Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-09-29
MODERN LIBBY PRISON At MANILA,
J. {. Jones Writes Another Interesting Let
ter to His Relatives In the TWIN Cities.

J. {. Jones Writes Another Interesting Let
ter to His Relatives In the TWIN Cities.
The REPORTER has recently published
two short but interesting letters written
by j. E. Jones, one of Uncle Sam Is
soldiers on the Philippine islands.
This week we submit the third letter
as follows:
Manila, P. l., Aug. 81, 1S9S.-Dear
Sister and Mother: Ireceived mothers
letter of July 5 and was glad TO hear
from you. The first mail we received
since we left Frisco was the 18th OF
this month, and when it came it put me
IN mind of us kids getting our stockings
on Christmas morning.
L wrote mother a letter when l ar
rived in the bay. We were kept on
board the Valencia five days after onr
arrival, then we were landed at Ft.
Cavlte. 1t is nice place, the town is
an ancient one. There are churches
that were erected as early as 1910, and
about half the buildings are prisons and
dungeons. 1t is horrible sight to 90
into one and see them. The insurgents
had about $500 Spanish prisoners there,
| got q pass and went through the
pa lSOiI fSIid L IOpC L Will 1IGNGI S00 SUCH
a dreadful sight again. Andersonville
and Libby prisons could not have been
worse than the insurgents prison at
Cavite. [ saw men that looked like
skeletons. They were actually crying
for something to eat. Poor devils,
felt sorry for them even if they were
Spaniards. They are American pris-
Oners now and are fed as we'll as we are,
and are on parole and safe as long as
they remain i'll the city, but If they get
outside thew are captured by the insur-
gents and beheaded. The Insurgents do
not think any more Of cutting off q
Spaniard's head than If they were
killing q chicken.
The natives here are the lowest type
of human beings on earth, | believe a
snake would blush to be as low as they
are.
Well we stayed in Cavite until the
11th Of August. We were in the Span
ish armory, it was built Of brick, had
iron braces, a tile roof and a stone floor.
The windows in the armory are shells.
About 800 yards from our quarters,
which, by the way, are built on the
sea shore. is where Dewey sunk the
Spanish fleet, or at least six of them.
L got canoe and went over to them
StAA hShG Oh llIICC VI TIC NlGChS. 1I6
fort there wasn't spoiled much, but
when the shells did strike it made a
terrible scattering. 1t is a sad looking
place. The 10th of August we received
notice that our regiment would move to
the front, and on the morning of the
11th we were loaded on a steamer and
crossed Manila bay to camp Dewey
The boys commenced to realize that
there was going to be fight and were
all glad and anxious to get crack at the
Spaniards. Our boys IN. d. went out
on post the 18th and had just been
released when the general assembly
was sounded and in a quarter of an
hour the fight was on. l was left at
camp on guard and was held there all
dav. 1t was like being in hell to be
obliged to stay in camp and know your
comrades were III need of you. Camp
Dewey is on the bay and [ saw the
bombardment, it was a grand sight.
Well, North Dakota had only one man
wounded in the battle and he is doing
well and will be in the ring in few
days. We came near having a fight
with the insurgents the dav Of the
battle, but they know now we mean to
be boss Of them so do not think they
will bother US again.
| think [ will eat my Christmas din
ner III Wisconsin. Love to all,