Under MacArthur in Luzon/Chapter 15
CHAPTER XV
THE ADVANCE UPON LAS PIÑAS
It was now four months and a half since hostilities had broken out on that fatal February evening between the United States troops and the Filipinos, and it must be confessed that the conflict seemed as far from a termination as ever.
The causes for this sad situation were numerous. At the start neither the Americans nor the Filipinos had looked for such a terrible outbreak, and when it had come, both sides were somewhat dazed; and in the war of words which followed each accused the other of breaking faith. Aguinaldo insisted that the Americans had started the fighting, and our officers were just as positive that the rebels had fired the first shots. The real truth of this matter will perhaps never be known.
After the outbreak came the advance of the Americans upon Caloocan, Polo, Marilo, Malolos, and other points, as related in "Under Otis in the Philippines," followed by Lawton's campaign to the Laguna de Bay and to San Isidro, as told in "The Campaign of the Jungle," and General gallant holding of his own in and around the railroad running from Manila to Malolos. Returning to the capital, General Lawton had immediately organized the expedition to the Morong peninsula, thus once again driving the rebels into their mountain fastnesses.
Many towns and villages had been occupied, but the American army was not a large one, and sickness and death had taken fully a fifth of the men out of the ranks; and so it became necessary to give up a majority of the captured places simply because we had no troops with which to garrison them.
The situation was grave, in spite of the endeavors of the leading generals to put a bright face upon the matter. The American holdings extended on the north but thirty-nine miles, to San Fernando, on the railroad. On the Laguna de Bay the only garrison was at Morong, and this was in constant danger, because of its isolation, the rebels again taking possession of Cainta and San Mateo. The line of the city defences extended from midway between Malate and Parañaque on the bay shore, south, in a semicircle to San Pedro Macati, Taguig, and across the Pasig River to Caloocan. The line was much broken, and in one or two spots the insurgents frequently showed themselves within three miles of Manila! And this after four months' battling to drive them away!
"With practically the whole of the island to fall back upon, outside of Manila province, it was no wonder that the rebellion continued to nourish. All the natives were in sympathy with the Filipino soldiery, only passing for amigos when it became necessary to do so, and consequently any neighborhood could be levied upon for support by Aguinaldo and his followers. Rice was plentiful, and the average native can live as well on this food as can a Celestial. The hot-headed and patriotic but misguided leaders had sworn never to surrender, and so the contest went on.
"Something must be done to drive away the rebels on the south side of the city," said one of the American leaders, and on June 10 General Lawton was called upon to organize another campaign, which he did with the brigades under Generals Wheaton and Overshine, which included the regiment to which Ben and Gilbert Pennington were attached.
"We are off again!" cried Ben, when, on hearing the news, he told Larry and Gilbert, "And Major Morris thinks we'll have a pretty tough campaign of it, too."
"Well, I am ready for fighting," replied Gilbert. "It seems like a year to me since I was brought to this hospital."
"It has certainly been a long time to me," put in Larry, and then he added quickly, "I am to go with you, Ben, am I not?"
"Do you feel equal to the task, Larry? Remember, you don't want to exert yourself too freely."
"Oh, I'm all right, and ready to give the rebels all the hard knocks I can."
"The Russell boys are born fighters," broke in Major Morris, with a laugh. "By the way, Ben, what of that brother of yours, who wrote that he was coming on? "
"He is on board of the transport Central. She is due here in a day or two, I believe."
"I reckon you are anxious to see Walter," said Gilbert. "I would like to see him myself."
"Yes, I am anxious," answered the young captain, and Larry said the same.
But there was no time to do much talking, for the regiment was to move for San Pedro Macati that noon, there to join the other forces to take part in the expedition, which was being kept a secret, so that the Tagal spies in Manila might not carry the news to their friends. As old readers know, Gilbert was first lieutenant of Company B of the regiment, and consequently his duties were numerous in seeing that the command was ready to start at the time specified.
"Poor Gilmore, it's too bad he's got to be left behind," said Ben, when they were ready to start. "But it's a comfort to know that he is on a fair road to recovery."
The start from Manila was made on a clear day, and all the soldiers were in the best of spirits. Soon the route step was ordered, and as the men strode along to suit themselves Major Morris sided up to Ben.
"Captain, I've got a surprise to spring on you," he said, after speculating upon the results of the campaign then opening.
"What kind of a surprise?"
"I've been talking the matter over with Lieutenant Pennington, and he has concluded to do as I intend doing."
