Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-05-16
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| Chicago Record.
| The following letter has been address
| ed to President Mckinley:
Chicago, May 3, 1S99.-To the Pres
| ident-Dear Mr.. Mckinley: When the
man with the musket writes home, hav-
| ing no wires to pull, he will not pervert
the truth. This is the wireless telegra
| ply which will tell the tale when the
| time comes, in spite of cable censorship.
But why should our brave boys in blue,
who have faced danger and death in
the field fearlessly, write thus:
Some of the boys are getting into
all kinds of trouble over their letters,
and I hope no one will publish any of
mine
Cannot one of our soldiers write the
truth to his mother, 10000 miles away,
in America? Not without danger of per-
secution on the very fields where he
has fought to win our victories. There
seems to be a sort of military censor
ship there, worse than that over cable
or press. A military inquisition over
the freedom of speech and our mails is
far more dangerous to liberty. If it can
be forced upon Americans in the Phil
ippines it can be enforced in America
as we'll May God Forbid When
Americans awake, as they WILL to its
full meaning, the spirit of 1916 will
speak and be heard.
Zone soldier writes referring to re-
cent events: Things were in an awful
condition. I believe a great
deal of sickness at that time was due
to the fat pork we were obliged to eat.
Most of the pork was of a very poor
quality and some of it was spoiled
There he stops short and adds: The
letters / write are for the ones to whom
they are addressed and not for the en-
tire public
rs it not possible that but for this
dreaded military despotism much suffer
ing and sickness might have been
avoided among our own American SOL
diers, and you and those at home known
the situation from them?
Another soldier writes: Never take
an officers word for the treatment of
the men. So much has been
said that is not true that you better
not believe anything. Wait
until we get back and I will tell you
all. Why in the world do the
people publish our letters?' He evil
IDENTIFY fears to write facts in the case.
lest he should have to suffer for telling
| the truth.
is this wise or safe situation? Is
it conducive to justice and right?
I'm referring to the battles OF Feb
ruary and the same soldier states:
The battlefield Is scrry-looking
place now Nearly all houses and
towns are burned, and for a few days af-
ter the battle started the ground was
covered with dead natives. The Amer
| leans have buried from 1000 to 5000
dead Filipinos so their loss has been
terrible. We captured every bit of poul-
! try, pigs and cattle We could lay our
hands on.
Another soldier writes in reference
to this same battle: 1t is said that the
| insurgent loss is about 5000 killed and
| four times as many wounded.
About $500 dead insurgents have been
found by our men, but no one knows
how many more dead have not been
found or buried by their own friends.
Just returned from the firing
line. Don't know how many of the
devils | hit. In the middle of
the attack while l was lying behind an
earthwork, firing. my mail was handed
TO me- | put the letters and papers
| into my haversack as quickly as pos
/ Slble, as wanted to resume hiring. The
| field of battle was horrible sight, hun
dreds of dead and wounded insurgents
| and some Americans lying on the
ground. A horrible sight I witnessed
was the hauling into the city of the
dead and wounded Americans on buff
/ falo carts
| Under date of February he writes:
Just returned from the firing line.
where we had warm time. On our
way out we passed By thousands of de-
/ serted farmsteads. We entered a few
of the houses and searched them. The
| inhabitants must have left in a terri
BILE hurry, for they did not take time
| to take any of their valuahles with
them. We found great many native
uniforms, and also money and iewelry.
which we took for relics Some
English naval officers came ont with a
10 OF whisky. which they gave to our