At 4.30 A. M. Nov, 5, the companies were formed. All the bull wagons and escort wagons had been loaded the night before with six days rations and the reserve ammunition.
Our command consisting of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 17th Infantry and two field guns, all under the command of Col. Smith were to leave Angeles at 5.30 A.M. and march north and east to Magalang. Maj. O’Brien with the 1st Battalion 17th Inf., two troops of Cav. and a detachment of scouts left Calulut, 5 miles south of Angeles, earlier in the morning. It was intended that these two columns should meet about two miles west and south of Magalang for we expected to find the enemy there in force.
Company “K” 2nd Battalion 17th formed the advance guard for our column marching direct from Angeles. We left sharp on time and after having advanced about two thousand yards beyond the Angeles outposts we found the Insurgents entrenched across our road and extending out to our right on the further bank of a stream. They had obstructed the road by cutting bamboo on both sides and letting it fall into the road. When the advance guard reached a point about 300 yds from the enemys position and yet not seen by them, a platoon was sent out to form a line of skirmishers to the right of the road in a sugar cane field. The rest of the company was held on the road. The platoon advanced to the edge of the one field to within about 100 yds of the enemy trench. Between us and the enemy was a broad atream bed with very little water In it and on the far side of this on top of a steep bank about fifteen feet high was the Ineurgent position. The face of this bank was covered with a thick growth of tangled underbrush.
As soon as we reached the edge of the cane field the enemy got sight of us and ran for their trench but we gave them a volley before they got in. Then I ordered the men to fire every time they saw a nigger and we advanced fireing. The niggers stayed in that trench until we were within 50 yds of them and they continued to fire until we charged across the stream, the men yelling for all they were worth. We actually had to hunt for places to crawl through that tangled brush to get over into their trench. When we got over we found one dead nigger (shot through the head) and one wounded (shot In the hip.) The rest of the company was into the trench across the road about the sane time we took the one to the right. The Insurgents who escaped managed to get away with the rifles of the dead and wounded men. I left a man to take care of the wounded one until the hospital men came up, and the rest of us went on. There were only about fifteen or twenty Insurgents In this first trench and the advance guard easily brushed them away without delaying the march of the main column.
We continued our march for some time without opposition. Once in a while a few scattering shots wore fired by lurking insurgents on our flanks but a few shots from our flankers soon drove them away. After we had been marching for about an hour we came out Into open country. In front of us across an open rice field was a little village and as soon as we came into the open the insurgents fired on us from the cover of the bamboo and
houses. The point and flanker opened fire on the enemy and in a few minutes he was on the run.
Our march continued quletly enough and in the straggling little villages we passed through the few natives who had not run away were very badly frightened, Several families would gather In a single house and were praying for all they were worth. The men all fully expected to be shot on the spot. The women lay in the road and cried for mercy, the men knelt in front of our soldiers and pointed to their foreheads to show they wished to be killed instantly. They were all highly delighted and crazy with joy when our men spoke to them kindly and showed them that they would not be harmed.
While we were marching along we heard heavy fireing to the south and east and knew that Maj. 0’Brien had found the enemy. Later we saw two great columns of smoke and heard the crackle of bamboo. The Maj. was burning some Insurgent nests.
About 9.30 A.M, we halted on the edge of a stream at a point where we expected Maj. O’Brien to meet us before the attack on Magalang. “L” Company under Lt. Morrow was sent out to reconnoiter and locate the position and strength of the enemy. In about an hour Morrow came back and reported the enemy in good force and in excellent position a little south of the town, and about two miles from us.we ate our lunch and had a good rest and as Maj. O’Brien had not yet come up we went on without him. “K” Company, which had been advance guard up to this time was now put at the head of the main column and “H” company made advance guard. We marched for about half an hour without hearing a shot, then the road turned sharply to the right and ran along with a thick cane field on the left and a bamboo hedge on the right. We could not see twenty feet to either side. Soon after we entered this closed road we heard the advance guard heavily engaged with the enemy. We were ordered to go forward at the double time and just as the order reached us the bullets began to come through the cane with
a great ripping noise and slam into the bamboos on our right. One bullet struck a man (Corp Hippert) in the foot, went through his foot and truck another man in the same set of fours just above the ankle. Another man was struck in the head, all this happened in an Instant. For a second the men hesitated but the wounded men yelled, , “go on fellowe we’r all right, give ‘m hell!” Then the men went forward on the run throwing off their ponchos and
shelter halves as they ran. Soon we came in sight of the advance guard (“H” Co) lined up on the edge of the cane field, In front of them was an open rice field about four hundred yards across and on the far side of this was a road fringed by a hedge of low bushes. From this hedge and extending along a front of five or six hundred
yarde the enemy was poreing in their fire on the advance guard as we came up. We formed line on the left of “H” Company and opened fire at once and a minute or two later “D” Company formed on our left. We fired at will, the men taking deliberate aim every time they saw one of the enemy raise his head to fire. The enemy was shooting rapidly and their bullets flew high over us. The roar of our Krags was so great that I could hardly hear myself think. This heavy fire continued on both sides for some minutes and then the enemy began to slacken and retreat. After a while we stopped our fire (not without difficulty for the men could neither hear commands
or skirmish whistles, the roar was so great. Then we moved forward across the open rice field, the men firing as they advanced every time a nigger showed himself. When we reached the road where the enemys line had been we saw the enemy streaking out across an open fleld beyond. Again our men opened fire on them and I saw several fall head first out of sight in the rice. The Artillery then came into position and threw shrapnell, with great accuracy into small parties of the enemy at long range. Here we rested for a few minutes for the men were out of breath after that long charge through the muddy rice fleld, and ther rifles were so hot from fireing that they could hardly hold them. After this short rest the column was again formed and with H Co still advance guard we entered the town. The enemy made a short stand in one of the streets but we soon drove him out leaving two of his dead to mark his position.
Our total losses during the entire day were 9 men wounded, none seriously.
K Co. was detailed provost guard and that afternoon we planted 14 dead insurgents, several more were planted by the companies.
About 5.30 P.M, Maj. O’Brien’s column arrived. He (Maj. O’Brien) had found the enemy a few miles out of Calulut and had several good fights. In the Major’s official report he states that forty one insurgents were killed. They had no time to search for dead and wounded and it is quite likely that the enemys loss was much greater than reported. The Maj. burned San Pedro de Camuning and San Jose, two towns which for several months have been hot beds for Insurgents. Two scouts with the Maj. were slightly wounded.
Our wagon train from Angeles reached us about ten clock that night. They came up escorted by two companies of the 32nd Inf.