The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-27
FIGHTING IN THE PHILIPPINES.


Interesting Letter From an InteIIi-
gent Observer at the Front.
Sergt. King, Of the Kansas regiment In
the Philippines, has sent the following
letter to the Minneapolis Messenger
War at best is hell, After the thin veil
of glamour, frenzy and. glory is drawn
aside there is nothing left save the bleach
ing skeletons and the desolate homes. In
battle there is the screech of shells and
the dun report of their explosion, the thun-
der of field pieces. sending pounds OF solid
steel toward the enemy; there is the rattle
of small arms, like the roll of distant
drums the binding smoke, the singing of
mausers and the hum of Remingtons there
Is the chatter of affrighted monkeys, the
seedlings of parrots, the bowls of Sinking
ours. and then in the wake of the victors
arises the smoke and flame of burning
huts. Add to this pandemonium. the hoarse
yells of the combatants, the cries of home
less women and children, the groans of the
wounded, the set faces of the dead, and one
may have a faint conception of small
engagement in tropic land.
During the first engagement while the
company was firing at win into the woods
ahead, a forlorn water buffalo, the ma
tional beast OF burden, meandered into the
rice field directly In front of the line. The
writer Immediately directed his fire to-
wards the buffalo with no apparent result
Afterward, during a full in the firing, we
shamefully confessed to having wasted our
strength in this ignoble manner, and were
surprised to learn that every man had done
likewise. AT all events the beast made
good its escape for 1t patiently plodded
ahead until the timber swallowed II up.
During the charge at Caloocan, a fren-
zbed pig of dmiuutive size dashed from be-
meath a bamboo hut and apparently, judg-
ing that all the eommotion was for his
benefit, thought best TO retire. AS the pig
dashed past the writer, we gently assisted
with a shove from the butt of our gun and
thought no more of It, for some time. Aft
erward, upon glancing to the rear, we saw
four or five soldiers In hot pusuit of the
same poor little swine 1t is laughable.
even in times OF peace, to watch another
man chase a hog, but when men forsake
their places, forget the roar of conflict, the
hum of bullets, the shouts of the victors
and the walls Of the wounded, to grappie
with an eight-pound shoat, the scene be-
comes udicrous In the extreme We took
the trouble to learn that the pig got away.
"At night the natives take great delight
In holding love feasts, and the sound of
revelry Is very distinct. The Filiplnos are
natural born musicians and their band en-
tertains us with such tunes as: After the
BAIL Hot time Stand Up for Jesus, The
star spangled Banner and Throw Out the
Life Line II Is a mystery where and when
they learned these American melodies but
the fact remains that they do know them
and render the same with remarkable ac-
curacy The Filipino has great contempt
for the Chinaman as fighter, hence
fayorite yell of the insurgents is: Amer-
cano Chino agualr american and China
man eaual) This sally always brings forth
the heartiest applause from listening
rebels. We were much amused last night
bv one. Ready Aim! FireH cried he. and
laughed loudly at his own wit A few
nights since one of our buglers played
TAPS. and Immediately some native com
menced the 'Reveille, intimatlng that no
sooner would we be in bed than we must,
of necessity, arise.
"a most distressing accident befen
boatload OF Ignorrotes not long since. IL
was in this wise: The monitor Monadnock
lies lust off Malabon and at night lights
nm the whole country with its search
light. The wild men did not exactly adj
miro this method of competing with the
sun. so bethought themselves Of plan
10 capture the floating fort. Accordingly
a large rowboat was procured aud speed
ilv filled with an aggregation OF these
patriots Having approached within a
hundred yards, the barbsrinns discharged
a volley Of steel tipped arrows and watch
ed patiently In the hope OF seeing the ship
sink. The Monadnock discharged a three
inch gun in return. So far. three arms
two wisdom teeth, parts OF four legs and
a piece Of wood have been recovered 1t
Is feared that some Of the natives were
killed. A coroners jury would doubtless
decide that the defunt came 10 death
through the errors Of youth
AT Caloocan the rebels had mounted
two monstrous muzze loading guns cap
tured IN former time from the Spanish.
They attempted to fire one of these. with
dlreful results The Americans collected
the remains Of twenty rebels killed by the
explosion Of the gun. The insurgents had
not the courage 10 fire the remaining
cannon. which was loaded and primed
when Caloocan was captured. The ma
lives had loaded the gun with a complete
curiosity snop. The cannon was filed with
scissors. knives. coal, pieces OF brick, nails,
bolts, q thermome ter. horse shoe. car
link, a piece OF rubber hose, and to crown
all. a large quantity OF hoop iron had
been driven into the muzzlc 50 lightly
that Il wns necessary 20 file u before the
charge could be drawn. a double dose OF
powder was found. and also a quantity Of
dynamite No wonder the other cannon
exploded.
BE 1t remembered ,hat " IL the color