The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-09
THE FLYING BRIGADE
General Joseph Wheeler S
New Command.
WHEELER IS POPULAR
MR.. G. d. WOOD WRITES TO MAJ
j. B. HILL.
THE SOLDIERS SEND SPICY STORIES
Tells Of Life as Soldier and of the Character
of Our Men. Has Met Many North
carnlinians il the Philinnines.
Carolinians in the Philippines

Mr.. G. ID. Wood, who is well known
10 many friends in Raleigh, has written
a most interesting letter to his uncle.
Mr. Joshua b. Hill, of this city, de-
scribiRg the voyage from San Francisco
10 Manila, via Honolulu, on board the
transport Ohio, and telling in a pleasant
manner much of interest regarding the
Philippines, life there, the character OF
our troops in the East, and the correct
meaning of Il rainy season.
The letter received by Major Hill is
as follows:
Angeles Luzon Island.
Philippines, Oct. 22nd, 1890.
Dear Uncle Joshua:
will now Try to write you few lines
and tell you an | know, which won't be
much, l Will have to admit. We have
poor accommodation for writing, so
please excuse the paper and pencil and
mistakes, as a crowd is around me MAX
ing more noise than when diminishing
We arrived in Manila on the 9th of
the transport Ohio. ! wrote you a postal
card ait Honolulu: that's fine country.
/ would like to live there. Fruit OF
every description is raised there. i guess
tflat's my main reason for wanting 10
live there. And about the Philippines.
we'll, my experience and the reports in the
home papers concerning the climate.
&C.. of this country differs TO Ia large ex-
Tn. I'M
the papers you would judge that during
the rainy season here it doesn't do ang-
thing but rain all day and night. weA.
that is mistake to start with. it rains
occasionally and some times an day, but
that is very seldom. it rains mostly at
night.
Some of these soldier boys who write
homo about the Philippines and the
scraps they were in. &c. are the very
ones that have never smelt gun-p0wder
at ALL There is young man in my
company who wrote a letter to a paper
in. Kansas, telling how. close he came TO
being shot and how he and his company
laid in trenches all night, and Of cutting
mggers' thioats from ear to ear. and OF
taking certain towns after hard fought
battle. and all such as that. and when
you come down to facts. he. this same
young man. has never been in a fight
since the 18th have been on the island.
but has been nothing but what we
call hospital beat ever since his arrival
So this mans letter was published and
the consequence was, he was guyed I'm
mercifully. SO I don't think this Kansas
newspaper will be bothered any more
with his letters. This class Of soldiers
are not only disgrace to their company s
but to their family as well, and are the
poorest fighters imaginable, so says our
lieutenant.
There is lots of fighting being done on
this island Last Monday for instance,
the rebels opened up heavy fire on this
town at $50 u. nj. and the fire lasted
until 6 a. M. Ny company, now my
battalion, didn't discharge their guns,
for we compose q. X. r. NJ the third
battalion, and were lined up to protect
the south of the town and the church.
Only two of our men were killed after
all that firing, since, a Cheno, who was
q prisoner Of the rebs, escaped and
crossed our lines, and told us he helped
bury 1876 himself. He said good many
more were killed and wounded. Aggie's
Peace Commissioners are now in Manila
eral Otis.
Our quarters were inspected this
morning by General Joseph Wheeler
and his staff. He is quite a nice old fel-
low, and is liked by adj the boys. We
have orders to prepare for a 8 months
march, as the 9th, 18th and 18th were
going further north and end the war,
IL possible We will be known as the
Flying Brigade, and under the command
of General Wheeler. | save what little
money | make, so / win have some on
my return to the United States.
A good many Of the boys drink intoxi-
eating drinks, knowing at the same time
5t does them no good Excuse me, | will
always say, / don't care for it at ALL
And if mig don't plug me, you will
see me back in old North Carolina as