Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-02-23
night without her knowing it.

ala not get mustered out with the first
100000 that ! can't express my delight.
l just don't know what / would have
done if we had not got to come across
the ocean. 1 ought to write to Mr.. Free
man but let him read this and tell him
that will write to him just,as soon as
we get landed and settled down. ! cut
a few slips out of Manila newspaper
the other day and will send them home
to you. l want you to keep them though
for me. The piece of poetry entitled
"The arrival of the ST. Paul. is dandy
and expresses a great deal of the real
thoughts of us soldiers on Christmas
day. We spent merry Christmas and
happy New Year to be sure. We had
some fine old meals on those days also.
Mother said in letter got from her
that she would like to have picture of
me in heavy marching order. If there
is such thing in this city as photo
graph gallery 1 will have some pictures
taken in several different attitudes.
Bananas grow wild down here but
they are small. I have been SO impressed
with the richness and beauty of these
islands in the Philippines that l hope
Uncle Sam holds: every one of them and
don't even let Germany or France have
an inch. But Uncle ought to let England
have an island or two because she has
helped him great deal in this war.
English warships helped Dewey con-
siderable at Manila Bay and are doing
the same here. For instance, the "Balti-
more" and Newport" came into this
harbor before we soldiers did. Our ship
and the ARIZONA" were left out into the
Zulu sea about ten miles and when Gen.
Miller was ready for us to enter, it was
a little English tug boat which came out
and told US, thus saving the big trans
port Newport" long trip. But that is
not all. We can see lots Of little things
which the English do for us every day.
The English cruiser turns her search
lights on our transport all night long
thus allowing us fellows when on guard
to see for long way all around our ship.
You see this is done to keep the natives
from coming upin their little boats and
floating a torpedo against our ship, thus
blowing us up.
1 have started letter to Ross Corner
but will wait until after landing before
finishing it. AS for our health it is ex-
cellent. Clyde is looking like different
kind OF a fellow since coming over here.
He is getting heshier, I have heard him
remark several times that he felt so
much better since coming here. He says
the climate agrees with him here better
than it did at San Francisco and if his
folks could see him they would say the
same. AS for me, am the same as ever.
/ guess I will be all right as far as health
is concerned wherever I go. It seems
that way anyway. I did not get to see
Jim Riley before leaving Manila. but in
tend to write to him from here and if we
land at Manila again will look him up
if he is still there.
We have 100 rounds of loaded cart
ridges to carry now and 1 tell you they
are pretty heavy. We have exercise
now up on deck. One battalion at
time lines up and runs around and
around the deck to give us wind and to
stretch our legs once more. You see
when fellow has been on board ship
for sixty days doing nothing but laying
around he gets pretty soft.
1 suppose you are wading around in
snow drifts there and wearing mittens,
overcoats and caps. Ha ha. That sounds
funny to me for haven't thing on but
my thin brown pants. It's too hot for
even shirt. But we don't suffer from
the heat so awful much because of the
cooling sea breeze. Our hats, when we
wear any, keeps the sun off. Some of
the boys are singing "Way down on the
Swanee River" and others are singing
"Just before the Battle, Mother" 1 sup
pose if I was to 60 on deck would hear
about dozen other songs such as "Home
Sweet Home" etc.
I hope mother is we'll and has gotten
accustomed to me being away over here
10000 miles from nowhere. There is no
use of her worrying about me for am
all right. OF course I am not bullet
proof though and might keel over in the
coming fight, but even if do my body
will be sent home. I don't suppose /
will get this sent before we take the city
and will drop line at the end of this
if I come out of the scrap all right, and
if I don't, | suppose some one will find
this letter in my pocket and send it to
you. After the fight if there are any
deaths on our side it will be cabled to
America and the names will be given.
So of course you will know before this
reaches you whether am dead or alive.
And if you see by the paper that am
wounded I don't want you to worry
about that for we have the best of
doctors. Say, it would make me feel
foolish to send this letter and then after
all my jabbering we didn't have fight
at all, wouldn't it? But don't see how
in the world they are going to helm but