The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-06-30
FROM THE
PHILIPPINES
Story Of a Young MOrriStOnian
Now in the Islands.

Alfred A. DeGroot, a Local Hero
Who Enlisted at the Age of Is
Extracts From the Half Dozen
Letters Written by the Young
SoIdler-Terrors Of Outpost DUTY
In all this broad land it is doubtful if
there is town where patriotism or
loyalty TO country and government are
more in evidence than in Morristown. Not
only was this SO during the civil war and
the years Of peace that followed but the
past year saw re- -kindling of the flames
and patriotic young men eagerly availed
themselves of the first opportunity to
enlist in the service of their country.
| Morristown sent men to the front in the
war with Spain just as she did in the
civil conflict many years ago. This place
was represented in every branch of the
service and by young men of nerve and
courage. While majority of the young
soldiers have returned home there are a
few Morristown boys who still shoulder
the rifle for Uncle Sam. One of the
latter is Alfred A. DeGroot member
of Company A, Eighteenth U. s. Infan-
try. who is now in the Philippines. And
that Private DeGroot is deserving Of the
praise due the true hero that he is. all
who know him are ready to concede. If
he were to retlrn home now the recep-
ton he would receive would eclipse that
given to Hobson on his visit to Morris
town At least, that is what the young
| veterans say. 1t is not probable that
young DeGroot would care for an ova-
ton of this kind however for like every
true hero he is extremely modest. He has
limited that he did not care to have his
letters, or any part of these published
but the CHRONICLE has succeeded in OBJ
tanning some extracts from these epistles
through the courtesy of Mr.. DeGroots
family, who live on Bellevue Terrace.
When young DeGroot enlisted on May
10, 1898, he YVES only 18 years of age, but
he was positive in his decision to join the
army. After becoming soldier he re-
mained for some time at Fort McPher-
son, Ga, and at this post was among
those who volunteered to go to the Philip
pines. On September %, 1898, he was a
member of the detachment that left for
Manila on the transport "Ohio." Six
letters have been received by members
of Private DeGroot's family since he left
San Francisco. In one of these he tells
of the bombardment by war vessels
which he witnessed at Ililio. His COM
pany (A) captured Jaro with the loss
of but one soldier killed and one wound
ed On this occasion Company @, acted
as support.
The young Morristonian's description
of outl ost duty is most interesting
and frequently borders on the humorous
for he writes always in happy vein and
apparently forgettul of the fact that he
is $4,000 miles from home. A part of
one of these descriptions reads, "Imagine
yourself on duty in dense swamp at
night with the rain falling by buckets
full, 1000 natives not more than a thou
sand yards distant armed with guns and
as many more savages armed with knives,
at the same time pack of half-starved
dogs bowling in the rear. All this time
you are using both hands to brush the
mosquitoes away from your face. Sud
denly big cocoanut drops from tree
to steady your nerves, or may be pig
will run by your post Then a sentry
will shoot his rifle at something real or
imaginary and thus attract the fire OF
the enemy but you must stay at your
post during the shower of bullets that
follows. The nearest man is 100 yards
away and only the other night savage
crawled to point only ten feet dis
tant from the sentry but the soldier
"blazcd away" and the Filipino's head
was blown Off"
Private DeGroot says that the men
suffer from lack of proper rest. Every
soldier serves "a hours on outpost duty
aud then is relieved for "a hours and
thus it goes from day to day. The sol
diers sleep in wet clothing great deal
of the time and when not on guard they
are kept busy catching pigs or bringing
wood for the kitchen.
Private DeGroot tells of one dark
night when rain was falling and he was
to relieve a sentry. After searching for
the post more than a half hour he ac-
cidently ran into the soldier whom he
was to relieve. Soldiers on such nights
had been known to lie down behind
some bambo brush until morning after
having looked in vain for the post they
were to guard.
In one of his letters the young Morris
tonian recites the story of fight at Ililic
on March 16, and in which his company
was engaged. The insurgents tried tc
drive in the American outposts and al
the same time attempted to close in OF
the American right of line. Two battal
ions of DeGroot's regiment were engag
ed for hours. The insurgents were
strongly intrenched while the Ameri
cans found such protection as nature
provided. The natives were driven bach
but owing to the small American force
the latter could not follow up this advan-
tage In this engagement the American
loss was killed and IA wounded while
the insurgents dead numbered 200 and
their wounded 400.
The writer of the letters says he is not
sorry the revolution started and that he
had ten times rather see the active ex-
perience he was having than be subject
to barack life at Cavite. He says there
are times when he longs for homo but
he has never regretted the time when he
became one of Uncle Sans soldiers. He
ia nf theaoninion as are all the men, that