Evening star., 1899-03-15
BEFORE HosTILrTiEs BEGAN.
Conditions i'm Manila just Prior TO
IuSurgents' Attack.


| A letter has just been received from Robt.
E. Smith of Company G. "a Regiment.
| Oregon Volunteers. now with Gen. Wheat
on's Divisional Brigade, which leads the
/ advance movement on the insurgents at
Manila. The letter was written February
1. three days before the insurgents attack
on the United States troops and tells Of
the dangerous and critical state of affairs
at that date.
In the course of the letter he says: I'VE
are drawing nearer and nearer to actual
warfare. and are guarding this part Of the
| island very closely. Aguinaldo may mean
well, but the man is up tree, and has a
white elephant on his hands in the shape
of a large. welI-armed and equipped but
badly disciplined army. We wish they
would either lay down their arms or do
something to give us an excuse to give them
a good whipping, so We can go home. Think
of the situationi The insurgents fully
armed and equipped, guarding the APP
proaches to a bridge on one side of a stream
like Rock Creek, and we taking care Of the
approaches on the other side.
THE idea of subduing these fools without
the loss of many of our boys is ridiculous.
They have the jungles and trenches To fall
back on, with their longe-range Mausers,
while have to fight in the open with
short-range Springfield rifles. We have no
hpuDlS dS 70 Nut ltldl TfSulls HDNtNtFs anu
only await orders to begin the work OF
driving the army from the city.
The situation is becoming unbearablc,
and puts me in mind of one boy putting a
chip on his shoulder and daring and tan
talizing another boy TO knock il OF. Now
and then the insurgents are ordered to
Yacate their positions in the vicinity of the
bridge, and away they go like a crowd Of
noisy children. only to return in a few
days and make their presence known 10y
the building of huge bonfires. We have
little or no for this particular piece OF
the island, and were il not for the inso-
lence of the insurgents and their continual
popping at us, would pay no attention 10
them. 1t cannot last much longer and
when we do go for the insurgents may the
Lord have mercy on them.
The city is fun of their spies, and. in fact
the Americans have very few friends inside
the city or out of IT. At present We are on
duty about one-fourth of mile from the
Lunetta and one mile from the insurgents
lines. We are guarding all the approaches
to Malate and the new city, us well as the
electric light plant, and policing the walled
city. No one can get in or out of the walled
section without passing through our lines.
Guard duty at night is not only danger
Gus but is terrible task on account OF
mosquitoes. They nearly eat you up while
on duty. and sleep, when off duty, is nearly
impossible. 1t is much worse when on out
post duty. / was on guard a few nights ago
in one Of the arches leading into Malate
when "a native tried TO pass through 1
look and started toward me, but 1 met him
with my gun, butt end foremost, and
well. the doctors say he may get out of the
hospital some time in the sweet 10y and
by.
"Our Springfield rifles are poor weapon
of defense while doing police duty. We
should have revOlvers and big clubs. We
are now using smokeiess powder cartridges.
The first sergeants Of companies Il, q ana
/ of our regiment were mustered in as sec
ond ieutenants In the presence Of the entire
regiment at dress parade. They are all
good soldiers worthy of their promotions,
and have the good wishes of US all.
II do not think a poor young man has
any chance in business here. unless he has
a pull of some kind. Last fall many OF us
thought of staying here and asked for our
discharge on the island. We have changed
our minds and come to the conclusion that
il is no place for white man, and We are
anxious to get bome as soon a. We can
with honor to our government and credit to
ourselves. We are not worrying ourselves
sick to the exact date OF our departure
for home, and Will continue to do our duty,
but 1t Will be happy day when the Voy-
age to cur blessed, happy country begins.