The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-15
MORE GUNS FOR UTAH.
Three Machine One-pounders For
Boys at Manila.
BATTERY A REORGANIzED
NEW LIST OF NoN-coMMIssIoN-
ED OFFICERS.
Weather Is Now Too Hot For Any
Midday Exercise-Men Sleeping
Upon Their. Arms and Prepared
to Fight Insurgents-Picturesque
Scenes at Manila.
BATTERY A REORGANIZED
Special Correspondence

Headquarters Utah Artillery, Manila
Sept. Sit was just four months ago
today since we first heard the assembly
blow on the hills above Salt Lake. Dur
ing those four brief months we have
been changed from greenhorns to vet
Grams. We-left our homes, learned how
to soldier proper in San Francisco,
crossed 5000 miles OF ocean, landed be-
meath the enemy's flag, were seven
times under heavy fire from the enemy,
and three times we let them sample the
merits of our shell. Now, the 10 men
Of battery y are gathered round few
candles stuck in the ends Of captured
bayOnets. and all are writing home.
They are telling their old boss to keep
place open for them, and telling the
maidens to remain true, for some day
Johnny Will come marching home.
Owing to the fact that Sergeant AL
len. Sergeant Lehman, Corporal Back
man, Corporal. Smith and Corporal
Williams are in details temporarily de-
taching them from their sections. the
remaining commissioned officers
, have a great deal of work to do. The
sergeants have to go on guard every
fourth day, and the corporals every
fifth day
Three rapid-fire one-pounder ma
chine guns have been attached to bat
terry A, and the two pups" have been
permanently attached TO battery A.
MACHINE GUNS.
The three machine guns gives battery
A a total of seven guns which has
necessitated the formation of a seventh
section. 1t has been formed from Lieu
tenant Webb's platoon, and on account
OF the unequal distribution of mon
CONS" throughout the battery, its gun
ner and sergeant were chosen from
section 8, while at the same time there
was a general reorganization of the
-'non-coms.' They are now detailed as
follows:
First section, Sergeant Nystrom, Cor
DC--al 10 oObSOn
Second section, Sergeant Kneass, Cor
po.al can.
Third section, Sergeant Johnson, Cor
pcral Larson.
Fourth section, Sergeant Brown, Cor
porals Lemen and Mcdonnell.
Fifth section, Sergeant Ritter, Cor
poral Mabey.
Sixth section. Sergeant Fisher, Cor
porals Young and Besant.
Drill goes steadily onward under the
direction of the captain mostly. or if
he be absent, any on-commissioned
officer can fill his place acceptably,
while so per cent of the privates can
fill the places of non-coms and serve
them well, too. Where in all the world
is there an army that can boast of
being equal to this? They are nearly
urging officers have to give them is to
keep down and not be too impetuous.
INSURGENTS HOSTILE.
Owing to the fact that the insurgents
are presenting SO hostile an attitude,
we have got the guns into shape so
they can be got under way to the
trenches on a moments notice. The
call to arms is expected any night now,
and all sleep with their side arms
handy, so that we could get our guns
out on the road in two minutes after
an alarm was sounded.
The drowsiness of oriental life is
overcoming the boys, and we are all
sinking into that state of delightful in
difference. The veXing food question
was solved by the selection of Corpo-
raj Williams as commissary sergeant,
and now we are all well pleased This
leaves nothing whatever to trouble the
men
1t is too hot to do anything whatever
in the shape OF work during the day
The men spend their time in the large
plunge bath, or trying to learn Span
ish. In the evenings they stroll about
NV H. taeAHiA4to III NtlAuti dl the
odd sights peculiar to oriental life.
PICTURESQUE, CITY.
To the lovers of moss-grown antiqui-
ty even Rome itself could hardly sur
prise Manila for picturesqueness The (
old walls over the top of which the /
almost concealed muzzles of big brass I
guns are pointing, the old churches, /
and earthquake shaken houses, are /
sights such as delight the heart of the !!
artist.
The officers yesterday vacated the /
western arm of the barracks and moved 1
into a much nicer residence quarter /
Of mile away. The vacated portion |
has been turned into a reading and /
writing room, where few of the habits
Of civilization are kept from becoming I
extinct.
The large spreading branches of the
few mango trees in the parade ground
have become the home of quite a col
)ny of monkeys. They are great pets 1
# boys and love the Americans dearly !
but let a native come near them and
hey will fight him until he retreats
they seem TO have an antipathy for
hem similar to that which we have
,or the snake.
The health of the boys continues
,airly good, although the fierce sun has
quite undone few of them.
ISAAC RUSSELL,
Light Battery A.