The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-06-20
LETTER FROM MANILA

The writer OF the following letter is a
son of Mrs. Helen Johnston, who was !
raised at Northwood, and is sister of |
Mrs. A. G. Mcclure, of Richland town.
ship. The letter was published in the
Des Moines, Iowa, News, the young
mans parents living in that city:
Two letters were received from Joe
A. Hervey, of the First Montana regi-
ment. during this week. The first was
dated March "a, and written from
Caloocan. The other written from
camp, near Malalos, April 5. The first
reads:
Dear Father and Mother: Your last
was received the other day, while lying
on our picket line on the right of Cal
coocan. This country is awfully rough
but is much healthier than in Manila.
1t is awfully hot. We have no shade
but the dog tents and in this tropical
climate they are not very cool. All
along the line we have built shelter
| thing we can get hold.of. They look a
good deal like the play houses we used
| to build when we were kids in Ohio,
and when the wind is strong they blow
down on us just as those juvenile
retreats used to do and leak just as bad,
but we can retire into them, take off
all our clothes except our underwear,
and keep from being sunstruck. The
heat and flies are terrible. The mos
quitOes are about the worst ever seen.
Since coming out of the hospital my
health is better than since leaving
'Frisco." I think the volunteers will
be sent home within two months, but if
the war is not ended and my health is
good 1 may re-enlist for six, months
more. do not like soldier-life, but do
not care to go off and leave war half
finished. Any way field service is much
preferable to barrack duty, although
there are lots of hardships connected
with it, and it would be hard to say just
where the pleasure comes in. We join
the flying column if rumors are true
and before daylight tomorrow there will
be plenty of fighting.
Ping! just went bullet about ten
feet over my head.
Excuse this paper as we cannot carry
paper long in our knapsacks until it
is soiled. Eugene's Youth Companions
and the Midland Monthlies you sent are
scattered all along the battle field of
in the sun in an hour, but I would
|
| We will surely appreciate the United
States and beds and good meals when
we get back, but think it does man
good to go through a battle. know
that I will never be afraid of many
, things that might have made me fear
, full if had never faced Mauser. You
. would be proud of my regiment and
company if you could have seen them
) go over the bank and advance the first
I night or charge over the field at Cal
, ocean. A nurse told me she had never
heard groan from one of the boys who
was conscious. 1 always was afraid
, that men were not as brave now as at
: the time of the civil war, but from what
have seen proves that they only
needed the experience and an enemy as
determined as in the rebellion, there is
r the same spirit. We have nearly all
lost our bayonets or thrown them away.
i, Our fighting is done Indian fashion
, and a man wants to lie down at every
1 command 'halt'' so he cannot slip down
t very gracefully with bayonet that
8 persists in sticking in the ground every
o time he wants to get under cover.
I had a good bath this morning, got
> clean underclothes on, so feel better.
: have not been shaved since this trouble
t began and my whiskers are "a of ar
d inch long. If | get chance l will
= have photo taken just as look while
- engaged in the war business. A soldier
on the firing line does not look pretty
a April 5, near Malolos-Well here we
: are again, and yet alive and well.
r. am much stronger and healthier than
was two months ago today when tht
ring of a Mauser above my head would
p make me duck. Well, our compan!
% has had a hard time of it. We have
e had eighteen men hit, four of then
>. killed and six in the hospital, badly hit
- by sci SOL" I never was in such hea
{, as yesterday. For three hours we la.
vs. in the middle of bare field on the
+. baked ground with the thermometer a
), least 13O degrees. We were under
~ heavy fire all the time. I was withou
e water most of the time. One little can
8. teen to drink from, wet the back of m,
It head and pour into the barrel of m.
a gun, was not enough, so 1 had to d,
without drinking much. Yes, Co. {
4, hoisted the first flag in the rebel cap
D. ital, MalOlos. I am in excellent healtl
n now, don't feel bad about anything, ant
70 don't wish for anything very bad, ant
~ when I do get anything like a goo(
drink of water 1 enjoy it greatly. L an
t. covered with mosquito bites and tori
IS with jungle thorns, and am sun burnt
,s but happy.
- Love to all. hope to be home with
- in six months. JOE A. HERVEY.