A TRANSLATION FROM A SPANISH OFFICER'S DIARY FOUND AT SAN FERNANDO
DE PAMPANGA, LUZON, BY AN AMERICAN OFFICER.
"It happened that we left such a hidden retirement and we went into
Taal. We employed more than a whole day on the road, more than half
of which we passed in a lagoon with water up to our waists. We arrived
on the seventh.
"After six days of rest, on guard every other day, we embarked the
thirteenth for Paranaque, where we arrived the fourteenth in the
morning, and on the following day we left with rations of sea biscuit
for three days, and at the end of the day we arrived at the camp
of St. Nicholas, where we found encamped the Division La Chambre,
which we joined.
"On the eighteenth we set out with a convoy for Salitran, and after
passing a whole day in the water, we had to halt, because neither
the darkness of the night permitted us to go any further, nor did
the fire of the enemy permit us to follow the road.
"Next morning at dawn we took up the march, arriving at half-past
nine. We sent away the convoy, and at one p. m., after having eaten
our ration of rice and ham, we started out again for camp, arriving
at eight p. m., with some firing.
"The twenty-third we set out on the same road toward Imus, which fell
after an hour firing with innumerable loss. Imus was then the center
of the insurrection. The General-Coronal, who was not yet wearing
his insignia, died.
"On the following day we came upon the second trench of the town
above mentioned, and there entered it with guns 'at rest,' as we had
promised the most excellent La Chambre.
"In this last capture the division lost about forty, the greater part
of them officers.
"Until now the officers coming from the Balearic Islands have received
no news, but some of the men have.
"It is March 25th, and we have been told that the review of the
Commissary is to be passed in Noveleta, which is in the possession
of the enemy.
"On the thirty-first of the month we left Ymus, going toward Noveleta,
and without following any route we found ourselves at night-fall
on the road which goes from Noveleta to San Francisco de Malabon,
which is also in the power of the Tulisanes.
"During the day there was some firing, and finally we found a trench,
which we captured with the loss of one man. The unfortunate man
was the captain from Majorca, who died from a ball which exploded,
entering through his left eye and exploding in the middle of his head,
so that he died instantly. I could not look at the corpse.
"We slept, as I have said, in the middle of the road, and on the
following day, April 1st, we fell like a plague on Noveleta, into
which only one company entered with their arms in their hands, since
all the rest of the column carried them 'at rest' in fulfillment of
the promise above cited.
"During the firing we had the protection of artillery, and we ate
our ration without breaking ranks.
"The entrance into Noveleta did not cost more than a loss of fifteen
Europeans, but more than thirty of the natives.
"Noveleta was attacked three days after it had been taken without
other result than the leaving upon the field a number of the mutilated
bodies of the natives, which were buried by our valiant men with
respect, not for what they had been before then, but for what they
represented at that moment.
"On the day after taking Noveleta, the important town of Cavite was
taken, which was bombarded by our marines till they saw the division
coming, which had all our men except four companies, which remained
defending Noveleta.
"The column returned the next day from Cavite and then set out for
New Cavite, where we took rations for four days of biscuit and wine,
setting out the same day for Noveleta, and on the sixth the division
started to attack San Francisco de Malabon, last point of Cavite
Province in which there was an insurrection. This point was well
fortified, and this is what was the death of them.
"In an hour or seventy minutes, the enemy was dislodged, leaving more
than fifteen hundred bodies behind the trenches. There was one corpse
whose head fell more than two hundred feet from its body, carried
off by a ball of artillery. This picture was terrible to look at. We
could not look in any direction without seeing a mass of bodies, some
in pieces and others burning up as if they had been a mass of straw.
"We lodged that afternoon, and night in the houses which remained
standing, and on the following day set out for the suburb of San Juan,
which had been abandoned when they saw that San Francisco was falling
into the power of the Chasseurs.
"On leaving San Francisco, we were able to salute the Flag Regiment,
No. 70, composed of natives, whose flag was now adorned with the
seventh stripe of San Fernando.
"In the same town was found a prisoner of the enemy and wife of the
man who had been captain of the 'Guardia Civil,' who had died there
when the insurrection of San Frerelledo broke out.
"We set out, as I have said, for the suburb of San Juan, which was
abandoned, and in the same state was that of Rosario. Between these
two points I could see the ruins of what had been the dwelling of
the Augustinos, who also died at the breaking out of the rebellion.
