The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-23
(special Correspondence.l

Especial Correspondence.
Ephrain, Oct. 1.-THE following let
ter has just been received here from
Frank Anderson, one, of Ephraim' s
brave boys, who. as a member of bat
terry A. took part in the fight with the
Spaniards at Mania:
Manila, Sept IA, 1898.
Dear Brother-In answer 10 your wei
come letter, l will tell you a little OF
what has happened since we landed
Everything went on very smoothly
until July 80, when we received orders
to go to the front with two Of our can
non to build an entrenchment. We
were not long in getting ready. We
had no horses, so we tied a long rope
to the cannons and started along a
road toward the Spanish entrench-
ments, until we came to a small en-
trenchment which the natives had been
using. There we placed our guns and
stayed until dark
1t was not long until the Spaniards
saw US, and they would fire one volley
after another at us. After dark, when
they could not see us. we lett our guns
and went up to an old Spanish church
and commenced to build an entrench-
ment We worked all night in the
rain, with mud and water up to our
knees.
In the morning, just as il was break
ing day, we went back to our guns
and had bite Of bareback and cup
of coffee. When it 5Cca ne broad day
light the Spaniards saw us and saw
what We had done. They fired two
cannon balls at US, and they did not
miss us very far. Lieutenant Naylor
gave us orders to move the guns into
the entertainments that we had built
the night before. 1 don't think it took
us five minutes to move them and get
H. q al. oil
relief came up and we went back to
camp. This was on Sunday.
ROAR OF CANNON BALLS.
About II O'Clock in the night we were
called to arms. We were dressed in
about one minute. Then the captain
gave us orders to get a lot of ammu-
milton ready. We could hear the can
non balls roar Ike a big house going
through the air. 1t was raining hard
when we got our hmber-chests filled
with ammunition, and the captain or
dered US TO take them 10 the front as
quickly as possible.
We started up the road with them,
through mud and water that was up to
our knees. L did not take US long to
get to the entrenchment where they
were fighting. By this time they had
quieted down little. which was lucky,
for the Americans were out OF ammu-
milton.
That is the way il went for two
weeks. The Utah boys had to be there
more than any of them on account Of
our being the only artillery that was
any good. Sometimes they got so close
that the infantry got their bayonets
ready. thinking they were coming, for
they did everything but hit US. The
cannon balls struck so close that they
threw dirt on my hat and into my
eyes. You can't imagine what it is to
be in a war. I wish 1 could tell you
just a little about it.
UTAHS LUCK.
The Utah boys were lucky. We did
not lose a man in the fight. There
were about so Americans killed and
about 80 wounded. There were about
1900 Spaniards killed and 5000 wound
e1. l have been through their hos
pitfalls and saw a Sreat many Of the
wounded. OF all the sights / ever saw,
that was the worst. Some had their
legs blown OFF and some their arms.
tell you it looked bad.
The Spaniards would start the fight
every time until the bomb2rdment and
then we started ii. and il did not take
US very Ions. We We're soon in Ma
Mia and have been here since We have
had it pretty good the last while the
only drawback being that they keep
US penned up here as though we were
in jail.
All who were in the entertainments
at the time of the bOmbardment are
going to get a suit of clothes each.
Warren Larsen, Farley Christensen and
l We're there.
like Manila. Most of them would like
to go home.
FRANK ANDERSON.
Light Battery a, Utah Volunteers.