THE PHILIPPINES.
Am Interesting Letter from a Soldier Boy Campaigning in the Far East
Daet, Luzon, P. L, March 12, 1900.

Mr Dear Father: It is some time since I have addressed a letter directly to you. I have thought the joint family letter would reach all of you sooner, and this one is intended for the others also.

On Feb. 15 we left Manila Bay on the S. S. Yenua Our boats had been loaded for more than two weeks to take us to Mindanao, but General Bell's expeditionary brigade was decided on to invade the Camarines Provinces and as we were ready to go somewhere, we were assigned to it More than a week previous to this our Second Batallion had gone to Le-gas- pi in Albay province to aid a battalion of the 47th which was reported be sieged in a convent.

The 45th regiment joined us just at the entrance to the bay. Our fleet consisted of the Venus, Castellano and Salvadaro carrying the 40th, or rather two batallions of it The Tartar, carrying the 45th. The Athenian, carrying horses and detachments of cavalry and artillery, the dispatch boat Baltimore and the gunboat Marietta.

It had been intended to enter Gubat just as we rounded the south end of the island of Luzon, but the sea was so rough that the ship's captain did not dare attempt the entrance between two narrow reefs. So the entire fleet went on to the Gulf of Albay and the next day, Feb. 18, the Venus went back to Gubat, where we expected to secure some cascoes to land in. As we came near the shore we saw crowds of natives No Americans had landed here, but an Englishman has lived here for twenty years and it was believed the natives were friendly, and so it proved. Three small boatloads of soldiers went ashore and were the center of about two thousand wondering natives who crowded about eager with curiosity. We stayed only long enough to secure two thirty foot sail boats. No cascoes were to be
had. The next day we joined the fleet in the Gulf of Albay.

The fleet arrived in the bay of San Miguel the morning of Feb. 20 with orders for all troops except officers in charge of ships and a guard of ten men from each company to be in the small boats at 8 a m. We had been obliged to anchor about two miles from shore on account of shallow water. Much to my disgust I was put in charge of the Venus and Castellano. The Baltimore and the launch from the Marietta soon came along side and took our strings of boats and pulled away for the beach. What followed I learned later, but will tell it conscutively. Our batallion, the 1st, under Major McNamee landed at Barceloreta; the tide was out and the men waded through mud waist deep. They were pretty heavily loaded, each man carrying his blanket roll, canteen, haversack with three days' rations in it his belt with one hundred rounds of ammunition and his rifle. We met no resistance at Barceloneta but found the place totally deserted. Here they secured two guides and started for Neuva Cacerea This town, the capital of the North and South Camarines provinces, was the objective point and it was proposed to enter it from five directions Our batallion- - had reached the vicinity of Libmanan, a march of nearly eight miles, when they discovered armed natives ahead. The major sent forward the gnide to ask for a surrender but the insurrectos sent back word that they wanted to fight So the column was deployed into skirmish line, the four companies extending about six hundred yards, and the advance begun. A line of intrenchments was soon discovered and the fire was brisk. About three hundred yards had been gained, when the left of the line failed to continue the advance and Major McNamee went to discover the trouble. He found B company under Captain Kendrick in a hand to hand conflict with bolo men. They were soon dispersed and the battalion got into the town just before dark after a hard fight of three quarters of an hour. The wounded were brought up and it was found that seven were hors de combat Lt Galleher, the battalion adjutant, was shot through the abdomen and of the six enlisted men, three had gunshot wounds and three were cut by bolo Lt Galleher died the second day after. The enlisted men are all doing nicely.

It was too dark to discover the loss of the enemy that night but the next morning sixty -- five dead natives and thirteen wounded ones were found on the field. We have since learned from friendly natives that the total loss of the enemy in dead and wounded was two hundred. Fifteen Mausers and thirty Remingtons were captured here besides a great number of boloa spears and bows and arrows. Perhaps you do not know what a bolo is. It is the knife that is universally used here in place of an ax, hatchet butcher-knife, cleaver and sword. Those carried by the insurrectos are lighter than those used in domestic life and are somewhat modified
in shape. They have a heavy blade, thick at the back and groundvery sharp. The length varies from a foot to eighteen inches.

The morning of the 24th our battalion entered Neuva Caeerss about the same time with four other oolamas one other of onr regiment and three of the 45th. It wm expected that the most decided stand would be made here, but Libmanan bad erideofiy scared them out and tbe town was completely deserted. After vesting hare a day Major McNamee was ordered to aaarch to the Bay of Lagonoy, part of bis command to go to the north and part to tbe aoaihj of Mount Ysarac. Companies A and B nnasr Captains Kendrick and KaUy went to tbe north and' Major McNamee with companies C and D went to the south. The trail to the south was rough and over very many streams, but there was a Spanish guide who was sure of the way, so no mistake was made in the trail. When on about a day and a half, when about to ford a mountain stream about waist deep, the advance guard was fired on by the enemy from the opposite bank, which was steep and obscured by undergrowth. Major's horse was hit twice and his bugler beside him was wounded in the shoulder. They were unable to see the opposing force, but the men could not stand there in the river and stand the rifle fire, for it was found later that the insurrectos had two brass pieces from which they were firing scrap iron, so a charge was ordered and the enemy driven from bis position. A stop was made only long enough to care for tbe wounded, four, when the column hurried on to reach Tigoon for it was almost dark. It was not ascertained now many riupinos were lulled or wounded.

(continued next week)