The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-15
TRANSPORTS WITH |.
=. FAIR PASSENGERS
!:
Officers Wives Arrive
=. at Manila.
~:
*:S0CIAL GAYETY IN PROSPECT
SOLDIERS GET CHRISTMAS BOXES
l. -: FROM HOME.
Sickness on the Decrease in the Amer
=. lean Barracks-Honors for a
-: = :: San Francisco Ply
SOCIAL GAYETY IN PROSPECT
SOLDIERS GET CHRISTMAS BOXES
l. -: FROM HOME.
BY CORPORAL FRED A. HEALY
MANILA. Dec. g $50
Special Correspondence of The Call.

- =. H..
= MANILA, Dec. s, 1898.
=: The last transport has arrived and
:: the Eighth Army Corps is at home. With
every transport there came mail in
small quantities, and for over a week
the boys were made happy by receiving
. a letter or two each almost every day.
With the Newport about twenty Amer
: lean women-wives Of bridesmaids
. their appearance. They. together with
. those already here, should form a COL
lection of femininity large enough to
. create little social life.
- Every one at home seemed to remem-
Der the season that is rapidly ap-
preaching, and there have been enough
: boxes sent down to create fifty dysen-
:: terry epidemics. I am sure that some
order restricting the boys will soon be
put into force; otherwise they will eat
so heartily that they will be forced to
follow the example of the grizzly and
hibernate, thus becoming an easy prey
Tor the treacherous and bloodthirsty
Filipino.
:: Speaking of those same Filipinos, 1
Think we Will have but little trouble
with them. True, Aguinaldo has a large
following under arms in the country,
=. bit they are gradually dwindling away,
and. hen the critical moment comes,
If: IT. ever does come, the best he will
; be-able to put up will be slight skirm-
is1:: He is too far outclassed in every
'@aN"tO be given any serious cOnSidera-
Jt0n<: There will be trouble here for
=. lIiany years to come, but it will not
..aIn6lnt to the dignity of war. 1 am not
: aA authority on matters diplomatic or
military, but l think that the leaders
, of. r6e insurgents realize the
j.. mess of their position and will come to
terms as soon as they find a way to
Satisfy their rank and file and to reim-
.>hIrSe them in some way for the prom
:. ises that have not been made good. This
rs a large island and, for the most part
nOt only not civilized, but not even
explored. The inhabitants are crafty,
: 1reacherous, cruel and dishonest, pos
d. Sessing, in fact, all the attributes of the
:. Ryigand, save his courage. The lay
J.. Of. the country, the nature and educa-
ton Of the people and the opportunities
afforded by prospecting parties that
Will eventually flock down here and into
: the wilderness, will make plenty of
work for regular troops. But it will all
be police work and nothing more. The
gIQlious era of war has passed and the
volunteer is no longer needed.
=: The fact that the volunteer is no long
.eT needed does not mean that he is to be
sent. home in the near future, if one
may judge by the general appearance
OF things. The boys go on drilling, eat
= ing. and sleeping in the old regulation
way; they become sick and get well, as
> Prescribed by regulation, and the only
difference between garrison life now
and garrison life three months ago is
the greater stability Of the present. No
longer is there any enthusiasm or ex-
@Citenent among those of the veteran
. Regiments. Things are beginning to
si4lk.into the groove prepared for them,
: and. there is about as much life notice.
abFe> in a Manila garrison as would be
%sserf:itl an Angel Island barracks.
:;.<4Spe alring Of Angel Island brings me
~t0'.the new work under way on Core
! gld0y%-the establishment of cOnVal-
escent. hospital, whittier fever and dys-
. eRtery patients will be sent and given
- a.*Ghance. to recuperate on the strong,
!: fnVigorating salt sea breeZeS that come
-~sWtePing in from the China Sea. Two
. Gop]panies---A and B of the Tenth
T. kennSylVania-are now stationed there
and. the work on the buildings has al
ready commenced.
:. \ And who is to be in charge of this
institution? Who is placed anywhere
when good men are needed and Califor-
slll$&llS are around? DR.. Z. K. tombstone
j.: q. young physician from San Francisco,
= at present attached to the regular army
:. corps, is the man selected for the place
: By Major Owen. Dr. tombstone is
rgiven the post-one of the most import
ant of the medical positions down here
: in recognition of the excellent service
. he has rendered since his arrival. This
is the second time the doctor has dis
tinguished himself since entering the
service, his work in the camp hospitals
at home having obtained for him
special mention in the report of the Of
ficer commanding.
While l am on the subject of distinc-
ton earned by Californians down here
/ wish to call attention to Corporal
Frank B. Mosey Of the Eighteenth
Regular Infantry. At the taking of
Manila the Eighteenth was the first
regiment in the advance on the
trenches. Some Of the old soldiers in
the regiment had been "joshing" the
rockies and warning them against "cold
feet" When the critical moment ar
rived Mosley, then a private, sprang
. out ahead of the whole command and,
telling the old fellows to watch a
rookie" sprang forward TO the
trenches which he entered amid a
storm OF bullets thirty yards ahead of
the balance Of the command. That was
how he won his stripes.
Sickness is steadily decreasing
Though the men are in a better state
of health, collectively, than ever be-
fore, yet the consequences of past ILL
ness and suffering are severe enough to
unfit many poor fellow for active
duty for a long time to come Many
OF these fellows have received their dis
charges and will leave for home in the
first transport that departs. How soon
: the balance of the regiment will get
away / am unable to say, though 1t
locks as though it is here for some time.
n TEFh ID-