The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-24
THE FIGHTING IN THE PHILIPPINES

Z XTRACTS taken from private letters written
by volunteers serving in the Philippines to
IL friends at home and published in various ex-
changes show that the against the Filipnos IS
rapidly becoming one of the most savage in modern
history The course of the struggle has been marked
again and again by deeds of purest heroism but on
the whole it has afforded another illustration of
Sherman's grim saying, War is hell"
Sergeant Major T. w. Lemon of the First
Washington Infantry is quoted as having stated
in a recent letter that every American who
falls into the hands OF the Tagals is first tortured
with fendish ingenuity, and, when past suffering,
is hdeously mutilated Hospitals favorite objects
of native attack and the Red Cross flag draws vol
ley of bullets whenever in range OF the enemy.
These things moved the sergeant to prophesy. 81
the prediction, he wrote under date OF March
I, that if we ever make an advance through the
country that advance will go down in history as one
of the most pitilessly cruel OF modern times Can
you blame if we should thus people who
come up to you with white flag in one hand and a
knife in the other, and where the disguise them
selves as women in order the better to accomplish
their design"
Guy Williams of the Iowa Regiment is quoted as
having written in an account of the capture of ma
tive village by that command: "The soldiers made
short work of the whole thing. They looted every
house and found almost everything from pair OF
wooden shoes up to piano, and they carried every
thing off or destroyed it. Talk Of the natives plumber
ing the towns; don't think they are in it with the
Fiteth Iowa"
In letter from Leonard F. Adams of the Wash
ngton Regiment are the statements: "In the path
of the Washington Regiment and Battery D OF the
Sixth Artillery there were 1908 dead niggers and a
great many wounded. One company of the Tennes-
see boys was sent into headquarters with thirty
prisoners and got there with about hundred
chickens and no prisoners"
Fred B. Hinchman, who is described as formerly a
student OF the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute but
serving with the United States engineers re-
ported to have written of the fight OF February %:
"At the Puente Colgante Suspension BRIDGE l met
one of our company, who told that the Four
eenth and Washingtons driving all before them
procedure for cause"
These are dreary stories. 1t is pleasant to know
there is nober side to the struggle that abundant
instances have occurred to prove the essential hui
mainly and heroism of boys at the front Never
theess, it is not strange to learn they are weary of
such strife Sergeant Elliott Of Kansas who has
recentH returned home is reported to have said:
There's no use trying to conceal the fact that many
OF the men over there now especially the volunteers
are homesck and tired of fighting way off there with
nothing in particular to gain There is not one man
in the whole army in the Philippines who would
not willingly give up his life for the flag if il was
necessary, but it isn't pleasant to think about diving
at the hands OF foe little better than savage and