"We reached Noveleta at night-fall, and after two days' rest, set out
on the march toward Ymus (or Imus), passing through Zapote and Bacoor,
which important points had been taken the day after the entrance to
Ymus, of the taking of which I can relate nothing, since at this time
I was recovering from illness.
"We reached, as I have said, Imus, passing through Zapote and Bacoor
on the afternoon of the eighth, and we were there till the thirteenth
of the same month of April, without having in all this time any
religious ceremony, except on Palm Sunday, when we had a mass said
by an Augustino; one of those who had come from Manila to take charge
of the convent, etc.
"The Division La Chambre and the brigades which had been formed
returned to Noveleta by means of the steam of a locomotive, which was
at the same time used to move the wheels to press the green cane in
order to transport it from the plantation to the factory--refinery.
"Being again incorporated in the company, we were ordered to cover
the line of security established in the quarter of Piga (?), from
which we were relieved on the seventeenth of May--birthday of His
Majesty the King, Alfonso XIII.--and day also on which ended the term
of indulgence--pardon--granted by the Most Excellent Primo de Ribera.
"We were in Fananan from the seventeenth to the twenty-ninth,
when, the brigade having been organized, it was divided into three
columns. The second column set out for Banadero on the twenty-ninth,
waiting there till the following day, when the aforesaid column,
having been joined by another, which came by the way of Mount Semgay,
and by another small force which had come from Bayuyangan; all these
forces having been joined together, they fell at the same time upon
the ruins of Talisay, which had been taken from the insurgents last
October, and later they had taken possession again of its ruins.
"On the evening of the thirtieth we received orders not to set out
again until further orders, and on the thirty-first we came upon the
trench destined for the third column, which did not arrive in time;
and the second column, which was on the left, and in which I was,
moved forward more than it ought to have done, by reason of not
being able to attack in front; and seeking the right side or flank,
we fell upon the enemy without giving them time to defend themselves
in the least, so that there was not more than one killed and one
slightly wounded. We then united on the same ground with the first
and second columns. The first had been reënforced at Cale by a section
of volunteers from Albay, who are very conversant with the territory,
because they are natives of this district.
"The second column entered Talisay without firing a shot. The flag in
the trench was set up by the second lieutenant of the second company
of the Thirteenth, Don Carlos Gonzalez Lara, who is orphan on his
father's side (!), for his father had been killed by the insurgents
because they had demanded from him a thousand pesos, and he replied
that he did not have them there, and then they cut his throat.
"About two o'clock p.m., we took up the march toward Bayuyangan to
see what had happened to the two companies which from there were
to go to Talisay, and which they had not effected, the same as the
column Sarralde, which came by way of Mount Semgay, which was not
seen until they had taken their position, and which had brought us
more than fifteen hundred Tulisanes, which had been presented to them
on the road.
"The two companies from Bayuyangan did not show themselves either,
because of the narrow passes of the road they had met with resistance
and by taking another way the road would have been left free to them,
so that they might have escaped; which did not suit us, because in
this way they would have fired upon Bayuyangan, and it might be that
the reserve force might not be present; the rest would be too few to
defend the fort.
"At night we arrived at Bayuyangan, and I was to see again the land
watered by the blood of my captain and friends.
"In memory of my captain mentioned, in building and dedicating the
fort, they named it after him--Yena--as being the same place where
he died.
"From there we went out the next day, tearing down all the trenches we
found on the way. We passed through Banadero. We went on and entered
gloriously and victoriously into Yananan, from where, after three
days, we were detailed to the two small forts at Cale, where we are
very comfortable.
"I have just learned that I have been promoted to the honorable
position of first lieutenant."
"COUGAR" DALY.
"Cougar" Daly's connection with the company had not extended two
days till he was duly installed as "dog-robber" for Lieutenant John
Buestom, the most handsome, soldierly-looking, and intensely despised
officer in the --th "Foot." Buestom--or "Bues," his enemies called
him--must have had liver complaint, for his temper was always riled
like stagnant water full of crawfish; and when Captain Bobson left
the company for a few weeks to go on a hunt up the St. Joe River, the
"non-coms" resigned in a body, every man of them, so hot did he make it
for them during that brief period. As for the batch of recruits, fresh
from the drill-sergeants and bulldozing of the recruiting rendezvous,
they deserted by platoons and sets of fours, for the life with them
was unbearable. Had the "Old Man" Bobson remained away a few days
longer, he would have had no one of his company--the one pride of his
life--to greet him upon his return, with the possible exception of
Private McCoy, who had been in the service since George Washington
was a "lance jack," and who swore that all the damned "shave-tails"
in the Army could not drive him out.
