The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-10-21
Letter From Manila.

John Q. Delashmutt, OF the ".
A. c., a member of Company X,
Second Oregon Volunteers, now at
Manila, has written to friend IN
this city, under date Of August ~,
as follows:
| will write few lines, and tell
you the news. We have captured
the city of Manila. 1t was
grand sight to sec Il captared army d
lay down their arms. About
week ago Admiral Dewey demand
ed the surrender of the city.
and received no reply. He then
gave them about a week to make
up their minds; when that day ar
rived, no white flag tloated over
the doomed city. and we received
orders to pack up, draw rations to
last three days, and two hundred
rounds of ammunition. Next day
we were called out Of bed at $3.50,
ate breakfast at 5 o'clock, then
marched aboard a steamer to cross
the bay. Many Of the boys were
sick, as our steamer lay around III
the bay until the bombardmcnt
was over. The bombardment
commenced by the Olympia firing
upon a fort south of the city. Th%
Charleston then opened fire, then
the Baltimore, next the IcCul-
! lounh and the Gallo last. The
Gallo ran in close to shore, and
tried to get the batteries to open
fire, but they would not answer.
The bombardment lasted about all
hour. firing about two hundred
shots iu all, then ceased. We ate
dinner on board. After dinner we
sailed straight for the city, passing
right under the mouths Of their
big guns. If they had opened
fire, it would have been 'off'' with
all Of us. We then landed and
marched into the city, not know
ing but we might be shot down
any minute. After marching
about an hour we came to the
State House, and lined up so the
captured army Of about 10000
men could march by us and S ach
their arms. That night we guar
tered in the State House. The
next morning we were marched tt
our quarters, I, place about tw;
hundred yards square, used by tk'
Spanish artillery. 1t was Il dirt,
place, like a wagon road. W.
cleaned it up as best We could
There are only about 800 Amer!
can soldiers in Manila. all Of tn
End Oregon. | have been o'
guard duty ever since we took th'
city. | hear that peace Is de
clared; the terms stated h:re Were
that the United States lntende
: to hold Manila and the bay; /! &C
we are liable to have to sta
! here our two years.
= One of the Corvallis boys hi
left, the army, and gone to join
better army in the werld above
| reler to Ell, You.g. He was
the 0. 4. G. band. also playe
football. The morning Of his 1t
d neral all of the Corvallis bays g
flowers and placed on his grave.
'' Water is not good here; durin
Il the siege of Manila the insurgen
turned the water off to keep tn
Spanish from getting any. a
Il soon as we got loid of the Cit.
our soldiers drove the insurgen>
u away, and went to work on tn
water wor!.s; the water has starte
. now, and is fine.
Some of the boys think We wi
be home by Christmas, but y d
= not think so. [ have just taken
- bath in the rain, it rains so har
u one can take a fine bath in th
- open air
The fourth expedition has nt
. arrived yet. [ do not see the nee
of so many soldiers here.
i. We never have any Sunday
every day is just the same. Writ
:, often. Letters are always accep
=. able.
JOHN G. DELAsHMutt.