Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-01-19
SOLDIER BOYS LETTER.
Interesting Description of the Trip
and of Manila From Clyde Baker.

thought would try TO write letter to
you. On the third day of November
1898, we pulled out OF Frisco Bay. The
first two days out was pretty sick, but
stayed on deck as much as possib O.
On the 9th our company was on guard
We have guards to keep the boys from
smoking below the deck and to keep
them from gambling Our first sight OF
land since the 3D. was on the 18th. AT
8 o'clock we anchored outside of the
bay and in the morning of the 18th we
landed in Honolulu. AS soon as pos
sible we all got off of the ship and took
in the town. We stayed there four days
and were turned loose all of the time
The city is on the west side Of noun
tains on very level spot. 1t is fine
looking with large palms. There are
also large fields of bananas and cocoa
nuts. The houses in Honolulu have no
chimneys and it makes them look very
odd. Our foot ball team got in game
with the native students. They played
on the 14th and the score stood 81 to O.
On the 10th we pulled out of Honolulu
and the last sight of Hawaii was about
dark. On the "a we crossed the 1S0th
meridian thereby losing a day. The
same day the steamer, City of Pueblo
got in sight and at half past seven in
the evening it passed us. We were close
enough to yell to each other We did
hate to have the ship pass us but it had
orders to go on. We had a good Thanks
giving dinner. 1t consisted of canned
peaches, sardines, soda crackers, ginger
snaps, pickles, coffee, sweet potatoes,
meat, bread and rice. In the morning
we had services, speech by our Chap
lain and by two privates, singing and
music by the band. We sailed on until
the 9Th of December, when we passed
through the channel between the Pacific
Ocean and China Sea. All day the 9th
and part Of the 7th we were going along
side of Louzon island. 1t was very
heavily wooded and very pretty At
about 9 O'Clock on the 7th we entered
Manila harbor. We were all glad to be
SO near our landing place we supposed.
At about / o'clock we anchored about
two miles from shore. We can see the
city good from here. We are here
among all the other transports, the Ari-
iona, Newport, Indiana, City Of Pueblo,
Zelandia, Ohio, Scandal and the others.
AS we lay here we can see part Of
Dewey's fleet and some of the Spanish
vessels he sank. We are anchored in
the water in which Dewey did his good
work, cut the cable and fired upon the
Notifications. We still live on the Penn
sylvania and don't know when we will
land. We may not land here at Manila,
but may have to go about 300 miles
further south and capture an island by
the name of Iloilo.
On December 18th we all went on
shore and took in the sights. I went
into the old town which is walled in on
all sides. We saw one ruin of massive
building that was blown to pieces by
the British in 1862 After that we took
stroll among the great walls, maya
zines, guns and so on. We saw the place
in one of the walls where the Spanish
had hidden lots of ammunition. Just
the other day the soldiers found another
hole in the wall full of rifles and amuni-
ton. All the arms were taken from the
Spanish and locked in the arsenal.
visited the arsenal and three or four of
the large rooms were just filled with
Spanish arms and ammunition. There
are some of the largest and finest
churches in Manila one ever set his eyes
on. We use these churches to keep the
Spanish prisoners in. They are at
liberty until o'clock then they
all have to be in their quarters.
They are not allowed outside of the
walled city. One can find our guards on
all sides and every corner of block.
The barracks are made mostly of stone
with mahogany wood work. Is seems
very cool in these rooms. They are
about 300 feet long and Is feet wide and
Is feet high. The boys have plenty of
room for all of their things. They all
have cots made from bamboo by the
prisoners. They are very we'll fed. They
have fresh meat three times week,
fresh bread, beans, onions, potatoes,
good coffee and few other things. The
soldiers are not allowed to drink the
water until it is boiled. The palace is
where Gen. Otis stays. 1t is as fine a
building as I saw in the city. There is
one;whole company used as his body
guard They five there at the palace
and have a fine place. The horses
here are very small and also the car
riages. For heavy work they use the
water buffalo. After work is done the
buffalo go to the river and stay in the
water all the time. On the night of the
18th the French transport, Sachomire,
left the bay loaded with Spanish soldiers.
They started for home. There was close
on to 1000 on that boat. There is