Many hard things were said of Buestom, but not half that could
have been told and yet save one's reputation for veracity and
secretiveness. Among the things he could not keep were his word and
servants. Not even would a Chinaman attend his many wants. His last
effort was a big Manchu from northern China; and he had no more than
been installed and began his work with the usual celestial energy, till
in rushed "Bues," as savage as a bear, and gave him more instructions
in a minute than the frightened menial could have executed in a
month. To cap the climax, he taught poor "Chino" to stand at attention,
and ordered him to ever thus stand when in his august presence.
This was more than the faithful fellow of the pigtail locks could
stand, so he made it known in his own English: "Me squit jlob. Me no
dalmn sloder." And he slipped into his pajamas and was gone.
Then came a long series of soldier servants--"dog-robbers"--but
none could endure him for more than a day or two, and seldom got
their pay for that. The complaints were all similar: "He asked me to
bathe his mangy dog;" or, "He ordered me to stand at attention when
rocking the damned cradle, so precious are his 'brick-top brats';"
or, "She," for Mrs. B. was not angelic, "wanted me to fan the flies
off her ring-tailed cat while that animal chose to nap;" and so they
ran. Thus they growled and quit their places, usually without giving
notice. Then Private Jones, Brown, Smith, or whoever the offender
might happen to be, endured his turn of torture and calling-down when
at drills and other duty till there was a fresher victim on whom this
choleric officer could wreak his vengeance.
Now came "Cougar" Daly, fresh from the Bowery, with the odor of stale
beer and "twofers" on his seven-dollar "cit" suit marked down to
five ninety-nine, which was hanging in the orderly room, and which
he was sure to don when on "old guard" pass and sober; but Daly was
like all soldiers in one respect--he always got drunk in uniform.
Daly, indeed--as true a Dutchman as ever bore an Irish name. Daly,
he of the "ingrowing face"; "kidney-foot" Daly; Daly, the man "wid
his chist on his back," were just a few of the "handles" he enjoyed.
It was Archie Fettin, lately of the Queen's Own, but now a "buck"
private in Uncle Sam's service, who aptly said: "Daly, tek off yer
bloomin' 'ed and put it on facin' t' the rare and ye'll hev as foine
a brace an' as smaart 'perance as any non-com 'n the Quane's Guayards;
mesel', fer example."
Unfortunately for poor Daly, he could not follow Fettin's advice,
and must content himself with his dromedary "set up." The company
non-commissioned officers were disgusted with him, for the company
enjoyed the reputation of being the best drilled in the regiment, but
here came this hopeless recruit to muddle the rear rank at parades and
walk on the heels of his front rank man. Corporal Self, the meanest
martinet in the outfit, drilled him till his tongue was hanging out,
and then reported to the captain: "Sir, there's slight hope fer thet
spalpeen o' a rakroot Daly, fer th' more sittin' up ixercise I giv'
'm th' bigger th' lump on 'is schloping shoulders."
Daly, the newest recruit in the regiment, now "dog-robbing" for "Bues,"
and excused from cook's police, room orderly, guard, fatigue, and,
in fact, everything except drill, and he would have been relieved
from that had he not been sorely in need of it. The men hated him
more cordially than the devil despises a Christian who refuses to
black-slide. A man with the slightest hint of spirit would have
resented their insults, heaped so lavishly and frequently, but he
was as impervious to the names, epithets, growling, and swearing as
a duck's back is to water.
Rising in the morning long before reveille, he noiselessly slipped
out of the barracks, always carrying his shoes in his hand till away
from the quarters, and then went to Buestom's house and began his
day's work by building fires, preparing the bath, and assisting in
the cuisine. He never ate his meals with the company--always served
himself in the kitchen or back yard of his master. Master? Yes;
for a more menial slave was never sold from the block.
