The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-21

ten minutes as a whole army corps dur
ing the early part OF the civ war. As
soon as daylight came our boys opened Up
on them, They occupied the Cd line Of
Spanish block houses, which we captured
last August and turned over 20 them. I
suppose the story Of the fight Is familiar
to you. so viii not repeat II. Suffice il
TO say that our boys were successful all
around the city. The American volunteer
has again shown that he is wiling and
able 70 fight anything that walks. The
regular is the man that won ali the honor
before Santiago. but here at Manila, both
in the Spanish-American and Filipino
wars the volunteer has borne the brunt
Of the battle.
I am proud OF my comrade from old
Kansas. Two OF the boys in company p
are from my old home. MoCune: one Of
whom. Fairchild was killed az Caloocan
a few DAYS ago. They have had more
hard fighting than any other regiment on
the island, and their losses have been cor
resP0ndiEgly greater. The FflipinoS
strongest position was at Malabon. near
which the Kansas boys were quartered
Our western troops are pretty much the
same; they all fight az the drop OF the
hat. The regulars here have also done
good work but the latest arrivals were
largely composed of recruits. and this
tropical climate is too much for them. To
illustrate: A few days ago a battalion OF
our regiment and a couple Of bsttaions or
regulars from the Fourth and Twenty
third made an attack on Mariquiua The
enemy were strongly intrenched, and in
order 10 get at them we had 10 advance
over a thousand yards or so OF open
ground. The country ar around here Is
terraced for rice fields. and Il is very
laborious work travelling seross II IN
double time. In the charge our bows -an
away from them. and one OF the Fourth
boys was overheard 70 say that IL was TO
use trying 20 keep up with those Colorado
fellows.
Our regiment Is now holding the pump
ing station of the waterworks al Sanio-
Ian, which is seven miles from Manila.
Although We have had several sharp en-
gagements around here. II has been quiet
for the past two weeks. all the firing being
confined to picket firing and sharpshoot-
ing.
OF course We volunteers who have been
here since last July want to he returned
to the United States. but think General
Otis will keep US here as long as he has
need for US. We will oil have 10 hunt
new obs or else pass the balance Of our.
lives in some soldiers home.
l think ii Is a waste of time 70 tee you
anything about the customs. habits and
general appearance Of the Fflipinos. be-
cause the magazines and weeklies in the
states are full Of such stun The great
majority OF them are illiterate as are
most of the natives in the Spanish col
oni>s Fifty miles from Manila there are
tribes of savages who never recognized
the power of Spain. Of course. in Manila
there are many Fihpinos and Mestizos
(half Spanish and Filipino who are WEB
educated. The Chinese population IN Ma
Mia IS large. there being over 40 COO OF
them They are practically all males I
have seen but two or three Chinese worn
en- here. But the men marry Filipino
women, and they an appear to be happy
The Chinese are the commercial race OF
the Orient and here IN Manila their only
millionaire IS a 'NChino." They are mostly
Cantonese. and have their own section OF
the city as Is the case in Frisco. Although
they are dirty in Frisco. here they are
simply vile. The odoTs IN some az our
American cities are not sweet BY any
means. You can imagine what they would
be in a tropical country whore there are
no sewers. Manila IS intersected by
traffic is carried. These. also. serve as
sewers. and when the tide IS IN they smeE
worse than the Chicago river.
The native boat here is the casco. These
are dug out" OF mahogany log Of from
fifteen 10 fifty feet in length and are a.
sldttish to the uniniuated as a bicycle
Instead Of using double paddle ike we
Americans 10 in propening our canoes.
they WELD a single. wfde-bladed paddle
and sit IN the stern Of the boat They
handle these boats With marvellous der-
terity and speed. soon after coming into
the city three Of rs boys bought one ~
these canoes and soon learned 70 30 quite
proficient boatmen. We went Al over the
town. through these canals and the Pssig
river. and had lots n sport
There has been no such rnlzmararernent
n affairs here like there was i1 Cuha
% the army have been good. and have
heard but few complaints They issue n.
same bacon and beans they d. I'm the
United States. but we trade part Of IL for
fruit and vegetables. which are more SUIT
abe "a tho climate
NJ own health has been excellent eli
along. although cut Of tweHfy-seven rnea
in our band we have lost four by Seata-
two n them hy smarpox. but the death
rate of The whole corps haz not been high
n get home fl Eoad hesth 7 char con
slider myself eTtremcv fortunate. have
seen al the fighting care n. ara ? ho1e
our government wif settle this e.~raffy
with the insurgents ans send us home
let mo hear from y7u again. ny re-
CARDS 70 Aunt Hiae and cousin Fns-
TeE him 70 write - me Yours T.r~e-aIv
FRED r. MGrrRE.
First Re9't Fand Ccl1rs1o r. g vafg--
teer Infantry