Left Mabalacat at 4.30 A.M, pitch dark and roads heavy with mud. Marching north and east towards the town of Conception, At about 6 A.M. the advance guard truck the enemy beautifully entrenched and fortified across our line of march. Our Battalion was deployed to the right and left of the road and advanced in line of battle on the enemy. The bullets were singing lively above us and two of our men were killed here and two wounded. Several of the Cav. horses were hit. My servant, Antonio was with me on the fireing line during the action and seemed to be very much Interested in the way we fight. The insurgents fired heavily on us at long range but did not stick to their trenches long. There were a series of defensive works along this road and the enemy made a short stand at each but vamoosed when we got close to him. Roads in horrible condition and also greatly obstructed by the Insurgents. Reached Conception about noon after having made a difficult march of about ten miles during which we had to deploy and fight several times.
At Conception we rested about an hour and then took the road toward the town of Capas on the R.R. track four miles west of Conception. the roads were so bad that two companies K and I were ordered to stack are and corduroy the bad places with cane and bamboo. Though the men had marched and fought since 4.30 A.M. and had had nothing to eat, they went at the work with a will. It began to pour rain about 1 P.M. and rained all night hard. The Art.(iIllery) sank In the mud over the hubs and the guns had to be unlimbered and dragged half a mile by the infantrymen. Horses and mules were helpless in the sticky deep mud. Darkness overtook us as the last Art. wagon was dragged out of the mud. The rest of the regiment went on in to Capas while I was left with 50 Infantrymen to guard the two pieces of Art. which could go no farther that night. There were five or six
little shacks near the road and after puting out my outposts I quartered the men as best I could crowding them into the shacks. I was wet through, as every one was, and cold and hungry for I had had nothing to eat since 4 A.M, that morning, I was tired too. I borrowed a shelter half from the Art. officer who had caused us so much trouble, and rolling myself in it I slept soundly until morning.