Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-08-19
FOURTH ON FIRING DN[
Member Of the Fifty.frst Iowa Tells
Of Independence Day in
Philippines.
Impressed by the National Airs
Played by Regimental Bands
Coming Home.
Expected Then to Start Early in
September-News Of the
Regiment.

+
prints the following from member Of
the Fifty-first:
San Fernando, p. l., July 5.-The first
gray streaks of dawn were lighting up
the east on the glorious Fourth in the
Philippines, the tired boys In brown
welcomed the day, for it meant relief
from the strain Of outpost. Bedraggled
forms were moving about on the line
looking off to the east where the insur-
gents lay entrenched. Suddenly the I
clear notes of first call'' came ringing (
across the rice fields from the bugles
back in San Fernando, where the main
body of the army lay, and then from
q hundred brass throated instruments
there burst forth the beautiful patriotic (
strains Of Hail Columbia And then
came floating through the hazy morn /
ing the echoes of mighty cheer as the
boys tumbled from their hunks to an
swer the bugles' summons and realized
the meaning Of the demonstration.
Through the whole galaxy of patriotic
refrains the music coursed (you know
them alb, the cheers rang louder as
Yankee Doodle" and ''Dixie' rang out.
and was succeeded by the silence of at
ltention" as The Star Spangled Ban
ner" loated out in beautiful melody.
You have heard that dear old tune
played many times, dear friends, but to
realize how much it is to you, you must
get away from home and friends, get
away where the old flag is dearer to You
than life. Battle for it, starve for 1t,
and then thrill with the deepest emo-t
| tons of patriotism when You realize
how much it is to you that the star
spangled banner still waves. On the line
we are not supposed to celebrate. Aside
/ from the rendition of patriotic airs from
/ the bands at reveille there was no OUT
ward demonstration. The postofIice and
Rall government departments We're
closed in the afternoon here. In Manila
a monster celebration was held, with
the Accomplishments of fireworks,
booming cannon, sports and all the lit
i tie things that characterize a truly
American celebration. The Freedom
came out with special edition devoted
| to the army, and all in all it was such a
time as one reads about.
/ The boys of the Fifty-first celebrated
4 quietly by making the occasion one of
feastng. Every company had a spread
and the boys are all wearing jolly looks
today as result. After all, one feels
more enthusiasm with q fun stomach.
All has been quiet along our lines
since last Friday night, when the tnsur-
4 gents attacked our line extending from
the railroad north of town to the river
4 east. held by the F'ifty-first Iowa and
the Seventeenth regular infantry. The
L attack was met by a firm resistance on
the part of our boys and the gugus va
/. moosed to their trenches after they
i learned of our preparedness for them.
Il One man in Company G was slightly
s wounded. Our officers are all looking
forward to hard scrap some time soon,
as all indications at present point to
Il active operations on the part of the en-
i envy.
Sept. is now the date set for the de-
parture of the Fifty first for home. The
Montanas left the line here Monday
morning and this leaves our regiment
the only volunteer organization on the
line. 1t will certainly be our turn to go
next, and everybody looks for relief
from active duty about Aug. i. The time
will necessarily pass slowly until we
get aboard ship. but we shall be more
than repaid by the pleasure of once
more setting foot on the old sod. Capt.
lexis, of Company G. is going to stay in
{ the islands until July 1, 1901. He is to
go into provisional regiment being or
1 ganized by Maj Bell, and takes with
: him twenty-eight of the Iowa boys who
2 have not yet seen enough service in the
field.
Lieut.. Cady has returned from the
9 hospital In Manila, where he has been
g confined with a severe illness for the
past two months. Lieuts. Baker of H
G and Finley, of a, are in the division
hospital at this point. Lieut.. Moore. OF
3 L. is still at Corregidor Lieut.. Xiii
t bonn is commanding Company A, while
I First Sergt. Woodruff is at the head OF
d. Capt. Heating of F is on the sick
list and Capt. Pryor of l. has resigned
on account of Ill health. Capt. David
J son has been detailed ON Maj. Gen. Oris
= staff in Manila, and Lieut.. Bennett. OF
H, Is acting as regimental adjutant
Maj. Fairchlld is now increasing his re.
: sponsibilities. Lieuts. Fuller, of 1, ane
> Mentzer, of D, are acting as aides or
? Gen. Hale's staff, while Lieut.. Point, OF
F, is on Maj. Gen. MacArthur's staff as
: acting commissary of subsistence and i.
. placed in charge of the division sale.
commissary. All of which goes to show
that the officers of the Fifty-first are
= holding their own in the Philippines
!, Maj. Hume Is now In command of tn,
: Third battalion. The gallant major ha.
. always felt, even in the balmy days o.
:, the national guard. that he should b,
the ranking major of the regiment. TIL,
rank of the majors in the Fifty first
however, was equal, excepting tina
Maj. Duggan has commanded the FRS
{ battalion and thus held the seniorit!
{ over Maj. Hume VINO was in command
: of the Second battalion. Now Maj
; Hume was seized with an aspiration no
: long since and sent in a request ~ Gen
a Otis to have the resi.-.Siis ranked. Gen
i. Otis with great wisdom reverted the re
q quest to Col. Lopez, stating that as TIL
$ dates of the majors commissions wer
n the same they could draw lots for rank
@ Three straws We're prepared by an un
e interested party and the majors trie,
their luck. Result: Maj. Duggan, FRS
battalion, ranking major; Maj. Moore
Second battalion, and Maj. Hume, Thir
battalion. And this is why everybody
n dirty-necks and all, smiles when tn
IS major Is around. But he can't see tn
: joke.
It The detail of ten men, Ave each fror
e F. and A, that has been detached fror