The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-13
CAPTAIN BLACK WRITES
GIVING SOME INTERESTING FACTS
ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES.
He Says Indiana Il. Well Represented
in the Army of the Far East
Condition of the Islands.

here as United States recruiting officer, out
at present commanding the third battalion
Of the Twenty-fourth Infantry at san fer-
nando, Luzon, in the Philippines, in letter
TO the Journal tells OF things as he sees tnem
there. After sending his best wishes 10
Admiral Brown and all his other friends IN
this city, he says:
ION account of having such a wide &C
quaintance there and in the state, anu the
fact of having enlisted three thousand men,
| rather feel that came here 10 Iooh ouI
for Indiana exclusively, but this, o. course.
is only good fellowship, as / am pledged 10
the whole country
The letter, which is dated Oct. y, contin-
ues as follows:
II have now been in the Philippines two
months My first experience was 10 com
mand the Sandolan pumping station, which
furnishes the water supply for Manila. WIN
a force OF five hundred infantry ana Two
insurgents back and also superintend the
works. employing about two hundred work
men, principally natives. Most OF the new
after arrival at something or this klnd,
after which they are moved farther to the
front. THESE waterworks have always peen
great bone Of contention. AgulnaIdo mas
been in possession of them twice, but in
each case he has RETAINED from destroying
them; being SO confident in taking and hold
ing Manila. With the American occupation
he was driven back so rapidly that he had
no time for any demolitions, although
small amount OF explosives would have
worked great destruction to pubic property.
After month of this kind OF duty, my
regiment was transferred here to San Fer
nando, and the outlying town of Mexico. |
was first assigned to command Mexico, and
directed to hold the instructors back as far
as possible with the means at hand, and 10
pacify the amigos We are in the territory
taken by l-awton several months ago, and
which filled up with insurgents as soon IS
he vacated. In many places, especially
smaller towns, the enemy, have more troops
than they had then, and are better forti-
fed, so that II will be very difficult task
to drive them out, as they will hold on,
thinking II our Intention to vacate again.
AMIGOS COME IN.
"As soon as a town is occupied by our
troops, the amigos come in in large num-
bers and ask protection from the insurgents
and ladrones. Many of these have rela-
tives and friends in Aguinaldos army. so
that their requests have to be treated with
caution, and they have to be carefully
watched. Every town will offer certain
amount OF resistance and then evacuate the
place. Well-furnished dwelling houses are
often left, a few servants staying in them,
who are left behind and claim their masters
are amigos who are out on their farms, and
VIII return soon. In this manner our troops
oIten occupy very desirable houses, as we
are confident the owners are in the enemy's
army, perhaps in the immediate locality.
Ihere is an extensive work here for our
army In both lighting and reconstruction,
and the latter will require the garrisoning
OF many places long after Aguinaldo is
driven away or captured.
indiana is better represented here than
many of the larger States, now that the
State volunteers have all been ordered
home. Every regiment Of regulars has a
good representation from Indiana One bat
terry of artillery (O'Hara's) had twenty-five
from the State and several noncommis
oflcers. Besides the enlisted men, a large
n lIr11h her n nff n
next to Otis, down to recently appointed
lieutenants, are from that State. One of
the largest Nipa barracks in the vicinity
OF Manila is called Camp Stotsenburg. In
time to come these unimportant buildings
VIII be changed to permanent ones and the
memory OF an excellent man preserved. 1t
is true the State has no State volunteers
returning home in body as volunteers,
covered with laurels and classed as veter-
ans, but she is doing her quiet duty just he
same and. will eventually have more vet
Grams than many other States. L started
some time since TO get some data of the
number OF men from the State now here,
time, being away from sources OF .nforma-
tlon Perhaps IL may be possible to do so
at some future time. The State Legislature
some history or record Of her regulars, as
well as volunteers, in the Philippines as
well as in Cuba and Porto Rico.
THE CONDITIONS.
AS to the political and strategical condi-
tons in the operations of this war, OF course.
l cannot criticise. Most officers coming
over brighten up their knowledge of Span
ish during the long voyage, and upon arrival
look carefully into the military history and
geography of the islands, particularly of
Luzon the seat of the instruction. Not
counting the uninhabtable lagoons and
marshes and mountains, the island is not as
large as Indiana, still its population (only
conJecturaD is given - about 100000 This
- not dispersed in cities and towns and vii
lageS and quarter-Section farm folk as with
Us. Everything here clusters together. and
lhe perennial tropical growth of a very
smai area Will sustain a large population,
ana THIS without much commercial inter-
course beyond the vicinity where they live.
Inere are twenty-three different lang iages
spoken on the island, five or six of which
are written. Many of the mountain tribes
9on know OF the present war, in fact are
having troubles of their own, being en-
foothills. The element led by AguinaIdo
however represents a large portion of the
island: and Is the result of a growth of dis
trust In spanish rule, extending over years
ana years: The leading people of the island
stand to-day TO the United States more
bitter In sentiment than they ever expressed
towards spain, and this with knowledge
or our resources
To me there is every indication that long
dlter tne present insurrection there will be
uesultory warfare by the army OF occupa-
Slon before we have a footing in the far
East L mean before we have q COLONY es-
taolshed with our form OF government. 1t
is NOT an Undertaking of vast magnitude
whose visit here was much appreciated nv
me army VIII not live to see the results of
MS interest in these islands The so-called
pontieai idea OF expansion will be slow in