The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-10-07
SOLDIER LIFE All MANILA.

Sergt. Winkler, of Owosso, Describes
Scenes of the Tropical City and Relates
Army Experiences.
THE TIMES takes pleasure In presenting
the two following letters written by Sergt.
II. P. Winkler. of the LIST colo. Vol. Init,
at Manila. The first letter, to his sister,
Miss Mary Winkler, under date of August
22d. was received in OwossO, Sept. Goth.
The second sent to his mother under date
Of August 25, was also received in OwOsso
on the 26th ult.
The company Is all out on out post
garrison duty except half dozen of us
and they are all down to the city, except
the first sergeant and cook and myself. !
was on guard mount yesterday which Is
the reason am not out today. We are
quartered at present In an old Monastery,
which the Monks here tell me, is 800 years
old, the largest church In the city Is con-
nected with 1t. The church Is q modern
building, being constructed entirely out OF
iron, 1t is a fine piece of work. have
been In 1t to early mass, couple of times,
think will make good Catholic In time.
Well l suppose you will want to know
what kind Of time we had getting In here?
Well 1t was o picnic. Our entire loss was
seven killed and thirty wounded; no one
killed In our regiment, but two or three
wounded. We left camp at 6 a. m. on the
18th, went out two miles to where the
Utah battery were entrenched. At 10 they
and also Dewey opened fire. In about
twenty minutes our LIST battalion went over
our entertainment and started for the Span
ish lines, we followed In about i've minutes,
the 3rd battalion following US in short
time. In fifty minutes from the time the
on the outer fort, and put there by the
Colorado regiment; there was no further
fighting to speak of, they ran up the white
flag on their inner works In short time.
haven't learned what the Spanish losses
were during the skirmish, but from what l
hear 1t was about fifty, saw few in the
first fort we took. The fort was a solid
stone building, but the shells that Dewey
and Utah threw in there tore 1t up pretty
badly. We got 5000 prisoners and any
amount of ammunition and small arms and
about 800 cannons. The ground that we
had to march over between our lines and
theirs was swamp with river through It..
The river was only about ten rods wide and
up to our middle, but quite swift. 1t was
only mile of swamp. but we were little
tired when we got through as the mud was
over our knees most of the way and we
carried 200 rounds of ammunition, which
gets rather heavy, we packed nothing else
but canteen and rubber pouches. Say! We
have got the hottest kind of a band, they
followed our company and while they were
wading the river they were playing There
will be hot time In Manila" The bullets
were pretty thick but they never missed a
note.
The Minnesota troops were on the right
and supported the Astor battery. They got
scared and retreated and the Astor's lost
two of their cannons, but the Philadelphia
boys came up and got them back The
Minnesota's loss was two killed and quite a
number wounded; the Astor's had TWO
killed; the 18th regiment also lost couple.
There was enough shells fired at us that
day to have killed half of us, but they shot
high. am little disappointed. expected
to see something of fight but it didn't
amount to as much as our scrap with them
two weeks ago last Monday. l think l
have heard since that they lost about 800
that night. They can credit most of that
to G Co., as they made the attack on us and
came out in an opening where we had a
show at them. Our man that was shot
In the leg that night is out with us again.
We have had another one shot In the leg by
one of our own boys on Cassaok out post,
he is not doing very well, the chance are
he will loose his leg, If not his life.
Well l will try and finish, just got back
FROM supper, had hash, rice, bareback, sugar
and coffee, not great variety. but enoug b
of what there was, which Is more then we
can say somtimes.
1t Is awfully warm here this evening.
actually dread to see night come, as the
misquitos are so bad. can't tell you
much about the city as haven't been
around much. l intended to go today but
as was up all night as sergeant Of the guard
and had to get little sleep. The Top
sergeant and started after dinner but
changed our mind as it was so hot.
There is population Of about $50, 600,
$4,000 being Chinese, the balance being
natives. except a few English, German and
French; the buildings are mostly two story
on account of earthquakes; they have elec'
trio lights, horse car lines, water works,
and great many American improvements,
still can give you no description of the
city as there is just as much difference be-
tween 1t and an American city as you can
imagine. BY the time write again may
be able to tell more about 1t.
Some think we will be on our way home