by a heavy fire on our ad- vancing column. Co L was ordered to drive the enemy ont, which they did with the aid of a few shells from the artillery. The work was done so well that the advance was uninterrupted for about two miles, when the enemy again opened a
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a heavy fire on the ieft flank. Co.s B amt L im- mediately formed a skirmish line with company F as support, and started to dislodge them. After running through brush, brambles and bam- boo hedges, and crossing a small creek, then up a hill, they came upon the enemy. Crossing a ridge just at the top of the hill, the bullets Hew thickly. and one man was killed.
The three companies took a position behind a hedge and fired by volley and at will at the enemy. who were located in the ravine below, and on the opposite hill side. For about ball an hour the Americans maintained a heavy fire, and were at swored by one as heavy. When they saw that they could not dislodge the enemy that way. they re- ceived orders to charge, and instantly every one dashed down the hill and up the next. The Fils. pinos could not stand before the rushing line of Americans, but scattered and flod, leaving a num. ber of dead in the ravine. The task bad been accomplished, the Filipinos were scattered, so the companies marched to the road on their right. formed column of fours and proceeded to the pumping station, from which the enemy had flod. Before reaching it they met the Tennessee boys who gave three cheers for Nebraska. Their regiment had come up behind us, had paid not attention to orders, and had scattered, and chased the Filipinos until they were fired, and were now returning.
It was abont 5:30 p. m. when we arrived on t bhiff overlooking the pumping station, from which the artillery was bombarding the surrounding brush and the village of Mariquina. We had not been there long when we heard heavy firing over to our left on the Mariquina road. It was learned to be a battalion of the 23rd infantry which had
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. from Manila to the waterworks. We had some of our worst lighting here, keeping the Filipinos from getting in behind ns. We were surprised at the skill and determination with which they op- posed us, and those who had been so sanguine of whipping them in a month or two began to see the time of our departure for home Hitting away from us like a will o-the wisp. We heard after we c me home that when our regiment was at the waterworks it was safe, because it had no fighting to do. But the fact of the matter is that we were almost constantly fighting or skirmishing, and doing ontpost duty, and sometimes both. The dnty was hard. too. The men fit for duty were so fow that each one had to go on outpost every other night and sometimes every night, and it was a night of watchfulness-there was no lounging or sleeping there. We wish that it were in our power to give a picture of that life as it was to ns, its dangers, its hardships and its pleasures. We were constantly expecting something, and did not know what miante we would be called ont. We could hear carmonading and living from differ- ent directions, and of course were prepared to lake part at a women's notice. Many times we were called ont only to force our way through the jungles, wade through und and water and then return to camp hot and tired and disgusted. One day three Utah battery boys were chased from the village of Mariquina by the Filipinos. They had to wade and swim the river to avoid capture. A detachment of our regiment was sent to search for the Filipinos, but they had fled to the hills. The same day Lieut. Moore with a scouting party of abont twenty men had a skirmish with nearly one hundred Filipinos. He had one man wounded,
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but killed two of the enemy .
Then nothing of importance happened for a few days, except that a supposed spy was captured prowling around the ontpost. He was a big. burly, nety looking fellow. What became of him we do not know, nor in fact do we care much. Abont this time also the band was prohibited from playing, as it drew fire, so the reader can see what close neighbors we had On the morning of the 18th of February we had one of our hardest fights. Co. A, which was on outpost on the Mariquina road, sent out a scouting party which was trapped and fired upon by Filipinos dressed in white and flying white flags. After some pretty desperate fighting the Americans ent their way out and re- turned to the outpost. Of course Col. Stotsenberg could not allow this to pass punished, so just. after dinner we were ordered to put on equipments and fall in as quickly as possible. In a few min- ntes we were in line and with a partly called roll started off on donble time after the Filipinos. We ran in the hot sun until we were nearly ex- hausted, and then, when one man had fainted and several others sncenmbed to the boat, we came to a walk, but several more dropped before we came upon the enemy, abont three miles from camp. One of the fellows had just said "No game to day. This man likes to find plenty of game when he go ont," when ping, ping, ping, came the familiar sound of Manser bullets, and we knew that we had found game. Then the Filipinos opened in earnest from the rice ridges and brush, and of course we answered. Soon the air was full of the double reports made by Mansers, and the fight was on. Co. F, on the right, flanked the Filipinos in a little hollow, coming upon them so
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suddenly that they were not seen until they owned lire. Eight of the enemy were killed and their rilles captured in a very few minutes, and then the remainder lled, not however, before they had turned and fired point blank at the Ameri- caus. With a groan one man fell, and two of his comrades sprang to nis assistance. A bienton- aut looked at him and said "Go on boys, he's dead." A comrade whose gin would not work came np and saw that he was alive, but the blood was sporting from a hole in his neck. He stopped the Row with a "first aid" bandage and then with the aid of another fellow who was coming from the line with a wonnd in his leg, carried the wounded man behind a rock How they ever got there is a mystery, for the bullets flew thickly around them, many even passing between them and over their burden. As soon as the wounded man could speak he asked, "Are my legs gone." When assured that they were not he said, "Boys roll me a cigarette." Poor fellow, he died the next day, and that night a commission arrived for him as a reward for bravery. One of the for- innes of war, that is all.
