The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1899-02-10
MANILA.

MANILA, +. l., Dec. 81, 1898.
EDITuRBULLkTIN- Believing that
the people of Hardeman County
would love to hear something of
Manila and the Philippine Islands,
as seen by one who was born in the
rural districts of the county, near
Pine Top, | take the pleasure of
writing yOu this letter, aud trust
the many readers of the BULLETIN
will not crlticise it too severely, as
It is written by a common private
soldier.
Two battalliOns of the First Ten
ncSsee Regiment sailed from San
Francisco, Nov. 3Olh, on the Z-a-
laudia, and after being tossed on
the brlney waves for 20 long weary
days, We sighted the island of Luz
zOm, of the Philippine group, and
about shutdown. of that memorable
sunday afternoon we entered the
Bay of Manila. On the night of
The 18th of November, we crossed
the lSOth meridian, aud at that mo-
menI lost one day of our lives, for
when we awOke next morning it
was Wednesday, the l7Ih. Five
lays out from Manila we passed a
living volcano In active eruption.
Ii was on one of the small islands
Of the Farralone de Paharos group.
We passed so near il that we could
see the great streams of hot lava
running down the stiles of the noun
Iain. The great volumes OF fire
aud dun cOlOred smoke which arose
from the crata reminded me very
much of the burning of the great
round tar k;lns which are so char
acteriSJlc of the pine hills of Harde
man County.
Early on the morning before we
arrived here we struck a very rough
sea aud the waves rolled over 25
feet high. The old ship would roll
over until the great waves would
wash her deck from stem to stern.
Our hearts were soon gladdened by
the sight of land aud mighty
cheer went up from the 800 boys
aboard. As we neared the land the
sea became calmn and smooth and
all came on deck to see the beauti
rul scenery along the coast of the
island, which lay stretched
out in the sun shine just off the
port side of the ship. The sun was
just sinking into the sea of fire and
gold beyond the western waves
when we turned from the open sea
into the Bay of Manila. The red
reflection from the clouds turned
the bay into sea of blood and
brought to US the memories of Dew
ey's great victory of May lst. The
>ilvery moon beams fell dimly upon |
the ruined fort of Cdvite aud the
wrecks of the Spanish war ships as
we passed them. A sense of sad
ness crept over US, as we knew that
hundreds of unfortunate Spanish |
sailors lay buried In the mud at the
bottom of the bay. | looked upon
he dimly visible wrecks of the
Spanish war>hips and thought how
powerful and wonderful must have
been the conflict which SO utter y |
demolished the ideal fleet of the
proud Spanish nation.
We sIaid on board the ship in
he bay for a week before landing,
and the boys were getting very anx
Gus 10 set their feet once again on
terra irma. On Monday evening,
Dec. 5th, as the bands within the
-ity were playing the Star Spangled
Banner" aud the American flag was
being lowered for the night, the
irst battalion of the First Tenues-
zee Regiment landed at the end of
he Calsada, under the Fort de San
iago, on the banks of the Pasig riv-
n. We marched up the Calsada
Ibout 500 yards and pitched our
amp by moonlight on a green plaza
light on the beach of the bay, sur
Ounded by banana grove.
The CalSada is a broad road or
boulevard just outside the walls of
he old city aud runs from the Pa