Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-09-07
LETTER FROM TAzEwELL SOLDIER.
Graphic Description of Army Life in the
Philippines.
SAN FERNANDO, P. l., July IS.

|
To the dear ones at home;
On the afternoon of June IL the cool
was heard to say, Come and get it, a
all army cooks say when making the ali
nouncement that meal is ready But vi
didn't get it, for the order was there
to move at once from Manila to-wt
knew not where; and in less than ter
minutes the command came to "fall in. D
We had to pack our clothing, etc,
in our boxes and roll what we absolutely
Leeded and could carry in our blankets
quite lively We marched to the depot
and took the train going north. At Il
o'clock that night we reached the Bag Bag
river One span of the bridge had been
previously cut by the Filipinos and we
crossed the river in cascoes without being
fired on, as one of the volunteer regiments
held the place and had outposts on either
side OF the railroad.
We then boarded another train, in and
On the outside of passenger and box cars.
The band was fortunate enough to get a
passenger car. We arrived at San Fer
nando at a. m. and layed upon the bare
Philippine soil to lest our weary selves
until morning. 1t was very dark, having
rained all the fore part of the night. No
light was allowed to be made and it was
not safe to unrol our blankets as we might
receive orders to move again at any mo-
ment. Daylight finally came and l awoke,
having slept well. Looking around,
made the remark to my friend, this is real
soldering. 1t was here the band had
their first experience in eating raw bacon.
The regiment was soon On the march,
and proceeding to the town were quar-
tered in the native bamboo houses which
had been previously vacated, leaving only
few friendly Chinese and Macabebes in
the town. Five other young men and my
self occupy one bamboo house, all of us
with little or no war experience, and it is
more than amusing to see us do our cook
ing with tin plate and quart cup. Of
course our cups catch considerable num-
Der Of mosquitoes, ants and other animals,
but so long as it is nothing as large as a
tarantula or chameleon we use no bad
language.
San Fernando is thirty miles from Ma
Mia, on the extreme north of the firing
line, and is a sugar growing centre. The
Americans have their outposts and trenches
all around the town and along the railroad
to Manila, and the Filipinos are on three
sides of the town. They never make any
great effort to advance, but send 4 few out
at night to fire and try to locate and harass
the American outposts, and orders forbid
the Americans returning the fire. The
Fiipinos are great soldiers to build
trenches or keep up dog trot all day, but
when it comes to making charge they
can't persuade their legs to move in but
one direction, and it takes three officers to
hold one private at the point Of their
swords, to keep hlm from going the direc-
ton his legs are inclined to take him. The
Americans are quite different III this re-
spect, for 1t sometimes takes three officers
to hold one private or make him cease
firing when the command is once given to
charge.
A report went around not long ago that
"Aggie" had sent in word that he and his
army were coming in here to take dinner
on a certain day, "but he didn't" 1t is
reported that they haven't much to eat
where they are, but should they start in
here it is likely they would get hot Krags
for refreshments on their way. They are
dead anxious to get this place, as it is the
only town III this locality large enough tc
hold them during the rainy season, and
the Americans don't care to adv nee, al
there is no town for them to occupy.
On the south line the Gugers had trenches
which the American soldier never saw the
equal of. They had underground passages
covered over with railroad iron, which
schrapnel had no effect upon, but the navy
and land forces stormed the place, after
which the infantry charged and cap
tured the town of Paranaque. One com
pauy of the Twenty-irst infantry were
chasing the Gugers and were surrounded
They put up hot fight, firing all thei
ammunition. Failing in their expectation
of getting more they retreated to the coas
to get the protection of the navy, an(
went in the water up to their nerks, unit
the Ninth and other regiments came tt
their rescue.
1t has been raining here three days an(
nights, and all one sees is water and mud
| received one letter since leaving th
States; that was in answer to my Homo
lulu letter.
"a Dios.) Goodbye. A. G. L.