After we had scattered the enemy, we started back to camp, and what a march. We were so tired that we could scarcely drag ourselves along and some even staggered with weariness. The only living things that were happy were the chickens because we were too tired to catch them. That night the most of us could not sleep from fatigue, and several wore so sick that their com- rades had to stay with them during the long dreary night. A few of them had to go to the hos- pital the next day. The beat and hard work had done us more damage than the bullets of the ene.
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my, and so it was to be during all the campaign. The usual ineidems of ont past duty ocenpied us during the next few days. Co. M thought one day that they were being surrounded and sent two men creeping barefooted back to camp for aid. But it proved to be only a scare and re- ceived no more attention than a few chatting re- marks.
About 3:30 a. m. on the morning of Feb. 22, part of one of our outposts was called in, and soon after one battalion of the Oregon's from the powder mill, and two guns of the Utah battery passed down the road west. The enemy had been gradually drawing closer the last few days and Col. Stotsenberg, either fearing a night attack or thinking that they might wear the men ont by keeping them on the alert, resolved to drive the enemy away. They commenced tiring at the Fili- pinos a little after daybreak, and after breakfast. part of our regiment was sent to aid them, Co. F going along the river to head off the enemy if they attempted to cross further down. After winding around through the thick jungles for a time they were compelled to lie down for fear of receiving the fire of companies L., K, Mand D), who were driving the enemy toward them, but. the Filipinos crossed the river a little further down on a bamboo bridgo of which the Americans had no knowledge. F company then commenced firing across the river, and the enemy answered. They were so close that their officers conld be heard giving commands. After probably twenty minutes of firing the enemy began firing into the rear of F company which was ordered to retire, a move which they executed well under a heavy fire. They had scarcely got out when Col. Stot-
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the fighting, would be something like this: Went un outpost on Mariquina road. Constantly on the alert. Lizards crawling through grass and drop- ping off trees made us nervous. Got very cold toward morning. Enemy fired on outpost to dis- cover our position. We did not fire back.
March 2d and 3d were holidays. Om Christ- mas boxes at last arrived, though we could hardly believe our ears when we heard it. But when we received them there was a celebration. The boys acted like children examining their stockings on Christmas morning. All over camp could be is ard joyful exclamations as each one found some- thing particularly pleasing. After everything had been inspected we sat around talking about what each had received, and comparing notes, and smoking the American cigars our friends had sent. us. Those were two happy days, and it mattered not to us that our Christmas came late, we enjoyed it hugely, just the same. Company I, however, had its enjoyment disturbed, and nearly lash most of its boxes. On Sunday, March 5th, the enemy fired on our outposts nearly all day, especially . that on the Mariquina road, and Company I was soul out there. During the day the Filipinos gradually closed in around them, keeping up a continuons but light fire. During the early part. of the night the fire ceased for about an hour, and during this time the Filipinos crawled upon the company's outpost, and then suddenly opened fire at close range. The company had to retreat so fast that they left some blankets, haversacks, am- munition and Christmas boxes on the road. They halted behind some breastworks between the road and camp, and only just in time, for they wore nearly surrounded. Company D was sent to help
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them and the enemy was driven back. The out-
pinos on their hands and knees. The reader can most cut off. The boys had to crawl past the Fili- post on a hill between the camp and road was al-
see from this how much watchfulness had to be
exercised, and how near the enemy wore to us all the time The boys who were in camp slept.
to sleep during some heavy firing - when we were through all this fight. By this time we were able
ont of range of course. The next morning we
were ordered to take the road back. Co. I stayed
behind some rocks all night and Co. D behind ins
breastworks. During the night two rapid fire
ready taken the road after a sharp light. The and A were ordered up, but. Cos. D and I had al- road. which they did. In the meantime Cos. F' guns were brought up by the Oregons to clear the
enemy had taken refuge among some rocks about 300 yards away, and we had to drive them ont.
