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Mr Dear Colonel Pettit: No.
02953
Vigan, Phil, Islands
10 Dec. 1899
I have just returned from
attending church at the fine cathedral where I learned that this is Sunday
morning. Instinct? Curiosity? Or Loating? [sic] Well, I’ve had my usual good
luck in getting into a fight, and a hot one too, within the first twenty four
hours of landing. This time within the two hours at Vigan four miles from the
coast. When I bid you farewell at Manila I hustled over to the Manauense and got
my Santiago Sailor Bag with my bed roll & horse equipment (poor Dr. Haines
stuff also was thrown in the boat by mistake and not discovered until unloaded
on the Hospital Ship Relief when I immediately sent it ashore marked for the
Doctor in care of the Captain of the Port. Hope he rec’d it ok.) and was most
warmly welcomed by Major Perley Surgeon in charge of the Relief who was off at
once for San Fabian and San Fernando for sick & wounded. The Relief is a
fast boat but she rolls to “beat the band” or rather “to beat the Manauense” so
that I was obliged to eat my Thanksgiving dinner alone, Major Perley not dining
that day. We reached San Fabian early Dec 1st and proceeded to
land from a Life Boat. It was well for us that it was a Life Boat in fact
as well as in name for we were rolled out most beautifully in the heavy surf but
all managed to get ashore. While rather startling this was simply an
incident to me after our Watery “Experiences” on board the Manauense. We
found General Wheaton (Comdg) just leaving for Bayug to relieve Gen Lawton who
goes South to Cavite., Lt. Col Wessels 3rd Cav three troops, Lt.
Kenny E 1st Art & four guns training green artillery horses, Col.
Bisbee and a portion of the 3rd Inf and 33rd Inf. Poor
John Logan was killed here. Major Perley arranged to take off 150 sick &
wounded and I transferred myself first to the Gunboat Wheeling and later in the
day (Dec 3rd) to the Gunboat Princeton bound for Vigan where I
expected to begin my search for Gen. Young. Gen. Young had left San Fernando (in
the Interior) 11 Oct and no one knew where he was except that he was following
Aggie with Maj. Swigart’s command 3rd Cav. Chase, Hunter &
Thayers troops 125 in all, and Hare’s 300 men of the 33rd and Howzes’
Batt. Of the 34th and would probably come out on the west or north
coast.. Gen Wheaton had stopped Col. Wessels command of Youngs troops &
there was considerable friction manifested. Lawton & Young were working well
together and doing most efficient work. Young’s campaign being something like
the 76 campaign of Crook with Lawton at the base. Strange to say the other
military authorities seem to think Aggie is South but Young secured his personal
effects and members of his family and will get Aggie if let alone and supplied
with horses.
Well, the Princeton cast anchor
off the coast of Vigan – which is some three miles inland – at 2:30 P.M. Dec
4th and I was sent ashore with my Sailors Bag and a Box of Hospital
supplies for Lt. Col. Parker 45th (4th Cav.) comdg at
Vigan. Our Spanish Pilot went ashore with me to give me a proper introduction in
their Mother tongue to the native fisherman when lo! A Spaniard turned up and
informed him that the Fillipinos had attacked the Americans at Vigan and had
them cooped up in the town preparatory to slaughtering them and to “take the
American back to his ship.” On listening we could here [sic] the fun. I at once
replaced the Hospital supplies and my dear Bag in the small boat and sent the
Ensign & Pilot back to the Princeton to report to Captain Knox, rather
hoping that he would send a landing party. I remained on the Beach and was
gradually surrounded on three sides by unprepossessing fishermen who seemed to
admire my pistol, field glass and wrist watch to such an extent that I was very
glad to see the Princeton’s small boat returning. Captain Knox said that he
would come in as close as possible with the Princeton so as to cover the beach
in case the Americans were obliged to retreat and hoped we would get word to
them. I had come ashore to find Gen. Young and disliked to go back so seized a 3
½ foot pony and finally persuaded its owner to accompany me in hope of a reward
and to secure the return of his pony. It was getting near Dusk and as the
Fillipinos [sic] had come down from the mountains I hoped to get through to our
troops without being discovered. We rode quietly but as rapidly as our ponies
could go crossing a wicker bridge but found that the Filipinos were between us
and the town and had the troops cooped up into the public buildings surrounding
the “Palace” square. We passed through the Fillipinos [sic] lines being taken
for brethren in the dark but finally my guide balked and turned tail to run to
save his skin even if he lost the reward and the pony I was riding. I
“persuaded” him to stop and kept him covered while we passed through the
absolutely deserted streets of a 20,000 pop. Town until we were halted in the
dark by a good American “who comes there” and were soon in the “Palace” “port
Cochere,” where I found a very much surprised lot of Officers and men who said
it was “Impossible” but it was not. I found Lt. Col. Parker 45th
Major Crinin 33rd and 150 sick & footsore men of
33rd who were surrounded by Filipinos supposed to be 800 in number
who were bent on capturing the 36,000 rounds of ammunition and 25,000 rations
the last of which had been hauled up to the palace the evening before the
attack.
