El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-21
LETTER FROM MAJOR HINTON

LETTER FROM MAJOR HINTON
Who is With the Eighteenth Infantr!
In the Philippines.
Through the courtesy of Major w
]. Fewel We are enabled 10 print tn
following letter, which will be of inter
est to ID any Ell Psso people:
JARO, Philippine Islands
May 18th, 1899.
My Dear Major:-Here am at the
18th infantry headquarters, command
ing the LIST battalion. We are only
about q miles from Iloilo, which il
the postoffice for this place. I've a
last gotten my promotion to a major
ity, but have not been officially mott
fed, and look for it every nail. The
vacancy created to make my promotion
was in the 18th infantry, which Is in
Porto Rico, but presume I'll be as
| signed to the 18th infantry, which Of
course will suit me, but I'd love sight
at tie states, and particularly at El
Paso and my friends there.
| Well, we picked up three Filipino
soldiers yesterday. They were coming
down the river on q raft, evidently to
surrender; they report their forces are
going to pieces, they are short of food
and ammunition, they haven't received
any pay or clothing for some months
and they intend to kill their command
| err.
T also hear that the insurgents
are going to pieces about Malolos.
They are disheartened and hungry and
would permit them. wish they would
hurry up, as want to get home without
q punctured tire.
You bet there was no fun wading
through the rice fields and as soon as I
had q Oh snce to halt hospital attend
ant gave me good drink of whiskey,
which got on the outside of without
argument, as I needed it. Many
thanks for the papers which Mrs. Hin
ton received: Jsro is dull and de-
sert ted, fine houses are vacant, no
business being done here, but Iloilo is
going in its usual business, which is
quite extensive in the sugar trade.
Am glad Ell Paso is still forging
ahead.
We left Cavite Dec. 25. 1898, and ar
rived off Iloilo Dec. %, '9S, and remain
ed on the ship "Arizona,' until Feb
IL, '99, when we landed into the burn.
ing town, the beet portion of which
was entirely consumed.
visited the town once before its oc-
cupation by our troops and found it
quite pretty, with several very good,
large, general merchandise stores. The
native element there ia about the same
as about Manila. This town wac quite
but it is confined to q COM
parative few. think only the would
be big heads oppose the American gov
eminent, and were it left to the mass
Of the people We would not have oppo-
sition.
The Filipino working man now gets
mOoe money than ever before in his
life. On sugar plantations he gets
twelve and one-half cents per day in
Mexican money: on the river front, un-
loading coal and sugar, he receives
price for labor never known here be- |
lore.
Everywhere the United States enters |
the poor man is benefited in the price |
Of his labor. 1 am on the water wagon |
and have been for some time and in |
lend to stay there many months; too |
hot to drink out here. Griffith and all |
others of your friends, send their kind
est rememb rauces to you. Remember
Davis most Bufo rindly AL to H Shasis
20 whom I'll write shortly,
Carr, Patsy, and others who 1 have
The pleasure of knowing. Excuse pen
Ill, my paper won't stand ink. Col. |
Van Valzah has applied for retirement
md you may see him 5000. Lowe is |
here commanding his company.
Should l be ordered to Porto Rico,
III give Ell Paso call just long enough |
10 say How! and then fly before it got
he best of me.
We do not anticipate getting home
,ery soon, unless we swap these islands
With England. 1 am ready to trade for
my thing, the sooner the better.
I don't know how the army will stand |
he wet season. We are doing out post
luty and atching the insurgents and
hey are doing the same for US; the last
light WAS March Is, 1899. We lost one
titled and fifteen wounded, and their
oss was between seven and eight hun
lred killed and wounded. Only seven
of the 18th infantry and
our companies of the LIST Tennessee
7olunteer infantry came in on the last
# the row.
/ was on provost marshal duty in
loilo and was not in it at all, nor was
ny company. 1 only came out here
he 18th of this month. Four com pan
es of the 18th are still on duty in
loilo.
I've been out on the line twice with
ny company, but the enemy failed to
stack ss they threatened.
Now Major, expect I've taxed you
enough and I'll say goodbye. Write
when you find time.
Very truly yours,
Q. B. HINTON.