The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-06
INDEPENDENCE.
Topeka Soldier Says FilipinOs
Should Be Free.
But Honor of Our Country Must
Be Protected.
NEVER SURRENDER.
Ellis Davis Says Luzon Fighters
Will Not Give Up.
Thrilling and Terrible Scenes
Along the Firing Line.

E. Day Karr, state university student.
who is the of DR.. w. A. Karr of 400
East Fifth street, has just received an in
teresting letter from Ellis G. Davis, who
is now serving in company A, Twentieth
Kansas. The letter was written from
Caloocan, and is dated March q. 1t says:
You are, doubt, hearing plenty of
war news back there in old Kansas. We
are having it pretty warm here. If you
are anything like myself, you will want
to know something of these people and
their way of fighting.
ION February 4, about 1870 p. m, we
had most all gone to bed, except few
who We're shooting craps or playing cards.
outpost had been attacked. On waking
up my ears We're greeted with h, the sound ind
lines. It was my first experience OF the
l had a sort of anxiousness to be there,
and at the same time sort of quivering
bed into the Kaw river with the temper
allure below zero. 1t soon wore off, how
ever. A few minutes afterWard white
rocket was sent up on our outpost guard
house, slgnifying that 1t had been attack
Company A was given orders to form
an ammunition train and move with al
guard G the the town 5r The i' Second and Third
n edoer f fey eeee Ff Phe oPers
'As we moved towards the lines with
we're. We We're fired upon many times by
sharpshooters who were hidden in build
TALON arrived there just in time, for there
were just ten guards on outpost ISs duty, and md
regiment until reinforcements came. Our
train was put in IA; safe 4s place land and we
earnest. The Mauser and Remington
bges whssd da and nof
hail storms at all-that is, in the sound of
Our regiment. began firing by compa-
MES; and then by ba 4 lions pouring "a
course as it was in the dark. We had no
special object to shoot at. and We did not
ing February 5, when the mangled bodies
of dozens of the 'niggers' could be seen,
and many more were carried away by
most pitiful sights 1 ever witnessed. One
woman about As years old, whom we dis
covered not 200 yards from our line with
an old tree stump and with her hand had
dug hollow large enough for her to es-
her almost dead from loss of blood. She
never uttered a complaint and when we
going to kill her. She was given into the
''On February 5, companies L, F., NJ, c,
and Dmade charge through ! the woods
them, gaining over three miles of ground
Company A was put back on the ammu-
into Manila under the fire of hidden sharp
shooters. The right of the line, composed
brigades, did good work-in fact. ali but
few companies did excellent work.
about a mile farther out, where they built
trenches, staying there until February 9,
that that" we e" we're foFced to make charge ' on
them. We drove them from the woods
and burned all the houses around. That
was the day that, Lieutenant Afford of
company 3 was killed ded , We slept in peace
ION February 10 came the battle of Ca
A n m VIC HTnr n
prepare to advance, each man taking king 200
% beFan nlb n the their n Trenches che
over 400 yards before a shot was fired. We
e t6e P9heff Know WVh we very Coming
sooner had the echoes ceased than from
to come regular stream of fire the bull
lets. lighting all around We were ordered
voley into the thickets, advancing and
pressing upon them SO close that they
trenches. At last our brave color bearer
rushed to the tower of the old church
top. He then began ringing the bell. and
the howl that went up from our boys was
enough to turn the hopes of the enemy to
I'VE did not STOP however. but drove
them on through the town into the coun-
try, and halted only when brave Colonel
Funston eouid see see no e longer ger n we dug
and ate our hard tack and corned beef
and drank our coffee at midnight L never
tasted coffee so good as it that night.
The next morning we left our trenches
before breakfast and moved back to join
the rest of the line, finding that We had
advanced over two miles ahead of the rest.
since February H. waiting for the right of
the line to come up Then we will take
Malabon. which lies just to our left about
half a mile It is a large town, and is
similar to Manila in having high wall
on all sides From there will take Ma
lolos. the capital of the Filipinos, which
is said to have population of about GO, 900
and over 5000 Spanish prisoners. They
say that after this place is taken the bal
ance of the Filipinos will surrender. Only
those who do not know these people will
believe that. They will never surrender
until their whole race is eXterminated.
They are fighting for a good cause and
the Americans should be the last of all
nations to transgress upon such rights.
Their independence is dearer to them than
life as ours was in years gone by and is
today. They should have their independ-
ence and would have had it if those who
make the laws in America had not been
SO slow in deciding the Philippine Ques-
! ton
"Of course, we have to fight now to pro-
| tect the honor of our country, but there
| is not a man who enlisted to fight these
people. and should the United States
! mex these islands. none but the most
hloodthirsty will claim himself a hero.
| This is not lack of patriotism, but my
| honest belief
SHE WATCHES THE HORSES