The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-11
ROAST FOR GEN. Otis
THIRD INFANTRY OFFICER
WRITES THAT HE is A
WOODEN MAN
THE COUNTRY Is NO GOOD

as q AaEScL AOr Omc1K1IlZGO
PeOPIe-WiH Be Glad to Sail for
Home and Once More Be Among
DEMONSTRATIONS Better Than
Those Furnished in Cuba.
"A wooden man would be as effective
as Gen OTIS" is the opinion frankly ex-
pressed in letter recently received by
Henry Holmen, of 223 Second street south,
Minneapolis, from an officer of the Third
United States infantry, who is now in
the Philippines. The letter is written
from Manila under date of June %, and
in 1t the writer says:
Two days after our landing we were
ordered out to take part in the intended
move. We went by rail four miles to
Coloacan under a heavy fire At that
point our advance line had been for weeks
past Dragging of what they had done
little or nothing, as could see but build
ing trenches. Within an hour after the
stop the Third was into 1t hot and heavy.
losing Twelve killed and fifteen wounded.
Our objective point was Malabon. at
which place the Oregons extinguished
themselves. One platoon (half a COM
pany) only had three men left. 1t was
here that Col Egbert, of the Twenty-sec-
ond, hit the dust In advancing we met
resistance at Tinirzoos bridge The
prldge was blown to pieces The river
was ABOUT lOO yards wide and on the OPP
poslte side the insurgents had some of
the finest breastwork under the sun.
When we crossed the river under p
heavy and deadly fire the enemy thought
it time 20 run and did so into their next
trenches 1000 yards further off leaving
an open space between us Again thew
had lis right, but our position was such
that We had to charge the whole length
OF the prairie and let me tell you if took
lolS Oh wind ana nerve Then. ii being
PLelly lale, we went into camp Laid on
the ground with the blue canopv Of
heaven for q cover. With a few pieces
OF hardtack and half empty canteens OF
water we satisfied our thirst and hunger
Inc next day we repeated the same
running, shooting and swimming rivers
as We advanced. Starting out on Palm
sunday 1t took us until Friday to reach
NaloIas' Agumaldo's fake headquarters
known as the capitOl-covering a distance
of thirty miles, for which we had to
light fer every incn.
from there we returned to Caloacan
by rail- Easter eve to make camp for two
days. On Faster morning at / O'Clock
orders came for us to proceed to cur
trenches. l being in command of the
right platoon had opportunity, after
placing my men in safe places, to sit i'm
a chair and repent at leisure, thinking
of everything in gen eraI and nothing in
partcular-of ali the happy days of like
SlGn1ncatlon L had spent at home and
now such a fool as to put myself up as
a target for uncivilized peopIe-probably
little more than L had human right to-
That morning while sitting there ! wrote
you few lines and marked out all de-
tails Of cur advance to Malolos, our
journey across the river, etc, which I
hope you have received by this time
Then we moved to MalabOn in company
with b. did not like our place as
1 had to walk four miles to Caloacan and
return every day for ratians. Our mis-
fortunes kept up for over a month when
we got orders 10 pack up in a hurry
again. While in Malabon 1 had occasion
to familiarize myself somewhat with the
manners and customs of the natives, all
of whom / disap prOV3 of. L consider
them utterly out of place for civilized
people and many of the men are sharing
my opinion as far as I can hear or see
ITO tell the Gospel truth I have been
wishing myself back in Gods country
seen about all l can at present at least.
If q person is in good health l think the
country is all right but the most of the
soldiers are troubled with sickness (stom-
ach). SO far 1 have not been on sick re-
port and am the only one in the COM
pany. Took no medicine since landing
The climate suits me all right. The
heat is not the same as in Cuba, or else
/ don't feel the effect of it. Rain we
have occasionally, to a great extent of
late, something like in Cuba They say
the rainy season is here now. If such is
the case and the rain is not worse it is
0. X. 1 don't think this country was
intended for a white person to live in
There is not a thing produced in our line
of eatables as l have seen yet. Sugar is
to be had, but that costs more than our
graduated and shipped here from the
states. The natives are not after my
taste. Their habitual way of scratching
is Gisagreeable, and a stranger may think
they have the itch. Natives are plentiful
What we need is capital to work the
country and mountains, and then there
would probably be a little show for fu-
ture existence. In our case, for instance
YOU know it is a great change. Being
at liberty to go to city every day in
the week, now chopped from civilization
by thousands of miles and to camp right
in among savages. The fighting is going
on hot and heavy every day. The insur-
gents seem to be more plentiful every
day. We are getting the worst of it. is
my opinion. l have failed to see any
generalship whatever. The most Of the
time all are lost except as to direction.
We might as well have a wooden man
Otis. 1t never fails that whenever
we have a hard scrap and getting the
hest OF it a telegram to cease all hostili-
ties comes, and, like soldiers, We obey,
and the insurgents just pour it into us.
The captain commanding here at this
place had us out last night in downpour-
ing rain reinforcing a stone wall six feet
thick. Duty is hard. Every other night
on guard Work the whole day and
night. 1t is easy enough to command.
but when it comes to doing 1t it is diff
! ferert If times do not change I'll be
happy when III two months from now 1
! shalt be able to sail for home and see
friends once more. Here it is so awfully
! lonesome, no mail, papers or anything
| don't know where it goes to. The
! Third gets none. We live pretty we'll,
| however. Our rations are good and
! plentiful, not like 1t was In Cuba"
NOW IN THE ASYLUM.