Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-10-01
GREENE AND MORMONS.
COULD WHIP THE spASlaaOs Alosf



The following letter was received
from George Baghman. with the Utah
bsitcres at Manila. by CAy Recorder
Bachnan. Although l,s publication
dlscioses nothing particularly new, It
Is of ln,eresli
smnllh. Angl s2nd. 1895
Dear iir0lhef Gus. Afour favor OF
June y came TO hand Aug. >. and
was pleased 10 hear from you and 90
learn that ali was well with you at
tlme Of writing. see that
You received MY Two letters writ
ten from Honolulu af1 I hUle you re-.
ccivcd my Two letters written since my
arrival here. A. you are no dount,
ere this, aware. We arc now In the city
VI Manila. suppose you have read
In the papers descriptions OF our do
inEa ana Of our engagements with the
spanihrds from time to time, aud l
VIII not attempt 10 describe same. The
fifat shot nftd by tho splnlards 40 The
United States troops was on the morn.
ing of July giri about o'clock and
the last on Aug. i3th about n o.. ~, !
was at thu front when the iIfat and last
ahaia wcfc ffcd. and number on
times In the Interim 1 have heard the
shells from the cannon and the bullets
from the muskcts crash and whistle
"a little closer to me than l care 20
have them again. and I've seen men
drop dead by my side. sight when
l do not care 20 witness again, YET
from the description ! see 10 the pa
pcrH we have seen nothing here mat
would In any way compare with the
battles fought az Santiago de Cuba. II
Il lmp1asibla to describe a persons
feelings when he for the nrat time
hears a she'll pass close 20 him Or when
IN the dark he atumbics over the corpse
Of fallen comfade. OF course u does
not effect all alike. Htill l believe an
are Effected 10 a greater or less degree
The Utah battcflca have been very
fortunate not having lost q man and
only one man Woundod. and that very
siightly-thuy have also won name
Tor bravery among all the troops and
General Greene u quoted 40 having
said. III We had lett the d Mormons
alone thuy would have taken Manila
themselves" We have had few
harduhps 10 pass through, such a. De.
ing on duty Ia the trenches f1r ~
hutra at the time w "A constant down
p1ur " rain and sometimes our meals
have been a little farther npart than
what was comfortable Tor "a healthy
stomach. We have also had o. drag
pretty heavy loads through deep mud
on account " the scarcity OF draft
anlmaia-yet believe We have had a
comparatively caHy campaign, end have
no great cause Cor complaint. We
urc now situated In comfortable bar.
racks.
The city Of Manila 10 divided into
two parts known as old and New Ma
Mia. Old Manila IN that part sur
rounded by wall and moat like all
castles ana cities ~ old. The streets
are very narrow ana tho houses nrc
built M against each other. the wall
that surrounds the city IL very thick
and seems almost imprcRnabic. on
top of the wall are mounted scores u
cannon but they are all " q rather
ancient model. yet they would he very
New Manila IL not surrounded by
wall Or any Kind of Qualifications. II
reminds ono ~ many European cities
except that many ~ the houses are
built Of bamboo and the roofs are
covered with the leaves from tropical
plants. We have the rainy season
here now and have had ever since We
came. There IN hardly ever u day
that Il does not rain. aud IL sometimes
rains without ccaalng Tor several
days.
Tho heat 10 not 10 great on account
q tho rain, yet II IL warm enough a.
make one uncomfortable dry aud
night The health ~ the boys IL
Food. | don't think we have one sick
man In the battery, My health N good
ana hope this VIII md you and yours
IN Eond health also.
There has been some talk VI sending
M back soon hut we have 40 oficini
authority Tor the fumnr They can't
DO II too soon To suit the most ~ the
boys
Give my best regards 60 all the folks.
Hoping 10 hear from you soon, 1 nc.
main with best wishes.
GEORGE.