"Well, what are you going to do?"
"We want you and Larry to go in with us," continued the major of the first battalion, ignoring the captain's questions.
"But you haven't told me what the surprise is, major. Out with it, and don't keep me guessing."
"Well, it's this. You know our time of enlistment runs out in a few months."
"Yes."
"Lieutenant Pennington and myself have concluded to reënlist."
"That's right; so will I—if Uncle Sam wants me."
"But we are not going to reënlist as before. We are going into the regular army—if the government will have us."
"Oh!" Ben was surprised and looked it. "Going to give up the volunteer service, then?"
"Yes. And we want you to come with us."
Ben shook his head slowly. "No, major, I don't think I care to do it. I am willing to fight as a volunteer, when Uncle Sam needs my services. But to make army life a business, so to speak,—well, that's different."
Major Morris's face fell. "I was afraid you would talk that way—and Pennington was afraid, too. But perhaps you'll reconsider the matter when your time is out here."
"It's possible, but I don't think so—now. You see I may be a fighting, but I'm not a fighting man—like you, for instance."
"I don't see the difference, captain."
"What I mean is this: I am ready to come at my country's call, but I am not willing to stand and wait for a mix-up. If you join the regular army, you'll have to remain a soldier, even if this war comes to an end the next day, while I, as a volunteer, will probably be discharged."
"That's true, but to me and to Pennington it doesn't make any difference."
"Are any of the others going into the regular army?"
"Yes, Rexford and Corporal Holwurth, and I overheard Stummer and Casey talking it over, too."
"I'll be sorry to lose you all," said Ben, seriously. "We have been close friends for a long time, and seen many hard knocks together."
"So we have, captain, and that's why we want you and Larry to join with us."
But Ben shook his head again. The regular service had no fascination for him, although he readily saw how it could appeal to such a dashing military man as the major and such a warm-blooded fellow as his Southern chum.
"You won't get any rank in the regular army," he observed, after a pause.
"I am going to try for a lieutenant's commission. My record is a clean one, and I don't think they'll turn me down."
"And will Gilbert try, too?"
"Yes."
"Well, I wish you both success. But you have still some time to serve as a volunteer, and a good deal may happen before you leave us," concluded Ben, and then turned away to give some orders to his men, who were growing hilarious and had to be toned down.
When San Pedro Macati was reached, the scene was an animated one, for the different regiments occupied a large space with their tents and camp outfits. Here Ben found many old friends, and tales of adventure were freely exchanged.
The next day, which was Saturday, and one of the hottest on record, the advance began in earnest, both brigades moving in the direction of Guadalupe, instead of toward Manila Bay, in order to throw the enemy off the scent. The roads were still in a frightful condition, but the soldiers moved forward with quiet determination, although the fierce heat soon made many of them drop from the ranks. At Guadalupe the two brigades separated, General Overshine's moving to the west, and General Wheaton's to the northwest, the object of General Lawton being to gather the enemy in between two fires.
It was not long after Ben's regiment had left Guadalupe that a scattering fire was heard ahead, and soon the report drifted in that the Filipinos, were strongly entrenched along the road leading to Las Piñas and the bay.
"We are ordered to the front, Captain Russell," said Major Morris, presently, and a minute later the battalion was on the double-quick across a rice field, with the second and third battalions behind them. Then a skirmishing line was formed, extending across the field, from a road on the right to a steep hill on the left. The road was occupied by some of the American artillery, who went ahead, taking "pot shots" at the hill whenever a crowd of Filipinos showed themselves.
In the rice field the sun was "sizzling," as more than one returned soldier has expressed it, and to rush forward and then drop down for a wait was 
"Forward!" shouted Ben to his commandPage 153
sickening. But war is not child's play, and the gallant upholders of Old Glory made the best of it.
"Forward!" shouted Ben to his command, as the order came from his superior, and forward went Company D over the field to where there was a small irrigating trench, now half filled with water. The cracking of rifles—Mausers and old Springfields—was constant, and more than one man went down, a few never to rise again.
"Tell you vot," panted Carl Stummer, "of dem Filibinos keep on running, ve got to go after dem mit automopiles, hey?"
"Either thim or trolley cars, Carl," answered Dan Casey. "It's mesilf that's gettin' tired av sprintin' like a college athlete afther 'em."
Soon the command was in the thickest of the fighting, and then Ben and Larry got another taste of what this long-drawn-out war meant.