The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-18

| NdfQ growing Out OI l4lS per
fectly legitimate desire of the American
military governor to protect his Span
iSh prisoners from murder, and Manila
would have fallen in any event when
ever the admiral saw fit to demand its
surrender. The city was wholly at his
mercy from the hour of his great vic
tory at Cavite. In fact, the Spaniards
to this day do not understand why he
did not go ahead and take the city at
that time. Also, if there had been no
Aguinaldo on the ground, the Spanlards
| would have withdrawn just the same
| from San Rogue, Cavite, Viejo, Bacoor,
Los Pinos, Paianoque and Tombo before
the advance of the Americans. The
withdrawal of the Spaniards into Ma
Mia was in the nature Of concentra-
ton, not at all due to the operations OF
the instructors. That Spanish prison
ers were taken at the various places
was due to the fact that the Spaniards
were badly led, that the Spanish CAM
paign directed from Manila was lacking
| in intelligent direction and that the
| Spanish soldiers, poorly fed, not paid
at all, disheartened by Montijo's de-
feat, and in fear of the long knives of
the natives preferred the chance of
| prison to the chance of death after
| their officers had deserted them
The original mistake of Dewey, you
| will see, was the mistake he made in
! bringing Aguinaldo down here at ALL
| surest way to correct it is to take
| Aguinaldo away again-a thing more
| easy of accomplishment, l fancy, than
appears on its face. An American reg
iment could go to Malolos and get him,
| despite his cabinet and his ragamuffin
army-or if the powers at Washington
disapprove extreme measures, he could
| be bought off for a consideration rea-
sonably small compared to the value of
the islands. The Spaniards tried that
| plan with a measure of success. 1t is
| true he did not stay bought, and per-
haps would attempt to break faith with
! the Americans-but residence at Hon
| olulu, say, or the Dry Tortugas, would
have a strong tendency to discourage
| any filibuStering enterprise in which
| he might wish to engage. AS Dewey
made the original mistake there is not
the least doubt he would most cheer
| fully agree to rectify it-and Dewey
! could do, out here. whatever he saw
fit to do. With friend and foe alike, his
name is name to conjure with.
| / made few remarks, in a recent let
ter to you, about General Greene. There
is yet one more circumstance which
should be placed to this gentleman's
| credit when the people of California
| come to reckon with him for what he
has done to the boys from California.
When the boys were at Camp Dewey
Greene issued an official order that sick
call should be held at 1880 a. m, with
| the result that men stricken with fever
| or dysentery, If they wanted medical
| attention, were forced to tumble out of
| bed by candle light or were pulled out
by their comrades, with what result
| even a layman can readily conjecture.
Very often, too, they were called out in
| the rain. sick or half sick, and stood in
line before the hospital tent, up to their
knees in mud and water, waiting their
| turn to speak to the surgeon. That the
(NoJ ont Nv
| as 1t did was due not at all to the care
given his command by the brigade
| commander. The surgeons who exam
| ined the men upon enlistment and
! passed only the best are entitled to all
| the credit OF course the surgeons Of
| the California regiment protested at
| this almost criminal order, but be a
regimental surgeon never so faithful
| and efficient his fiat goes for little at
| brigade headquarters. DR.. Farrell, for
| instance, protested most strongly at
| Camp Dewey against keeping men in
the waters of the bay all day, and Col
| onel Smith forwarded the protest to
| Greene When the men of one boats
| crew were stricken with illness the
| general ignoring surgeon and colonel
| alike calmly sent for another detail for
| boat duty The California lads whose
| health had failed in Manila can justly
| Law to General Greene the fault that
| their originally strong constitutions
! have been undermined.
| Speaking of men passed bv the exam
lining surgeons. it is pity those doctors
! who examined the recruits for the
First California were not so particular
as the original examiners. When re-
| cruit sent into the trying climate of
Manila has hemorrhage of the lungs on
his second day ashore there would ap-
pear TO be very grave fault somewhere.
Sam" is dead. Every National
Guard officer in the State, every en-
listed man, will remember SAM" Col
onel Duboce's faithful man servant.
His proper name was William Guess,
and he was probably between rs and
27 wears Old A more Willing, pleasant,
civil spoken colored lad never lived. He
was everybody's friend, even his own,
and nobody's enemy. He was part
of the first expedition, a part of the
First California Regiment. He was
brave, too, as few men were brave. On
that awful night of the 31st of July
Sam" followed Colonel Smith and Col
onel Duboce right into the trenches,
taking his baptism of bullets on the
firing line with the rest. When daylight
came it was Sam who hurried back
to camp to bring out the colonePs cof-
fee before the relieving troops came.
Neither man nor officer ever asked a
favor of Sam and met ref sal. He came
into Manila with the regiment. and he
died tonight, simply and suddenly In
the palace of Malacanan. The boy
slept on a cot in the balcony of the
room occupied by Colonel Smith and
Colonel Duboce. He had complained
during the afternoon of a severe pain
in his left breast, but he smiled with it
all and nobody could take Sans"
pains seriously. He did not take them
seriously himself At a little after II
o'clock Colonel Duboce heard the boy
grooming and heard him get up. The
groans grew more terrifying. and the
master hurried to the mans assistance
It was then too late for human aid
"Sam" died in the arms of Colonel Du-
boce. and as I write two soldiers with
sad faces keen watch beside the body.
The J. D. refers Reaches Stockton.
STOCKTON, Nov. 1.-THE California
Navioatfon and Improvement ComDany's