twelve miles before camping. It rained before we started out
from Manila and cleared up, but left the roads very muddy and made
marching very hard. The twelve miles were made by ten o'clock. That
night the wet ground served as couch and one blanket as all the
covering. We had to recline, if we lay down at all, with gun and belt at
our side, ready at a moment's notice to meet the enemy's attack should
they swoop down upon us in camp. After a halt of six hours we set about
at four o'clock preparing breakfast, every man cooking his own rations
in camp kit and making coffee in a quart cup.

Men were gathered around their little fires of wet wood on the damp
ground trying to burn wet wood and cook over the little fire it made.
Some of the hungry men had just succeeded in getting their fires to burn
and commenced to cook when orders were given to prepare for the march to
Maricana, which we were expected to capture that day and to take the
Filipinos prisoners or drive them into the neighboring mountains. It is
needless to say that those men who failed to get their breakfast were
ready to fight. They had an opportunity before many hours passed.

From the camp it was five miles to Maricana. The march began at
four-thirty, while it was still dark, and we could move unseen by any of
the enemy who chanced to be lurking in our vicinity. We marched through
the woods and without speaking above a whisper marched close to the
enemy before we were discovered. Their sentinels in the church towers
were the first to discover our approach and give the alarm by ringing
the bells.

Maricana is located on the bank of a river and we advanced within one
hundred and fifty yards of the opposite bank before we were discovered.
We advanced at double time and reached the river bank, when we lay down
and opened fire just as the early daylight was appearing. Our skirmish
line covered the whole town, in which the enemy were stationed as a
reserve force to their advanced lines along the river. This advance, or
outer line of the enemy, were fortified behind a stone wall. Our line
was at the disadvantage of being in the open ground. The lines thus
formed were hotly engaged for some time when the command was given to
cross the river and charge the enemy's lines. The river bank in front of
me was about ten feet high, but this offered no obstacle to me when
bullets were falling thick and fast near by. At the command to cross I
jumped and somehow got down th