The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-07-19
A LETTER FROM
The FRONT.
TERRIBLE DEPRIvATIoNs PATIENT
LY ENDURED.
Letter from Corporal Frank B. Johnston
of the Twenty-second Infantry to His
Sister In Huntington.-Many Things of
Interest.
Inpot. P.I. Anril u. 1893.

on the islands.
Came here on the %, and now oc-
cupy thA town--took it like all other
places, offered little resistance: rum
ors of well fortified city ahead ord
ders not to leave camp. Received
your letter of February q on April 2S,
it was read with interest hard to de-
scribe. | was on outpost and few
sharp shooters had seen US and were
banging away at us where we lay,
just inside the thick brush, once in
while bullet would come little too
close then we would send a volley in
the direction of the report. was in
terrupted thus several times but read
my letter just the same. The COM
pany were scattered in the rear of the
outposts prepared for an attack. / am
writing on my haversack in the shade
Of part of a native shack, its terrible
hot We are in the foothills of the
mountains. Rains hard every night.
The train Of rations, carts and amuni-
tion got two days behind some of the
carless men went hungry, but none of
the old hands were short as they car
ried the rations issued them.
| have no idea when ] shall be able
to send this, as there is no mail going
back. This paper was, as usual, hid
den church property, The church, a
fine one, was burned. No matter how
poor the natives, every town has fine
stone church.
Heavy firing yesterday and lot Of
prisoners brought in.
Balinag, May Pin the town doing
guard. Burtos, across the river and
this place offered but little resistance,
but it took the hard skirmish line
marching in the terrible sun, just as
it would have done had we had big
fight After firing stopped we went
into Burtos and were quartered in a
large church. Nothing in either of
these cities burned-houses empty,
everything carried away or hidden.
We slept on the tile floor of the
church pretty hard but dry, onelnieht
then waded the river and went into
the little native shacks, where we are
now. / have three boys from my
squad in my shack, have plenty of
room. The church | mentioned is old
but grand, l was through it Sunday
morning; the auditorium of the Cleve-
land Cathedral is miniature compar-
ed with it, fine pipe organ in the gal
lery. The church and adjoining prop
erty must have cost an immense sum.
! went to the top of the tower and had
a fine view of the country for miles,
we could see the natives, in their white
clothes, coming in by the thousands.
They are allowed to come and go as
they please.
We are out ofrations, and orders are
"no foraging" but you know how hun
CRY soldiers will get with plenty of
chicken, pigs, tons Of rice, sugar and
sweet potatoes and other things with
in easy reach. After taking Balaway
orders we're "secure arms of natives
and allow them to come and go as they
wish" When they saw we would not
harm them they came cautiously at
first, then sent few in, who took of
their hats to us and gave us fine ban
anas and mangos. They came by the
hundreds and went into their little
shacks. One old woman cooked seven
men on my post fine meal of chicken,
rice and sweet potatos. To make q
long story short they would do any
thing for us. They are an innocent,
delqGed, priest-ridden class, who de-
serve far better treatment than they
have had in the past. Its simply won
derful the loads a woman or little
boy can carry. l helped little fellow
put his load on his head and it was
about all / wanted to lift. He was Just
a little fellow, Carl would make two OF
him, 5ut he made off with it and as
long as could see him still had it on
his head At first we advanced rap
idly, but have made frequent stops,
and taken things coolly or we would
have all been used up, with heat and
sickness. Many Of the boys were sent
back to the hospitals. Diarrhea is
quite general. l have not yet been on
the sick report. Your newspaper
clippings" were read and re-read by
more than your brother. So many do
not get letters. People in civil life
little know the good mail from home
does the soldier in hard wearing
campaign. Many Of the boys ask me
If got letter from my sister. ]
know at once what they are after
The clippings.-rhe heads of our army
know what the value Of mail to the
boys is. 1t comes, cost what it will.
Mail will come when rations will not.
Your idea of sending clippings instea'
of newspapers is the best for they
reach fellow wherever he is. Thir j.
written with Filipino lead pencil
made of stove polish, it blurs and is
not plain.
Candaba, June 3.-We are holding
this place. Poor boys, they had hope
to go back to quarters in Manila, in
stead Of this place, it is miles from a
railroad and no one safe two miles
from town unless with an armed es.