The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1899-06-01
DIRECT FROM MANILA.
Fred Willard Of Company Z Tells Of His
Army Experiences and Gives the
South Dakota Boys Due
Praise.

A DAILY LEADER reporter had u pleas
ant interview this morning with Private
Fred Willard ot Co. X, First South Da-
kota volunteers, who has just returned
from Manila and is trying to regain
health lost in the Philippines. Mr.. Will
lard's nerves are badly shattered from a
long selge Of malarial fever and rheuma.
tism which he could not shake oil in the
islands. but he began to feel better as
soou rs he left Manila on the transport
Sherman, April ,, with % other return
ing invalid soldiers. They touched at
Nagasaki, Japan. where he had M OPP
%portunity to view the city. Soon after
leaving Japan they h1d u bad case Of
SIN II pox on board. which caused them
Is days quarantine. ana 4 thorough dis.
injecting which caused him the loss Of
all his relics and clothes. lie also lay in
the hospital at the Preside for some
time when be obtained Il sick leave.
ticket and board money to come home
on. MIR. Willard has hardly = n we'll
ia. since he joined the army year age.
but bis usual good health Will return III
due time. The people OF San Francisco
Just showered kindness upon the boys
while they lay there. He does not ex-
poet 10 get his discharge for two or
three months yet.
Asked II he had seen the alleged IN
terview with him III the Sioux Fails
Press, he replied with considerable EN-.
phasis that much OF II WAS untrue aud
all Of it exaggerated and highly colored.
The greater portion OF the interview re-
ferrinH 10 .Adi Lien. the quantit.
Of beef thrown overheard on the out
| ward passage aud the reference to Sec.
rotary .Alxer were manufactured out .!
whole cloth. The boys did cousiderab!.
''kickin4" on the Rigid discipline ut Cam
Merritt and on the rations while cross
ing the Pacific last August and FOR Il
time after they reached Manila. Su,
these things were all improved IN due
time after their sup.,iors became bette,
acquainted with the actual needs OF me,
10 such "A climate and under better CON
ditions. The rigid discipline proved q
! blessing 10 them afterwards and ther.
,s not u man IN the regiment bat whs'
respects and adm,res Col. Frost iol
wha, he has lone for the boys. tn,
South Dakota regiment has the credi
for icing the hardest and bravest regi
ment IN the Philippine army and the.
would follow their colonel from enc
of Luzou To the other against all odds
ton % the South Dakota boys IN activ
service to-day than OF my other regi
n.ent on the island. which has gon'
through the recent campaign. H.
SPEAKS very highly OF the other regimen
tai officers also, especially NaIo
Slower. his bat,alian commander
Erred was on the firing line around Ma
Mia FOR fourteen day 3 and saw many O
the Fll,pinos knocked over, as we'll a
some OF our own men He says the Ds
kota boys show fine nerve on the firm
line and know no fear. The Filipino
are quick, nervy, but t~reacherous littl
fellows intelligent in some respects an
benighted or superstitious in other,
Fred's long experience in the hosp,ts
WAS not very pleasant to him ~ he woul
rather have been on duty all the .im,
The treatment in the hospitals Was nc
the best ut first bu, it improved rapid
as ply sic!ans became better Scqnaints
with conditions and now tho men rece,v
good treatment. There are many goo
nurses and abundance of medical 81,
; pulies but since the fighting began tn
physicians have really more than the
can attend to. The variations IN sleey
ing 10 cold nights and on vet Rroun
with the intense heat during the da
/ makes the eli mate productive Of fever
} malaria. ~dysentary and rheumatism ~
this Increases rapidly as the wet seaso
grows apace. SO long as there ia tigh