The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1899-08-17
FROM SEAT OF WAR.
JAMES HAYES WRITES OF LIFE. WITH
THE ARMY IN FAR OFF MANILA.
DAILY BATTLES WITH NATIVES
Success Crowns the Efforts of the Aineri-
can Soldiers and the Kenogna Boy is !.
s<,4s-,in the Thickest of The Fray .f

I The following letter has been re-
ceiEed in,this city from James Hayes, a
Kenosha iboyswhois now.in the Philip
pines as "a rFfenbef'. Of the aF WentF-
second Infantry: s1I 1';5af.ls1s q
San .FfAnando, P. 1---Dear Friends:
II had promised to write to you, but
things have been}in such. shape since Il
have been eherel that1I have not done
much writing at all; but as T think
that have some spare time Twill try
and do so, but don't know whether /
will finish it or not: --
will explain why we are in a town
that is about fifty miles from Manila
inland, but on the failroad-that is
what they call it here-you would call
it a dummy; it is very old fashioned,
although it answers our purpose here
exceedingly well for the transportation
of troops and rations We have our
outposts all around sthe city and it is
where the niggerB are the thickest.
They say that they will either run US
out Of here or have us either in the
guard house or graveyard on the 10Th
of the month. Aggies sWOre that he
and his troops would slip in here that
night and have a dress parade, so he
tried it. They had us entirely sur
rounded, so they came in full force and
the slaughter that followed had never
before been seen.'a The fight com
menced at 5:15 and lasted until about s
O'clock, but We@did not see any dress
parade nor cid any one hear of Aggie's
sleeping in the city; if he did no one
caught hin. at it or he might have been
inVited QUITO dine with 1l8 others we
had with u.s. tin the graveyard j. where
they hauledsthem, and that~was- only
What were close to our lines, and we
could not pick the rest Of them up. as
the niggers would fire on us whenever
we>would tryY SO We let them take care
of them. There were in the neighbor-
hood of 500 Killed and wounded.
i Then on the 21st they tried it again,
that was at o'clock lat night, but it did
not take the boys long to- countermand
Aggie's orders, so they all vamoosed,
and for the last four days they have
been making moyessto to- attack US and
we. are all up at 4 o'clock every morn
Ing t., be ready for,them, as their Bee5
time is at day break. This morning y
were hustled out to our post brigf {
and early, but they didn't do much,
and then at 10 O'Clock they threw out
their Lines and in a very few moments
the boys were all at their post waiting
for them, but they took in their lines
again, but we are all at this minute
ready for the silent signal to move to
our. places. That is the reason why l
don't know whether will get this let
ter finished today or not. But as long
Jas they are the attacking party we
don't, worry much, but when we are the
attacking party we have to chase them
or no fight; but when they come for US
E.they always find us without any
trouble. We have on the lines around
this town Montana and Idaho's G., II,
II, and the Sd. battalion of the 22nd
infantry and 4th cavalry. The 22nd is
Epatroling the city, that is three com
panies, and my company is on the
Earmored car when in action and at
other times at city patrol.
I | wish that you could see the armored
Ecars, They consist of four cars, three
fat and one box car. They are all
lowered with thick steel as high as. a
mans waiss with the. exception of the
ammunition car, which has ten picked
men as sharpshooters, of which L am
one of the. lucky number. We have
armor above our heads, with q crack
large enough for us to hold our guns
and shoot. It is our duty topick off
officers. and sharpshooters.. The box
car is for the officer in charge and our
rations and water, and thencomes the
destruction cars, one on each end, and
the one that we always keep ahead has
one Hotchkiss, rapid fire and l gatfing
gun, and the tail ear has. one 6-pound
navy armor piercing gun. !. ....-s
Z About three weeks ago the niggers
saw the cars coming up the track with
che men pushing it, 1.-THE company
pushes these cars, as an engine could
be disabled by bullets), and they
thought that it was the ammunition
train and they made rush TO capture
it, and when they were within about
fifty yards the gatling and all turned
loose. all at once and what they did to
them was a plenty. They stopped at
the first shot and looked and then the
lead came. You ought to see them go,
those who were able. as.
A. fE 49, JAMES E.. HAYES,
{ ~ co. 81, Infantry, Manila, P. I.