Cos. I and D threw out a skirmish line and ad-
open from behind the rocks the two companies and started to run. As they came out into the their flank, but the Filipinos saw the movement. up a steady five while waiting for Co. A to reach forded protection from the enemy's fire and kept Cos. Fand D laid down behind anything that af- vanced on them while Co A started to flank them.
but could not tell what exeention was done. The rose to their feet and fired heavily into them,
three companies followed them as they ran, but in
front of ns behind a stone wait and a hedge. We small ridge, we saw the enemy in a large force in half a mile beyond this timber, as we came upon a and did not rejoin the others that day. About. going through some timber Co. D got separated
immediately opened fire by volleys and rapid liire,
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and they replied vigorously. Suddenly one of the fellows jumped up and commenced firing down the linie of Americans, and shouting " They're flanking us. They're flanking us." Colonel Stotsenberg's command came quick and sharp, and with a swing by the right flank we charged the advancing enemy. As soon as they saw the movement they fled. We could not advance further because we were nearly out of ammunition, so we started back 1o camp.
A little incident happened during this fight that shows the Indicrous side of army life. While on the ridge under a heavy fire one fellow laid a handful of smokeless cartridges beside him so that he conld reach them more easily. A fellow next to him reachad over and took them, and then the owner was going to whip him. It was anins- ing to see them get ready to fight with the bullets flying like hail, but a sergeant saw it and made them stop. All ammunition was scare, but smokeless was at a prominm.
After the fight Co. F found a Filipino whose knee cap had been shot off by a rapid fire gm. They carried him back to camp to be treated, but there was much grumbling abont it. They oh- jected to chasing Filipinos till they were ex- hansted and then carrying back those they had shot. When we arrived at camp in the middle of the afternoon we found the Oregons had taken charge of the road, which they held that night, so we got some much needed rest.
Early the next morning two guns of the Utah battery passed down the road by our camp. When we heard them we knew that there was business to attend to that day. It was planned that day to try to either force the Filipinos to a
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fight or capture them, for the officers had grown tired of their harassing tactics. The men had been tired of them for some time. The plan was for Co. 's B, G, H. K. F and M of our regiment, with a battalion of the 22nd U. S. Inf., and the two guns of the Utah battery to drive the enemy toward the Pasig, where the gnuboat Lagna de Bay and the Washington regiment were to receive them, thus getting them between the two detach- ments. Co I went down the Mariquina river to prevent the enemy's crossing it. It marched through an open rice field for about three miles when it overtook Co. K and then halted. All this time heavy firing could be heard, but it seemed to be moving east instead of south as planned. The Filipinos would not go the way we wished, but. were retreating further from the gunboat and the Washington regiment. Co. K, with part of M under Capt. Kilian went toward the river to watch the enemy. He soon sent back word to the cap- tain of Co. F that the Filipinos were in front of that company, behind some rice ridges, and re- qnested that he either engage or watch them. About thirty Filipinos were seen on a little ridge nearly 1000 yds distant, and of course the captain preferred to engage them. The boys did a little sharpshooting, and the artillery threw some shells among them, which scattered them. No enemy could be seen in that vicinity, but heavy firing conld be heard sonth of us, and we at first thought that the enemy had fallen into the trap, but it afterwards turned out that they were too smart for ns.
We then started back to camp through the jungles. We learned that about fifty Filipinos had been killed and many more wounded, besides a
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number of officers and guns captured, but we failed to march back the whole Filipino army or to force them into a general engagement.
For several days there was nothing to disturb the routine of camp duty, The enemy had been driven away from the places from which they used to harass ns, but we did not know how soon they would be back. There was about as much salis- faction in tighting that kind of an enemy as there would be in lighting a flock of mosquitos.
On the 13th of March we heard heavy firing toward the south by which we knew Gen. Lawton's campaign to the lake had begun. All day we could hear the roar of battle - the rifle fire, the rapid fire guns and the cannonading, which at times was very heavy. Some of the boys on ont- post climbed trees and by using a glass could see the Filipinos fleeing from the advance, but could see no Americans. The next day scouting parties could discover no enemy near the camp.
