Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1899-12-15

neeuS q tr1snu now as ne never ulu DeIoTe-
And this was the reason why, after the
transport had cleared Honolulu and was
on the last tack for Manila, that John Sloan
found himself detached from his company
and on duty in the officers quarters, where,
much to his surprise, certain captain
often spoke kindly to him and gave him en-
couragement.
Il have watched you enough, Sloan, to
know that you are mortally afraid of what
we are going into. You are bundle of non
senscal nerves; but whatever is going to
happen when we are on shore, remember
this, Sloan, don't run"
Men pray even in these hard days, and
John Sloan prayed that night for strength,
prayed as only n man can who knows that
he is a coward, yet is determined to fight to
the end In the morning, while looking over
his kit, he came across a North Western
railroad folder, which was the only one re-
naming of several he had provided himself
with when starting from home, and some
how it gave him cheer and comfort to read
the old familiar names in the states, and to
know that back there many were thinking
and living for him.
The landing was rough. Their transport
had passed up the harbor by the Olympia,
the Raleigh, the Boston, flags flying, bands
playing, and the great admiral on his bridge
bowing and raising his hat as the troops
cheered, which had come to his aid. Even
Sloan forgot his fidgets, and waved his cap
high in the air, and yelled:
"Hurrah, Dewey!"
Manila was still in the hands of the Span
ish. Aguinaldo was seeking to secure recog
milton from the United States, and at the
same time to capture Manila and loot the
city. Dewey was holding the insurgents
in check and preparing to take the city. The
Tenth Pennsylvania was landed at Cavlte,
and then marched to the trenches at Malate
in front of the Spanish outposts Active
service was commenced at once. The hrst
duty that came to Sloan after the regiment
was in the trenches was that of picket. His
post was on the edge of thicket, scarce a
mile from the Spanish line. The tropical
rains had commenced, and the fever
was already upon some of the men.
He was given particular instructions to
watch out for a surprise, the Spaniards hav-
ing displayed great activity during the day
along the front of their line.
Wrapped in his rough weather coat, hold
ing his gun underneath it to keep it dry,
Sloan paced up and down his post, splashing
in the water, wondering at the brilliancy of
ticipation of trouble. A fash of lightning
showed him figures on the plain, in front of
him, moving toward him.
Only the enemy could come from that di-
rection. Sloan stood still as if welded to the
ground. His hair rose on end. He yelled
and fired in the direction of the advancing
foe.
Strange, is it not, that that shot-fred by
John Sloan, coward-gave to the American
army its notice of the advance Of the
Spaniards at Malate, defeated the enemy,
and made a hero of trembling, frightened,
half-boy, half man!
Sloan, after firing, ran back towards his
own lines and stumbled or fell at the feet
of that captain who had first encouraged
him to do his duty. He jumped up out of
the slush, saturated, and was ordered to take
position with his company. Twice during
the battle did Sloan have the widest desire
to run. But, as it has done many times be-
fore in the worlds history, that name
MARY" held him to his place and duty.
When morning came and 1t was realized
that American pluck and valor had won the
day, itwas Sloan's captain, who. sending for
him, said:
"You knew your duty last night. You
have placed yourself in line for promotion.
The colonel knows of your service as picket"
Then, out of the boys heart rushed all
those years of misery and doubt; all those
unnamed fears that held manhood back and
kept him the child. There came messages
from far-away home. At the end of his
mothers letter there was penciled line:
"The Dodd boys have written home of
your bravery at Malate. We hear you may
be promoted. Keep up, John. Mary Carr. y
That kind of love letter would not sat
isfy all men, but it did satisfy John Sioan
who tucked it away in his blouse and read
it many times in the days to come. He
would sit in the shade of his tent, read the
short lines from Mary Carr over, draw out
his Northwestern railroad folder, and on
the ground work out the Typographical map
of the long range of country from the Golden
Gate to the Juanita region.
Other soldiers same to watch his self-ap
pointed task. Some suggested the outline:
of the Missouri valley, others the location o.
Ames and Clinton, still others the topo
graphical building of that beautiful SWEEP
of Illinois from Clinton to Chicago. The
little time table and folder from which they
drew their general plan was preserved al
though priceless in intrinsic value. Nos
talgia, that dread disease of all armies calico
"Homesickncss ss"-was fought off with this
strip of printed paper and these rough trac
ings on the face of the earth, time and timt
again.
There was not much soldering to be don,
after the July fight until late in Dece.u
ber. Hostilities with the insurgents com
menced shortly afterwards, and by Februar,
real war was again raging on the island o
Luzon. The day and the night of Februar!
will be remembered by Sloan SO long a
he lives.
During the day of February insurgent
kept creeping up on the American outposts
and there was desultory firing. That nigh
Sloan was stationed on picket duty, perhaps
200 yards from Chinese hospital in which
were several hundred Filpinos The op
presisve darkness of an oriental evening haC
already settled down when number of thes
insurgents attacked the American lines o
outposts at the point where Sloan wa
placed. At the first scattering volley tina
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