April 20th-99

Scouts under Serg. Rawson sprung the filips this side of the ruined church in the Village on the shore, the flips pressed them hard so Co D went out “mucho pronto” –and deployed at the edge of the bamboo. The field was perfectly level and clear with the flips in plain view in skirmish line 1000 y’ds in front. Advanced by rushes under close heavy firing. They broke when we got to 400 yds. Those to left by rt flank –thereby flanking us on the rt. They were all in white and we got some splendid shooting and bro’t many to earth –but they got most of them to the rear under cover of bamboos. We got one officer. A scout from Co G on Smith’s Run Hill, waded the swamp and forded the creek & reported 500 flips on our rt. flank. We laid low until scouts reported them in full flight to s.w. Then we went back to church –having had the prettiest fight I’ve been in –and a heavy fire. We had 40 men in the field –while the original 300 flips were reinforced by at least 250 more and their reserve of at least 1000 lay low along the hills. One man shot in eye ranged downward to low back –also in left arm. Winders in abdomen. Both are mortally wounded. Strobe shot in eye whirled like a top. A man of H Co who was with us also was wounded. It was a fine battle on a typical battle field, but on the records will go down as a skirmish for we fell back in eve to church. Fully ten men knocked out by heat. We got many flips –blood all over the ground, trees and grass.