On the morning of the 15th it rained heavily. About 10 a. m. the Colorado regiment relieved ns, our outposts went to camp, had a hasty dinnerand we were ordered to pack up to be ready to move. There was much speenlation as to where we were going, but the general opinion was that we were relieved from the line, and probably would start home. We soon learned that we were to go to the block houses near Santa Mesa, but for what purpose we were still in doubt. We say block honses, but the regiment extended along a line from block house 5 to 7. We arrived in time to pitch tents that night and get some very wel- come rest. The next morning we repitched our tents and brought our bamboo beds over from our old camp at Santa Mesa and fixed the camp up
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neatly.
We did guard and ontpost duty here, but that was all, and we used the time in resting up. All the time rumors were flying around as to what we were going to do, one had it that we going home, and another that we were to be in the advance on Malolos, and so the matter stood.
On the night of the 2end of March the Min- nesotas, who relieved the Oregons at the maga- zine, kept firing all nights at intervals and some of their shots came near our ontposts. When they were doing police duty in Manila they would fire down a street when in pursuit of somebody, and they had not seemed to learn anything yet. It is a wonder that the war department did not either send them home, or over to light with the Filipi- nos where they would do no harm to the Ameri- canS.
One day we received orders that on boxes should be taken to town and stored away. Ac- cordingly we loaded them on ox carts and hanled them to the walled city. where they were pm in a government building, Then it was that our hopes for going home began to wane and we began to see before us that campaign to Malolos, which now seemed almost a certainty. On the same day the 17th infantry relieved our regiment, having just. come from the ship. That evening we packed on Christmas boxes and all superflous clothing on ox carts to be taken to Sanpaloe church for storage. We then went to bed and slept until about 11 p. m. when we were awakened and marched to Sonth Dakota's lines, where we laid on our arms until morning. The 17th infantry got nervous, and even before we left we could hear their out posts shooting at each other. Some of our boys were
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laughing at them and told their officers that "those fools would kill each other if they were not stopped."
At last our donbts were banished. In the morning we were to start on that memorable cam- paign to Malolos, full of hardships and suffering, and on which we were to lose many of our com- rades who were never more to see America and home.
About 5:30 on the morning of March 25th the brassy notes of reveille aronsed us from our hard beds with a harsh reminder that today there would be stern work. The line consisted of the Nebraska regiment on the right, next, the South Dakotas, and then the Pennsylvanias on the left. These composed Gen. Hale's brigade, and on its left was Gen. Wheaton's brigade. As we were about to start Col. Stotsenberg came down to F company which was on the extreme left of the Nebraska regiment and next the S. D., and said to the cap- tain, "Captain, this move depends on your getting yon men over those breastworks, be sure that yon do it." The captain replied that it would be done. The reason probably was that the South Dakota had not been under fire much while our men were veterans.
When the order came to move we formed a skirmish line and started up a hill. We had gone abont a half mile, and just as the Filipino buglers were blowing reveille, their outposts fired upon us a: abont 300 hundred yards distance. We an- swered their fire, and then advanced at double time, passing over several dend Filipinos. The enemy gave way rapidly to our left toward the S. D. 's, instead of around our right as we expected. A little further, at San Francisco del Monte, Co.
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L charged a stone wall and had a hand to hand fight. Instead of running, the enemy held their ground, and Co. L was soon in the little enclosure with them, lighting with knives and clubbed guns, but the natives did not understand that kind of fighting, and fled, not however, before they had wounded nine of the attacking party, including Capt. Taylor, who got revenge by killing two Kin- pinos with a big knife. At the same imme, but further on the right Capt. Forby fell, shot twie .. while leading his company in a charge on the breastworks.
After clearing San Francisco del Monte we passed through the village and continued our ad- vance, meeting little opposition. We soon halted and ate our dinner, and then, after a rest of about. an hour and a half, again started forward. While the enemy fled from our front, the line to our left was having some hard tighning, and consequently had to move more slowly. So our regiment. moved on ahend intending to swing around and take the enemy on the flank, but they saw us in time and ran. We forded a river and pushed an to the rear of Malabon pumping station, where we halted and concealed ourselves to catch the enemy as they retreated, but as a move against their other flank failed, they escaped that way. We could see and hear the light going on for about two hours, but we were entirely ont of it. We stayed there until dark, then made beds of some straw and tried to get some rest, but we had no more than laid down when a Spanish guide came to lead us back to the pumping station, where the other troops were camped. We reached there abont 8 p. m. exhansted, hungry and burning with thirst. We found plenty of water but nothing to
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