The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-12-05
LETTER FROM MANILA.
Lieut. II. S. Knox Writes Of His Long sea
Voyage One Man Lost oyerooard-No
Sickness on Ship.


The following letter, written on board
the q. s. Steamship Tacoma October
27th. by Lieut. Robert S Knox TO rela-
tives here imme diately after his arrival
in Manila Bay. Philippine Islands, de-
scriptive Of his TIP from San Francisco
60 Manila. will be read with interest,
not only by Lieut.. Knox's many friends
here. but by the public generally;
We arrived in Manila Bay. of the
CITY Of Manila. this morning about daV.
light, after long and tedious trip OF
about 81 days, including the eight days
we stopped IN Ii InOlnlu for repairs.
The weather was beautiful all the way
over, except for two OF three days after
leaving Honolulu, when the whole
crowd IF US Ct sea sick again. even
worse than We were when leaving San
Francisco. aud | stayed In my bunk for
at least three days. After that we had
good weather The distance, according
% SHIPS / <. is Z 0 miles from Frisco
10 ManIlA, ana In the entire distance
we only sighted two ships, one before
arriving In Honolulu, the other in Ma
Mia
On the second day out from Honolulu
we had II gale, and one man,
y rpural hcndefsoD, II y Company,
WAS lost overheard The ship cTuised
around for teveral hours after he fell
overheard, but all to no purpose. we
never Caught sight Il him again. though
c1nirs. life belts and boxes were thrown
20 him We were kept busy all the way
over with The various schools OF instruc-
ton. though between times l managed
tn get humesick enough e. think II re-
signing. especially when | was sick.
The men have been healthy. indeed,
and now that wa are IN the trCpics,
we can see why they were picked out
PHYSICALLY, because these hot days, even
on the ship have been quite trylng,es
pacially as we have been travelling IN
the blue uniform. and will not change
into Khaki until we get into camp TO-
morrow. and then we Will change en-
tlrely, even 10 the hats for which large
clk helme's covered with Knakl clo tn.
will be- substituted The uniform then
will he truly + Iglsh in appearance
Today Il the II Sc We have heird OF
the Beer war. which. We are tod. has
bs.n going on two weeks; we also re-
oeivei our first news OF the yacht race
The Off ers of our snip are all Il Rllsh,
and We have b EN- Ruying thu m consld-
er.by about both the war and The rScs
We have been brigaded with the 3Dth
and 37tn aud form the FIRST Brigade,
an Ter Gen Hill; lis Division under
Gen. LAwton. Sth Army Corps. 50 with
these old regulars II there Is any
fyhti1g wa will get our full share. We
will 20 ashore tomorrow aud VIII be
camped at the famous water works
about five mi rs north OF the CITY, ana
all our operations will be toward the
North. The other five companies Of
our regiment are already encamped az
the wafer works, and have been under
fra. that is they had an alarm. mis-
took one If their own men as night.
outside the lines. who would not halt
and WAS shot aud KILLED
Where we ara at anchor the Balu'
more. which is the Fl ,gship IS Gu one
side Of n, the Princeton. gun boat
on the other. besides the transports
Sherman. Sheridan, Aver and hOspi
tai snip Relief. Ia tins distance We
can see O.vIte where Uncle Sam S
marines are stationed, and the So'nish
wrecks lying around IN ferent
places l have been on as Off 'er Of
the ga ,rd to-day. aud busy day have
had with all the bum boat and launches
running up ut all hours
We have NJ sickness on board and
no one in the hospital am feeling
very well. though homesick, but l
have a 20 ID capt an. perfect gentle
men A New Yorker. +. NJ Knox. is
2nd Lieutenant very nice lIttle fel
low We have had four Vrg nj ms On
board du,ing the trip three OF us be-
ing in tn LAT BIt'allpn. Needless 70
say we have stuck together. especially
Faun,leroy and I. f is great big
fe lpw, 6 feet 215 inches large in pro-
d rtion, and as good natured as he is
large We tn say now that when we
get h,ck e. Virginia that It will be
QUITE good enough for us there 1t Is
rumored that We VIII be in the reRu-
lar army after the lst OF January
1900. Give my love to everv one, and
tel them 60 send me the news and re-
member me at Christmas. for it Is hot
as - out here even in the wint,r
time. which Is now.