The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-08-18
GOING NOME.
That Is About All the Tennessee Boys
Talk About.
ILoILo, PHILIPPINES Is !

ILoILo, PHILIPPINES Is.
LAND, June q, 1899.
Ny Dear MOther:-Mail came on the
10Th, and II was then received the first
letter have had from home in month
II lacked only three days of being on
the way two months. Mail came in
night before last again, but no letter
from you, yet we received Nashville
papers dated as late as May 20th. Your
letter was written April 23rd. You say
you write every week-we poor bows
wonder where our letters go.
We are on guard very near the enemy
now. They still shoot at us, but the
only damage they have done yet is the
holes they have made in the tin roofs
of our block. houses, and now they leak.
Yesterday they crossed the river,
and chased Co. &c" man who was out
in the woods without his gun. lie said
he didn't know before how fast h e could
run.
Our pet monkey has just come and
taken his seat on top of my head, and
Is enjoying pulling my hair, biting my
ears, and now and then he reaches
around and pulls my nose. He thinks
| lots of me, and, at almost every meal
he takes his seat on my shoulder and
makes me feed him. He is II jolly fel.
low and we all love him.
N.
Cebu; Cos B. d. and NJ. have moved to
Malo; e. and l.. are in Iloilo, and q. l.
and F. are in Jaro. So you see our res
iment is very much scattered. Mai
Cheatham is trying to get up a batta!-
! liam to stay here until fighting is over.
| The men are to receive travel pay from
here to place of enlistment, and two
months extra pay, which will amount
to about six or seven hundred dollars
each. 1t Is to be rough and tumb lie
battalion and will see hard service,
Very few Co, "F'' boys desire further
service, and don't feel it their duty to
stay longer than we are really needed
Uncle Sam need not fear that people
at home will cause mutiny among the
troops here. They jeer at the writings
of the traitors at home, and we would
all like to get hold of the man who
said 81 wish the American soldiers in
the Philippines would meet with an
overwhelming and crushing defeat"
He would fare worse than the Filipinos.
June 18th.
very little excitement, and nothing to
talk about except "going home," and
that is an indefinite subject. Otis is
not sending us home as fast as he could
and should do. 1t is now thought that
we will have to await the return OF
transports now on the way to San
Francisco. He is sending two trans
ports with each regiment each of which
brought whole regiment, to Manila.
On the big ships that brought two regi
ments from New York he is sending
but one regiment. Possibly we may
get one of the transports now on the
way from New York.
Lieut.. Milan, with eight men on a
accommodating trip, ran into an insur
gent outpost and it was luck on thei1
part that they ever got back, for they
were outnumbered and greatly at dis
advantage. Many had narrow escapes
from Mauser bullets.
Yesterday | was on outpost ano
climbed to the top of native hut, tt
get good view of the enemy's outpost
when two shots were fred at me from
tree. 1t is needless to say / mad,
quick time getting down from there
We hope to get home before cold
weather, for we could not stand a stiff
norther just after reaching the states.
will write again soon.
Your loving son,
ERIE q. TAYLOR.