The San Francisco call., 1898-12-28
DESTROYING SPANISH BATTERIES IN MANILA BAY.
 n H to To 

nous May day, where an officer, swim ming ashore from his sinking ship, sought refuge and here it was, hiding in a gloomy corner of the room, the pill laging Filipinos found him. They dragged him forth, stripped him naked and, holding him up against beam, morticed in the plaster of the wall
 crucified him. One nail they drove through his throat into the beam, one through either hand into the plaster on each side of the wood. There he hung for a while, until the savages, becom- ing tired of the sport, disemboWeled him and cutting off the head threw his mutilated trunk into a well just outside the window. The nail marks and blood stains still remain, while over the gory evidence of this horror there is still to be seen in crimson lettering the words "Sexta Gloria" written in sacre- ligious humor by the murderous hand of one of these educated fiends.
 But to return to things more pleas ant and befitting the holiday season. On Thursday next Thanksgiving day) the California boys are to be the guests of the men from Minnesota at a Thanksgiving dinner. The entire reg iment is invited from the colonel to the smallest drummer boy. The dinner will be given in different restaurants of the city, each division of the Minnesotas entertaining a like division of Califor- nians. Thus the Minnesota staff will play the host to our staff; our line of ficers will be taken care of by their line officers and the rank and file from San Francisco will eat with the rank and file from Minnesota, company for company. This compliment is eXtend- ed by the men from the land of bliZ- Zards in order to show their apprecia- tion of the way they were handled while the guests of our people at home. The boys are all looking forward to a big time.
 Our daily regimental life goes on about the same, each tomorrow find
 ing us further (from home) than to- day. Regimental dress parade takes
 place on the Lunetta every evening, each regiment of the army coming on
 in turn. Of all our troops l think the First California, as a matter of fact, really puts up the best appearance. Not only are the boys as well drilled as the
 best, but In the matter of uniforms
 they stand little bit ahead. Their full dress consists of white helmet, blue | blouse, white trousers, brown leggings and black shoes, a combination not as yet displayed by any other organiza-
 tion and which, as a whole, makes a
 mighty attractive and at the same time sensible uniform.
 Band concerts are also given at head quarters every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evening, and those among the enlisted men who care to do so are all lowed to gather there and listen to the
 music. I have not noticed any crowds.
 Now, as to the all-absorbing topic
 of regimental health. I am glad to be able to say that sickness among the 1 troops is now on the decrease, though l Al. rl, Nfs 1zfA T all the hospitals and to give each doc tor fully as much as he can attend to. The sick now in hospital, according to Lieutenant Colonel Duboce, number about 10 per cent of the entire com- mand, but many of these men have so | far progressed as to be practically fit for duty. Fit for dutyl" These words cover a multitude of sins. Fit for duty implies that man is in proper physical condition to undertake and carry out any of the duties that an en- listed man may be called upon to per form Consequently when many men are returned to their commands with duty" marked after their names they help to increase the size of said com mands until they look very we'll filled out on paper. As a matter of fact, how ever, there are many. very many, in- deed, who, while perfectly able to drill and do the routine work of garrison duty, are no more fitted to go on hard campaign than an ght-months-old in- fant They recuperate, gain in flesh, but they remain weak as/cats with a
 robustness that is all unreal, and which
 would vanish at the first touch of hard ship,
 Herrnita Hospital has proved a great
 success and has done wonders for the boys Colonel Smith and Major Me Carthy are both to be congratulated on
 the very excellent and apparent results
 of their labors
 l I spoke before, think. of a Red Cross
 nurse& by the name of Wage. I wish
 to again speak of him and to commend him to the gratitude and good will of
 every one who has a friend CT relative
 in the regiment.
 c. M. Wage originally came down
 as one of the Red Cross nurses attached | to the regiment. He, together with all
 of the best men attached to that organ
 ization, becoming disgusted with the
 vanity and incompetency of Schlott, re-
 signed from the Red Cross The others 1 went this way and that, but Wage l has steadily continued with the regi- ment working with a conscientiousness and ability that cannot receive too
 much praise. He receives no salary and is obliged to support himself. yet lthrough pure humanity, he has stuck