Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-08-17
SOLDIERS INTERESTING LETTER,
Elite Filipino DamseIs Dress Low Necked at
Both Ends-Opinion of nRegular,n

Both Ends-0pinon of Regular"
Frank Gardiner of Stevens Point is
a member Of the Third infantry, Z.
S. regular army, doing service in the
Philippines. The young man is a
nephew Of Mrs Lydia Houston, Cen
tralia. His two sisters have been
guests at the Houston home this week
and they received a letter while here
which we have kindly been permitted
to publish.
Balinag, P. l., June 80, 1890
miles from ManiIa-My Dear Sisters:
Florence'S letter received yesterday
and was more than pleased to hear
from you. [ had begun to think |
was forgotten. | am in the best OF
health and hope this will find you the
same.
Well. my experiences have been of
many varieties since | wrote last. We
left CalOOcan on April -, from then
until June l we were continually on
the 60 and it was as tough a trip as |
ever care to undertake. When we ar
rived here month ago we had barely
tWO-thirdS Of the men we started with.
Some were killed and wounded, but
more played out and had to be sent
back TO the hospital. To-day we had
muster and Of 1l2 men in the com
pany only y were here to answer roll
call.
| gave you the bill of fare in my
other letter, but oh, you should have
seen it while we were up around
Augat, San Raphel, and in the
mountains. 1t seems like a nightmare
when | think of it. We were on half
ratiOnS for a month and there was not
chicken or pig in the country. We
had hardLack. bacon and coffee when
we had chance to cook it, aud the
bacon would crawl off if you didn't
stick fork through it. We existed on
that for six weeks.
[ remember a dream [ had while
near the mountains. We had had
hard fighting the day before and it
was late when we vent into camp and
was raining hard. | was so tired ]
did not cook any supper but laid down
on the ground and rolled up in my
pOnchO and went to sleep. | dreamed
| was back in Stevens Point and was
at your house to dinner, and my. what
a spread you had. | was piling my
plate with good things and telling OF
my travels when suddenly flood of
water came and | aWOke and | was
laying in the water with just my head
out. The rain was coming down in
torrents. Well, the language | used
would not look good here. [ did not
care for the water, / was used to that,
but missing the meal was what made
me mad.
[ said before | left the states that |
wanted to be in one good battle before
this war was over. Well. I've been in
several and Ill tell you now, | don't
care if peace is declared tomorrow,
I've had enough. But Of course il
my company is engaged again, I'll be
there. There has been two men shot
down beside me and | have had bullets
sing by me until | thought the whole
Filipino army was shooting at me.
They say a person will get used TIC
anything bat think it would take a
long time before [ could truthfully
say [ enjoyed it.
On May % the Third INIT. was eS-
COrting wagon train from San Miguel
to this city, distance of - miles.
We were attacked and surrounded
three different times that day by three
regiments of niggerS. We lost two
killed and fifteen wounded, and we
| left between 300 and 100 dead niggers
beside the road that day. We captured
a couple of their officers and they said
if they had known we were regulars
that they would not have attacked us.
They thought it was volunteer
regiment. The insurgents do not
seem to think the volunteers are SO
much as the American papers make
them out to be. They are good men
but they have not the discipline or
the officers we have. But if you ever
have an opportunity to do a favor for
d volunteer or regular who has
served in the Philippines, do it, ''nuf
sed." | will stop now for dinner.
Well. I've had my chow chow as the
Filipino says, SO DIS it is raining and |
have nothing to do for an hour or SO
| will visit a while longer with you.
And by the way, | am 40 longer a
private, | am Corporal Gardiner now,
| was promoted in May. [ like the
army very well and do not think my
three years will be very tireSOme. We
are stationed here now for the rainy
season [ think, which lasts about
three months. 1t. has rained every
day for two weeks now and Oh, how
it can rain and then after it stops, the
sun comes out and talk about hot,
where Satan lives is nothing to it.
This is a city Of about 10000 when
they are ali at home, but just at pres
ent a great many Of the males are out
lodging American bullets. We have
been expecting an attack here for a
week now, as the insurgents are all
around us. [ would like to fight on
the defensive once, just to see how it
would seem to get in trench and fire
on an advancing army. 1t has always
been just the opposite, the niggers in
the trenches and US advancing.
There are ten companies of the
Third doing garrison duty here. and
as there are three companies on duty
] j.