When nothing else to engage him, he had his orders to take the mangy
dog out for a walk--and what a dog! What breed? Just dog--the yellow
kind. His comrades always spoke of these walks as "two curs out for
a constitutional." But that same dog was Daly's only friend, and he
no doubt enjoyed his society.
Then came the great railroad strike, and the tie-up of the mails. The
regiment was ordered out to open up the roads. To everybody's delight,
Buestom remained behind to take care of the post; but a greater
delight was when Daly asked to go with his company in the field,
for now he would get more than his share of duty to make good the
work thrown on his comrades while he was excused from everything. The
"non-coms" were "laying for him."
When it came to choosing tent-mates, Daly was left a widow, for even
Rassmussen the Swede--"Rouse mit 'em der sweet"--the worst reprobate
that ever wore a uniform, refused to pair with him; so he hied himself
to the nearest escort wagon and slept under it.
They marched past miles of obstructed railroad track to Patterson,
where the switches were crammed full of freight cars and "killed"
engines. The work of clearing the tracks went on for many days,
till finally they were cleared, and a train made up to take the
first mail through that had passed since the strike began. Soldiers
were everywhere--on the tops of cars, on the platforms, inside, on
the tender; and riding on the cow-catcher, loaded rifles in hand,
were Archie Fettin and "Cougar" Daly.
This heavily guarded train sped on at a lively rate, through tunnels,
over cuts and fills, coughing a continuous challenge to the groups
of strikers gathered along the way to watch it pass. On it went. The
soldier-engineer, taking courage from the docile attitude of the
strikers, pulled the throttle wide open, while the soldier-fireman
was heaving coal into the fiery furnace, even though the steam was
at the time "blowing off." The giant machine leaped forward like a
spurred stallion, easily making fifty miles an hour. Daly and Fettin
were holding on like grim Death, for the track was rough and the
speed unprecedented for that road--a new one.
A bad curve was just ahead, but the speed was not slackened. Like a
racing horse on a small track, the engine struck it and leaned toward
the inner circle, but an instant later straightened up and flew on
its way.
Just as the curve was turned, a few hundred paces ahead, stood a small
group of tramps. Seeing the train, they hastily broke and ran for
the timber along the edge of the right-of-way, but not before one of
them hurriedly stooped and placed something on the track, A hundred
eyes were on him, and as many rifles were instantly raised to fire,
but Daly was the first to pull the trigger, and the man fell backward
down the enbankment, bearing with him that which he had endeavored
to place on the rail.
In firing, Daly was compelled to let go his hold, which kept him on
the train, and he lost his balance and fell forward, crushed into an
unrecognizable mass beneath the wheels.
The train was stopped, and a hundred aching hearts, which had melted
in the presence of death, went tenderly to their duty of gathering
up poor Daly's remains.
The tramp had been shot fairly through the head, and he had died
holding in one of his clenched fists a deadly bomb, which, but for
the presence of mind and quickness of action of the despised recruit,
would have sent every soul on the train into eternity.
The next day the _Rocky Mountain Daily Eagle_ contained this Associated
Press report:
"The late Private Daly, of Company E, --th Infantry, who was
crushed beneath the first train out of Patterson, Mont., while
firing at Antonio Bressi, the anarchist, was from New York City,
where he has a mother and younger sisters and brothers dependent
on him for support. His right name was Leonard Dresel, and the name
Daly seems to have been assumed when he entered the Army to conceal
his identity. There was no apparent reason for this, as he has an
excellent reputation for honesty and industry, and he enlisted in the
Regulars because he could obtain no employment elsewhere. He worked
for officers of his regiment in order to make additional money that
his brothers and sisters might remain in school.
"Antonio Bressi, who died from the deadly aim of Daly, was a noted
anarchist leader, prominent in the Coeur d'Alêne riots a few years ago,
which were so promptly quelled by the --th Infantry. It is believed
that for this reason he endeavored to blow up the train, for it is
known that he is not in sympathy with the striking railroad men."
A week later Company E was paid, and that night a money order payable
to Mrs. Catharine Dresel, No. ---- Baxter Street, New York, for $150,
left on the east-bound train.
In the little cemetery at Fort Meredith there is an elaborate granite
monument bearing the inscription:
"Private Patrick Daly,
Co. E, --th Inf.
He gave his life that others might live.
Erected by his comrades."