The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-30
THE TRUTH FROM MANILA.
-nry. KING NAILS HOST OF
IytVRENT FALSEHOODG

-. IA. rcmembere that our little COM
'n" uo,ir, Inst winter was very busily
,,,i,d that every offlcer and man hau MS
oc'"'', s,,,,,n and duties and little or no
''.,,,r,,, ~ seeing anything or anybody not
,,,Iately connected herewith we were
','Ir,u,,I with problem. and the lnsurRent
rii,,,iro q, the TnRal tribe was its most lmpor-
,,u, factor H. kept us on the "" t"e uay
'""' i,h, sven before the inexcusable attack
In frrr began saturday evening" the sun OF
~ ,,ry Nv opportunities we're somewhat
.aJ Instead OF being sent to the Philip
",s a.. had hoped. with one OF the earliest
.,i,,,ns I was "sdetracked." so to speak.
tt,,,,Iun and assigned to the command OF
MILITARY district OF Hawaii. so that not
',I Tnce,nher did get brigade In the de-
,o,,,s NJ Manila and by that time any man
IN hoi an eye could see that AguInaldos
n ay meant business
r,,,hyorks Entertainments and redoubts
u,,,. being thrown UP over against us and
trptp guns trained on the blockhouses occu-
~ ~, INV brigade The situation demanded
49, utmost vigilance. even IL our orders from
,s bn,d1uarters had not frequently en-
;,,,rd II never once attended theatre or
o,e,o nj Manila and only once. until Just be-
,., NV departure last May. saw the streets OF
tl,t city after dark and that was the night OF
. great fire IN the OnuD ulSlllct. ne aSlk
ni,nr was the dividing line between the ter
,.ores held by the First and Second divisions
,nerec,iyely. and though there came scores Of
a., friend, and comrades to MacArthur's front
., wel as 10 ours. there was. except within our
own lines no way 10 see them
=. was a compact little command. though,
,,,, mot the first onset OF the Fiipinos in Feb
rrnr, Inst. Except the Tenth Pennsylvania
.rl thc First Tennessee. the Fourteenth In
t.ntry and artillery and squadron OF the
Fourth Cavalry Of the regular army, the
Tirhth Corps was made ur OF regiments OF
volunteers from the far Western States. OF men
,rured TO hardship. sChooled from boyhood In
c,mr and field life and most OF them accli
mated hy six months sojourn about Manila
AZ months " drill and discipline that
r,a'e them the peers OF any troops the
world ever saw-hardy vigorous and enthusi-
a,.ir The monotony OF the life had made
most II them rather eager to go home as the
autumn wore on The Spanish war was ended
a.l active service seemed improbable. but by
thc 1st Of December the little brown men,"
with whom they had been on such Jolly terms.
began course Of aggravation. provocation
and oren insult that eliminated in the general
stt,,,k along the whole line before the dawn of
the 9Th Of February. Then you couldn't have
bought soldier 10 cave
only once. and that only Just before my de-
uarirrr in May. as say. was l able to look
over the country through which Macarthur
fought his way to the capture Of the insurgent
capital at Malo,os and the pursuit Of Aguinal-
d. and Luna to the walls OF San Fernando.
Without pontoon train he crossed one broad
river after another Without adequate artil-
lrry he drove the enemy from line after line OF
the most elaborate field works ever seen.
while the parallel column OF Lawton. TWEEN
" miles further to the east, foiced a
way through thrkets Of bamboo and
dense jungles swarming with dusky rifle
men, Ny front" after our pitched battle with
Ricarti's brigade at Santa Ana, and the pursuit
up the river. that of the line OF the Pasig east
and southeast Of Manila and away up to the
beautiful Laguna de Bay over open rolling
country through dozens OF populous towns
snd villages and interminable rice fields. and
It is all this country and that In front Of Oven
shines brigade from Pasay to Paranaque with
which was familiar. can see it all now. and
so many and many time night and day did I
ride the trails and fields from San Pedro Macati
to Pasig ferry and the further heights overlook
ing fateros and Taguig that it seems as
though could follow them bndfold.
That is. could if they looked as they did
from February TO May. but they don't The
day the advance guard OF my brigade bounced
ol the big town Of Pasg and the head men Of
that island metropolis and its smaller neigh
bors came out and rendered their formal writ
ten surrender, the fields and roads were sun
baked and dry as brick. The enemy. demon
allied by the astonishing overthrow OF all
their hopes and plans their grievous losses at
Santa Ana and the fierce pursuit OF the Idahos
and Cafornians Of our brigade. had fed far up
the l.aguna, and not one could be found within
range Of our Springflelds. Now all the
trenches rice fields and roads are liquid mud
The rains descend each day In torrents. and
our dripping battle lines are covered by strong
outpoSts. with far outlying pickcts peering
Through the mist and downpour at the fitting
forms 81 their active foemen.
The light blue check uniforms OF the insur-
gents seem to have been abandoned. The ia
NOUS red pants" Of Aguinaldos crack regi-
II slts that were so much in evidence early in
IN" war are seldom seen or heard Of. Either
III their native brown or manufactured white
III" dusky Itttl" warriors hover along the front.
picking of picket whenever they can and Civ
ihG prompt notice OF anything that looks like a
move on our part. But they know we'll
enough that no move OF consequence
can be made, that the roads are i'm
Pa>sahIe and the fields are ponds. Sad
eNp"r"nc" and severe losses In killed
an" wounded have taught them the folly OF
attacking the big Americans. even though the
f'ne pits and trenches OF the latter are filled
n"nk high with dirty water. the cook fires and
'he rude bamboo hunks the soldiers make are
perehed on platforms improvised from car
tr'se and cracker boxes. and officers and men
nave to wade about knee deep when on guard
OF sentry duty. Drills. Of course. are sus-
pended and the American troops. regular and
volunteer are having spell OF enforced and
most uhcomiorting rest and dleness
IN" few VINO break down are those IN whose
N"ems rheumatism was latent. for. as a rule.
III" Phys'que OF soldier sent to the Philippines
Is me as SILK. The death rate has been small
ana me percentage Of sick is low as compared
""A mat ot our civil war, especially when the
army Oh the Potomac was cropping its way
'nF"ngh the Chckahomlny swamps. The
s'oF'eS ~ epIdemics, Of crowded hospitals. neg
"''e' patients and dissolute doctors that were
y" eagerly circulated by our sensation loving
I'"3N hhd no foundation whatever in Manila
''''' ana were set aioat in every case by
''""N ana freak Of both sexes who. having
'r"" Ire" transportation to the Philip
AN