Well, what a night we all spent
after a most exciting day on the part of the troops. We had but seventy
effective men good for duty or a “sally” but as many of the sick and footsore as
had arms were distributed among the five posts surrounding the square which it
was necessary to hold at all hazards. The 33rd are from Texas and
take kindly to this street fighting and seemed to enjoy it hugely perhaps
remembering the “Alamo.” Officers and men were in good spirits all night during
almost constant firing although Col. Parker was much exhausted by the severe
strain and apparent ill health and bewailed his inability to find Gen. Young,
who of course was perfectly safe. The Inusurrective kept up the firing until
after 6 A.M. at which time I succeeded in getting off a Spanish Prisoner with a
letter to Capt. Knox of the Princeton asking for a Surgeon and medical supplies
and reinforcements. Our loss was 8 killed and 3 wounded and we killed
about 40, captured 30 and captured nearly 100 guns, mausers but mostly
Remingtons. Their wounded were carried off by natives in the town. Several times
we tried to signal from the top of the Cathedral and finally Parker let me take
30 soldiers and 30 Spanish Prisoners whom we armed with Remingtons captured from
the Fillipinos [sic] and with this Falstaffian army I started for the Ships with
Lt. Pickel of 33rd & myself mounted on ponies.
On arrival at Beach I found
that my messenger had gotten through and that Captain McCalla of the “Newark”
who had arrived during the night was preparing to land with 125 Sailors &
Marines and a 3” gun. We started on our return to Vigan about 2 P.M. after
forwarding my letter and Parker’s request for assistance down by boat to San
Fabian. On arrival at Vigan we were surprised beyond measure to find that Gen.
Young with his 3 troops of Cavalry had just come in after a very hard fight
aided by Hare & Howze in the mountain passes leading down to Vigan, with the
troops under Tineo who had assaulted us also Vigan in the hopes of getting our
supplies but had left us in the morning of the Dec. 5th to help the
Filipinos resisting Young. Gen. Young’s command lost one killed and nine
wounded. We slept securely that night having 150 Cav. 225 Inf. & 125 Sailors
with a 3” gun. Subsequently 125 Sailors & Marines were landed from the
Wheeling, Callao & Samar in addition to those landed from the Newark &
Princeton or 250 in all and what a Fourth of July night they kept up for the
next two nights while they relieved our tired Cav & Inf of duty at
outposts.
The following night the Relief
with her 200 sick brought up Lt. Col. Wessels and 200 dismounted
men of 3rd Cav which Col. Bisbee of Gen. Wheaton’s Brigade had sent
instead of coming himself with his 3rd Infantry. How Gen.
Young did swear at this countermanding of his orders, to hurry the
3rd Cav forward to him as fast as their horses would permit. He at
once ordered them back to their horses, to come forward as rapidly as possible
and then himself with Smedberg & myself took the Wheeling to San Fabian – 85
miles – ordering forward all his troops and bringing up the Astor Battery. Young
nearly caught Aggie and also Lt. Gilmore & party and forced the release of
nearly 1,000 Spanish Prisoners, five hundred of whom had straggled in and been
sent forward to Manilla.
The Navy was ordered to Apari
on the North Coast at mouth of ___ River and left yesterday. Young also sent 1
gun and 56 men of 33rd to Souel (Loaog) yesterday and Major Swigart’s
Cavalry to same place this morning. Young has nine columns operating
through these mountain passes and will catch Aggie if it is possible. Smedberg
4th Cav. Dade 3rd Cav. Burnside QM, Howard 3rd
Cav Com., and a Vol Dr. and myself are with Young. We leave tomorrow for the
mountains with all our stuff in our saddlebags.
Tell Liggett and officers of
the 2nd Batt that there is almost as much fun and nearly as exciting
as fighting water, fire and hot steam and the raging Monsoon on the Manauense in
the trip which tried men’s souls.
Please read this rambling
letter to such of the lads as will care to hear it then forward to Garretson at
Cleveland with a request for him to hand it to James Parmelee to send to my
brother at Toledo. Don’t expect to write again soon – haven’t written before –
so this must do for all and properly goes first to my Colonel who kindly
assisted me at Manilla in my application to join Young for a “little fun &
experience.”
Very Truly Yours
Webb C. Hayes
Lt. Col. 31st
Inf.
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