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Every one was busy and anxious to be marching, especially the officers, who usually could hardly wait for the time to come after receiving orders to march. We were to have supper on this occasion at five o'clock, but all we had were some scraps and crumbs from the camp kitchen. Our orders were to march to Maricana, which was held by the enemy. We marched twelve miles before camping.
I have several more bullets which struck near me at different times and places. All of these I treasure, for I do not expect to get any more bullets just as I did these. The American loss at Maricana was twenty-four killed and nineteen wounded. After leaving the battlefield we returned to the camp we had left that morning.
The enemy beat a hasty retreat, rather a pell-mell flight across the open country towards the mountains, at whose bay they had entrenchments and a large reserve force. The fight lasted from daylight till about two o'clock in the evening. The battle of Maricana was as hard as any fought in the Philippine Islands. About three thousand American soldiers were engaged.
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.
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.
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.
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