Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-04-19
ON THE FIRING LINE.
MANILA,
Feb. %, 1899. 4


EDITORS DEMOCRAT: have started
at least two or three times since we ar
rived here in Manila to write you, but.
for some reason or other l have never
succeeded in finishing letter at any OF
these attempts am going to try once
more in the hope of being able to send
you some news, and the only thing that
/ will allow to stop me from finishing
this will be an advance on the enemy,
during which, of course, my letter writ
ing may be ended for good.
The long looked for settlement of the
question Of the insurgent army began
on the night of February 9th, and will
be finished, judging from the present
outlook, soon after theregulars who left
New York some time since, have ar
rived in Manila.
The various incidentais leading up to
the beginning of hostillties between the
Americans and insurgents have already
been given in all of our American
papers, but, after trying for some time
to settle these questions without blood
shed, and after enduring all sorts of in
suits from these natives, the Americans
turned loose and accomplished more in
one day than Spain had been able to do
in a number OF years.
In order to more fully understand
the situation it must be remembered
that the Americans held only the town
of Manila, with few smaller towns sit
uated within a radius of two or three
miles, and insurgent army was stretched
from one corner of the bay to the other,
enclosing the Americans in the city.
Our regiment being stationed in East
Manila did outpost duty, and our SEN
tries walked their beats within talking
distance of Aguinaldos sentries.
When we first came to Manila it was
thought that we would never see any
fighting, but time has shown us that
we were very badly mistaken, and what
is still worse, we are out on the firing
line with bullets flying over us from all
directions. Even as write this bullets
may be heard whizzing overhead. but as
we have some very good trenches we
are not in any immediate danger from
their "sharp-shooters' who. by the way,
cannot hit anything they aim at, but
are liable to hit you while shooting at
somebody else.
Prior to the night of Feb. 9th our
regiment, doing outpost duty, had been
called out from some scare or other, and
this being called out at all hours of the
night and being made to spend the re-
mainder of the night in the field with
out anything to protect us from the
rain had almost made the boys ready
for almost anything, and can say that
it was almost with pleasure that we
heard the first shot that told us war had
commenced. Little did we think that
we would have such fight or that the
insurgent chief would ever put up the
''scrap" that he has shown himself cap
able of putting up.
On the night Of Feb. 4th the Washing.
ton regiment, with the Idaho and part
of the First California were placed
around block house eleven. My COM
pany was situated upon the extreme
right and supported the battery from
the Sixth artillery, while the rest of our
regiment was placed in skirmish order
to our left. On our right were the 4th
cavalry and 18th infantry, these being
regulars.
The fight was commenced, however,
by the Nebraskans, who were on the
, other side of the river and further over
on our left, and commenced at half-past
eight in the evening. From our,positlon
in the line we could hear the shooting,
and were hoping that they would open
on US. About three o'clock In the morn.