Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-10-01
UNDER CONSTANT FIRE.
A LETTER FROM LIEUTENANT GIBBS
says War I, n Dr,adfui Thing. aud That
Hereafter lie WIN Favor Arbitra-
tion-iii. Fathers Testament.

Extract from a Manila letter received
by Mrs. Gibbs, from her husband.
Lieutenant O. W. Gibbs
Headquarters Battery a. Utah Ligh,
Artillery. Camp Dewey. Angus, sth.
is9s.--slnee a week ago Sunday. when
we had our first engagement with the
spanIards.we have been In the trench.
Is under the IRE Of the sharpsh0oters
with now and then a cannonade from
their heavy guns We are no, allowed
TO Gre back unless they attempt 10
advance on our works. From our
present position We can throw our
shells right into Manila, but the idea
seems to be that peace viii soon be
declared. and the commanders are
waiting for dispatches 10 that effect.
In order that We may not wantOnly
destroy the city Of Manila. Mean
while ours IL not very pleasant posi-
ton. for Il rains all the time and II
"a pretty hard 10 be constantly lodging
bullets. We have lost about twenty
ave killed and there are about forty
ave wounded. but 10 far only one man
In battery B Of the Utah boys has been
wounded. II seems the Lord was On
our aide. for We were In the thickest
Of the figiE.
II was my fortune to b. In command
Of tho battery ON the night " the 5lst,
and We all did our duty, and OF course
tho batteries have been credited Win
the work w nObiy done.
II you Sc Mrs. Young. Dr, Harry
Young's mother. you can say this. The
officers and men all praise him for the
gallant efforts he puts forth In looking
out for any of Us who are sick or
- H.. a. ~ NUaaalFHl la IN this
but takes Ii upon himself TO be In the
trenches every night las that u the
time the Spanlarda do all their hght-
ingl 10 see that none OF ua Huner Tor
larN Of necessary medical attention.
We are all well In the command cs-
ceptlng a few who have colds, but are
very tired from the work In the
trenches. and Will not be sorry when
We are through ana ordered back 10
the United states.
We fred fifty-Hcven shells AZ the
epaniards on the niEht " the aist,and
killed about 400 % their soldiers. but
I feel that We have done enough KILL
ing and would be- only too Mad 70
have the war come 10 an early end.
War IL dreadful thing Tor civilized
nations to engage In, and l shall al
ways be In fiNor u arbitration. ! be-
llcve that my rreatcat comfort now
adaya IL the little Testament my father
carried through the civll War. When
one N NJ near sudden death - We are
here he 10 inclined TO think OF tho
future.
Lieut. MAYOR IL well and sometimes
says he would like 10 be on Ninth
East, and l say. Me too, oomradc."
aud then We console each other.
August i0th--Wc have received mail
twice from home and n II n great
comfort TO all of un, II ID the rainy
season here and w. are a wet lot OF
men and tired. too. fof We stay IN tho
trenches twcnty-four hours az a time
The Spanlardr take a shot at anyone
who exposes himself. and n Is con-
slant strain on us while We lay here
In all kinds Of weather
However. there II a white nag In
Manila today and the spanish general
IL with our General Merritt talking
up" a settlement Of hoatilitica. Ad-
miral Dewey had his fleet ready 10
open IRE In case the matter cannot be
adjusted amicnbly. and then The bonn
bnrdmcnt will commence and continue
until wg have them licked. We all
wish Va were through hut are ready
for a flght at any time. our batteries
are tho popular command OF the
camp.
August iiih-Today We are ordercd
20 place four more guns on the line 90
trenches. u l. rumorei that Manila
OH be- b1mbtrdrd tomorrow. Admiral
Dewey viii nrs from the sea front AMI
our lines will nre from che south side
o. shf town,
August gsth.- Wen. We are IN Manila
and auartertd In che spanish engineers
barracks. a very rnomy and pleasant
pince for the battery boys.
Manila Il a very old place, the forth
nc1tiuna were bulk Ia 1871 and are very
complete IN all details. There are
paved Frecls ana electric lights. also
street ears whlen are drawn by small
horses about me size OF shetland
ponies.
I am writing this itftsr on the paper
Of the lnsurEont general. who hns hJen
obliged 10 lay down his arms with The
rest ~ the Insurgents They have tried
Tor ten years 10 geLinfo Manila and 10
took che boys In blue three hDurs when
we F0 ready 90 go IN. Write often. "a
a letter 10 all this World 10 ~.
O. w. gibbs.