Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-05-25
THE LETTERS FROM SOLDIERS.


Chicago Record.
The following letter has been adj
dressed to President Mckinney:
Chicago, May 3, 1899. To tho Presi-
dent--Dear Mr.. Mckinley: When the
man with the musket writes home,
having no wires to pull, he will not
pervprt the truth. This is the wireless
biography which will tell the tale when
the time comes, in spite OF cable censor
ship. 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
hope no ono will publish any of
mine.
Cannot one Of our soldiers write the
truth to his mother, 10000 miles away,
in American Not without danger of
persecution 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
One soldier writes. referring to recent
events: Things were in an awful con-
dition. y u | believe great deal
of sickness Mt 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. F." There he
stops short, and adds; THE letters
write are for the ones to whom they
are addressed and not fer the entire
public. ="
Is it not possible that but for this
dreaded military despotism much suffer-
| ing and sickness might have been
! avoided among our own American
| uol1tnrc nj hnp
known the situation from them?
Another soldier writes: Never take
an oliicer's word for the treatment of
the men. + So much has been
said that is not true that you had
better not believe anything. y Il
Wait until we get back and will tell
you all. Why in the world do
the people publish our letters?" He
evidently fears 10 write facts. in the
case, lest he should have to suffer for
telling the truth.
In referring to the battles of Feb
ruary 9Th and 9Th the same soldier
states: Tho battlefield is u sorry
looking place now. Nearly all houses
and towns are burned, and for few
days after the battle started the ground
was covered with dead natives. The
Americans have buried from 1000 to
l
5000 dead Filipinos, SO their loss has
been terrible. We captured every bit
of poultry, pigs. and cattle we could lay
our hands on. -
Under date of February 18th another
soldier writes in reference to the battles
of February 9Th and 9th:
"Just returned from the firing line,
where we had warm time. On our
way out we passed by thousands OF
deserted homesteads. We entered few
of tho houses and searched them. The
inhabitants must have left in terrible
hurry, for they did not take time to
take any Of their vauables with them.
We found great many native uniforms,
and also money and jewelry, which we
took for relics. # Some English
naval officers came out with lot OF
whisky, which they gave to our non.
They said they did not mind seeing the
great number of dead and wounded in
surgents all around them because q
million of their lives are not worth the
life of one of our brave Americans, and
/ think they were Just about right.
Went over to our right. Saw Il lot Of
dead insurgents on u heap in a trench.
On our way to town We picked
up number of relics. These deserted
homesteads are now being ransacked
by our men and Cinnamon. The
Cinnamon are making lot of money
out of it, because. they are at it from
morning until night, hauling in cloth
ing, furniture and syaluables. "
Such scenes as these seem to have
4 touched the true A merican heart Of one
brave boy in blue, and this cannot be
blamed to seditious" matter mailed
from America. He writes:
What we have all been expecting
long came. We were all very anxious
to have it come, but / for one dom
went through and what | witnessed
this night changes my opinion of tn,
horrors of war entirely. A lot of in
surgents, who were in the dark, anc
whom we had not seen, opened fire or
us with Mauser rifles. Here is where
witnessed the most terrible sight
imaginable, and ono which l shall
never forget. Thousands of women anc
children were coming out of theil
homes and running around in the flames
lost, with their clothes atire, scream
ing. Horses, dogs and other animals
were running around trying to keeI
out of the flames, until they woulc
become crazy and go right into the
worst part of it. This sight had bac
effect on us, and made US feel faint
and sick. Thousands of women anc
children must have persisted in The
flames. Some of the boys got lots o.
money"
The writer closes this account a;
usual with these significant words
Remember that all tho letters write
are for you and the folks at home only,
and are not written to be published
Some of my letters to friends were pub
lished, and one of them cost me great
deal of trouble.''
Now claim, Mr.. President, that q
contest which cannot safely be made
known in all its awful details to the
American people cannot be Just an6
right, and that the action which seeks
to stifle FREQ speech and stop free mails
in America and the Philippines is -.
There is no word which will expires;
it in an American vocabulary, and
hope there never Will he.
II. II. Van Meter.