The Irish standard., 1898-10-01

Krupp guns which the spaniards were
evidently afraid to fire. as they were
loaded and parts Of them carried away.
The walls of the city could be seen
across the fields, and on the corner float
ed a white flag. About an hour after
our arrival the American flag was waved
over the city, and the guns of the Amcri-
can fleet Numbered out salute We
spread our men all over the roads and
spent the night in the open air. We had
had nothing but bareback and cold cof-
fee all day and were very hungry.
Then, too, we were soaked and tired. 1t
was all the boys could do to keep awake
| had gotten just two hours sleep the
night before and was very sleepy Along
towards midnight it began to rain, so
the boys crawled into the houses on the
corner where We were and laid down
on the floor. AS soon as l stretched my
self fell asleep and woke, up at a. m.
feeling quite refreshed. No breakfast in
the morning and our Supplies five miles
away The regiment is in good shape
and acquitted itself credibly.
The following letter, dated two weeks
later, has been received from Lieut..
Byrnes and makes interesting reading:
| l have just heard that mail goes to-
morrow, so will write few lines before
going to bed. We are still on police duty
and getting along without any trouble
We are making the people keep their
sidewalks and streets clean, and sup
pressing any disturbances that may oc-
cur. Our company guards two gates and
sends out patrol every hour to inspect
our district. The work is very mono
tonous for l have little to do but sit
around headquarters and spend two
nights week there. The weather has
been very fine, very little rain having
fallen We are now approaching the
best season of the year. and the pros
poets seem to be now that we will be
here to enjoy it. Many rumors reach us
every day about what is going on in the
world. The cable is connected but we
hear no dispatches.
The health of the boys is not so good
now. Typhoid and malarial fever and
dysentery seem to be the principal dis
eases, and are on the increase We have
a large building outside the walls that is
used as hospital. 1 hear now that sew
eral sick and wounded are to be sent
back in a few days. Our company is to
send two men back, one of them named
Overmire He was teller in the Metro
politan bank for several years. His
spine is injured and he is unable to do
duty.
A few days ago the fourth expedition
arrived bringing sacks of mail for our
regiment, but amongst the thousands Of
letters there was none for me. I cannot
understand this, as letters dated as late
as July 10 arrived for several of the boys.
We got papers up to that date from Min
neapolis, and as got no letters had to
content myself with reading these.
You have probably got my first letters
from Manila harbor by this time. Boats
leave irreguarly. but the transports are
! 6chso " iCIhAAA al q NoupiC VI "SSho "
San Francisco. The insurgents are thick
in the suburbs. and are causing us lit
tie trouble. Many natives are stealing
all they can lay their hands on, and are
shipping out to the insurgents. In few
days we will probably have.to drive them
out. We have been so busy getting the
city running that the insurgents have
been let alone. There are 10000 armed
men all around and in the city. The Of
ficcrs are nicely quartered, having two
big rooms in which to sleep. Mosquitoes
are terrible. We have netting over our
beds to keep them out None of the boys
like this place, and all are anxious to
get back home. At present it looks as if
VIC would be here until next spring, get
ting home about one year from our en-
listment. l am picking up all sorts of
souvenirs here and expect to have good
collection when I get home. The diff
ficulty is to take care of it. l have not
seen much of the city yet. but expect to
go over it gradually. l am feeling fine
and gaining in weight. No need to
worry about me-