The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-27
TRUMPETER GLEDHILL
WRITES OF HIS WAR EXPERT
ENCE AT MANILA.
War Is Serious Thing, and One
Can Never Know What It Is Till
He Has Gone Through It.

| son OIL NGpQl NIlSQIiiI VI
who. with his parents consent, gave up
a good situation and enlisted in the
Utah batteries under the first call as
a musician, writes the following inter-
esting letter from Manila TO his par
| ents at Gunnison:
Camp Dewey, Near Manila, Aug. g..
| My Dear Parents-Your most well
come letter of June 81, received today,
made me feel much easier in mind and
spirits to learn that all was well at
home.
| 1 am enjoying the best of health and
| trust this will find you the same.
We have had some very exciting
| times here since 1 wrote last. l have
| found out now what war isl have
been under Spanish fire, have heard the
rifle bullets and the cannon balls sing
all around me. 1 shall never forget the
feeling 1 had while placed in that po-
sition.
| Sunday night, July 81, was dark as
pitch, and the rain was coming down in
| torrents. Our men that were on out
post duty lay in the trenches wet
| through, some trying to sleep, While
others We're on the lookout. About IL
o'clock the Spanish made an attack
and tried to drive the American forces
out of the trenches. A fierce battle
took place, which lasted for two hours,
and resulted in the Spanish being
driven back. The Utah batteries had
four guns placed in the trenches, and
took an active part in this battle. The
American losses were ten men killed
and 20 wounded, while the Spanish
losses were $50 killed and a great many
more wounded. Every night since then
the Spanish have repeated the attack,
their object being to stop us from
building defenses near the city. The
American losses up to this time are Is
killed and 40 wounded. Utah has not
lost a man, and only one man from
battery 3 slightly wounded in the arm.
The Utah men have won the praise of
the whole camp for what they did and
they way they conducted themselves
while placed under fire. 1 suppose the
papers will have reports of what is
going on here, and / can feel the anX-
iety you will have for me when you
read them.
THE FINAL BLOW.
Aug. 21.-The final blow has been
struck, the Spanish have surrendered,
and we are now occupying fine quar-
tiers in the beautiful city of Manila. The
general engagement took place on Sat
urday, Aug. 13. At 10 a. m. Dewey,
from the water. and the Astor and
Utah batteries from land, opened fire
on the Spanish fort This lasted for
fenced. Then the infantry charged over
the trenches and fought their way into
the city. At 1858 a. m. the American
flag floated over the Spanish fort, and
was raised by the Colorado company.
At 6:53 p. m. the Spanish flag was
taken down. Old Glory now takes its
place and proudly floats over Manila.
The Spanish surrendered, laid down
their arms and asked for protection
a ChOIlI6
describe to you how I felt while under
fire, but / don't think l can. You will
have to wait till l come home, then L
can tell you all about it.
SLIGHT IDEA OF. WHAT WAR IS.
War is a serious thing. One can
never know what it is till he has gone
through it. When in the dark of night,
you hear the rifle bullets sing all
around; when you hear the report of
cannon and the same moment you hear
the shell roar just over your head, or
burst near you with a flash and a loud
report, and all is darkness again; when
you see your comrades topple and fall,
either dead or wounded; when you see
in the darkness a man carried by you
and you hear him groan from pain;
when you see again another man car
ried by you, from whom no groan es-
capes, with his arms hanging on either
sue, WU6n you See III the early udNl
a piece of skull with the hair still
hanging to it, and blood and brains
scattered all around-then you may re-
alize something of what war is.
IN FINE QUARTERS NOW.
I thank God that it is all over with
We are now in the city and there is no
more danger. We have the finest quar-
tiers that can be found. Everything is
fixed just as fine as we had it at Camp
Douglas.
l hope our time to return home is not
far distant. 1t looks as if the Utah
batteries would go home without the
loss of one man. L pray God that it
may be so.
John Bemis, Halle Madsen and Ezra
Funk, the GunnisOn boys here with me,
are we'll and send their best regards.
l would give almost everything for a
drink of water out of the well at home.
The water we have had here, so far, is
not very good. We use mostly rain
water. In a few days they will have
the waterworks going, then things will
be little better.
TWO UTAH MEN KILLED.
Aug. 26.-I was made happy again by
receiving another letter from home yes
terday.
Everything is going on very nicely
Stores, factories and business places |
are starting up again. Things look a
deal different now than they did when /
we first entered the city.
l feel sorry to have to tell you that !
two of battery BIS men were killed last |
Wednesday, the oath. They were sent |
to Cayite with several others on some !
detail, and it seems that upon arriving |
there they separated from the crowd !
and went off in town, got to drinking !
and got into trouble with the natives,
which ended in their death. One was
killed right there, the other one died !
this morning. This sounds very bad /
for Utah. 1t is shame and disgrace |
to all of us. The boys in battery A |
are all well, and seem tobe enjoying /
themselves.
There is a rumor here that peace has
been declared, and that the volunteers |
are TO be sent home. l hope this rumor |
is true.
l must not forget to tell you that 1 J
have been made trumpeter for battery !
A. This happened last Wednesday. |
That permits me now to wear the |
stripes and the pay is a little better, I
being the same pay as a corporal gets. |
l could have had this position before if |
/ had made any effort to get it, but l |
felt a greater desire to be with the
boys in the ranks, if there was any |
fighting to be done, but now that the
fighting is over l feel very contented !
with the bugle. With kind love to all,
your loving son,
LEO n. GLEDHILL.
The Ladies All Wish to Attend
the grand millinery reception at z. C.