The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-07-24
MANILA LETTER.
A Shenandoah Boy Gives Ills Experiences
In the Philippines,

The following condensed publication of a
letter received from MaDila will be found
interesting. II is from Edward Davis, a
member Of Co. d, 2lst Infantry, u A.,
and a son Of Mrs Sarah Davis of 322 West
Mayborry alley, this town.
After telling Of his trip from San Francisco,
from which place he sailed on April IS. last,
and two-day stop at the Ladrones on
account of an engine breaking down,
he speaks of two of the soldiers
on The transport dying from brain fever.
The bodies were wrapped in canyass and an
American flag and consigned to the deep.
These were the only cases of sickness on
board. The transport arrived at Manila on
May 11th and anchor was dropped about 100
yards from Dewey's flagship, the Olympia,
and the Oregon. Davis says he met two
Polish young men from Shenandoah and they
afforded him good time in Manila. He
does not mention their names.
Davis says in his letter: THE natives
hate the sight of the Americans. You can't
get sight of them after p m. and must be
on your guard when going along the streets
at night, or they will stick a knife in you
Everything you buy here is very cheap
One dollar of our money is worth two of
theirs. 1t is very funny to see the native
women chewing and smoking tobacco, just
the same as the men, and the little children
too. You can get a cigar here for five cents
which you would pay 25 cents for in the
States. Its paradise to live here if you have
lots of money, but anybody that has to work
for a living is out of luck. The only time
you sec the rich people out here is right after
the sun goes down, and then you see the
fashion. They all have handsome carriages
and little ponies There is not big horse in
the country. They are all little broncoes.
There is also a street car line here on which
you can ride from one end of the city to
the other for only one cent, but for
working they use the water buffalo
| was talking with some of the boys and
they said they are getting treated fine.
They have all they want to eat and good
stuff, too. The island seems to be very
healthy. There is hardly any fever, or any
other disease here, the most of the cases being
wounded, of which there are about 1000
men. About half mile away from our
camp is hospital one of the largest in tho
world. The boys say they could not get finer
treatment. The water is pretty good here,
but it is very warm. At l o'clock in the
morning we could hear the firing out in the
mountains, the firing line being about five
miles away from the city, and the firing kept
up till about four o'clock this morning.
1t is very hot to-day, about % in the shade.
Orders have just come in to break camp and
be ready to march. We were issued our
| light suits, consisting of light yellow suit
of mixed cotton. 1t is called a Khaki suit.
They are nice and light We had to throw
our blue suits away, they being too much of
a load to carry. We marched about five
miles from Manila, on the road to Malolos.
/ ,I,,l -, =. l.
and went straight out onto the firing line,
without any supper and were as hungry as
wolves. We were out scouting all night but
we didn't catch sight of a Filipino. We
were just hungry enough, if we had seen
one to have killed and eaten him. On the
18th we had no breakfast, the supply team
having missed us some how in the moving
last night. Well, the grub arrived about II
o'clock and if you had seen it disappear it
would have done you good. We could not
wait for them to cook anything. We ate it
raw. We are now on the firing line. The
| fighting is all done at night. l have not fired
a shot yet, but l am Just waiting my chance.
We are camped in rice field. We 90 out
about half mile into the trenches every
night and lay for the natives, but l guess
! they are hiding in the hills about two miles
away. On the 14th / was on guard at night
and we had our first battle. There were IA
men doing picket duty about one-h half mile
away from camp. At about o'clock word
was passed along the line that the rebels were
going to break through our lines and get into
the city. OF course this news excited every
body and we all were on the watch. At
about IL o'clock the sentry called out halt %
to somebody. He received no answer. AT
that he called again and got no answer. We
| Al Al I L
a little towards our upper trenches. At that
some one thought he saw something and
fired. We then all started to fire, retreating
at the same time. The command was given
to go to our right Some mistook the com
mand got excited and started to run, while
we were firing for further orders. was
going little to the right when I saw fellow
right at the back of me raise his rife.
thought he was taking me for a rebel. l
jumped aside just as he let fly with mis- gun.
The wind of it knocking me on my back and
stunned me for few minutes. When / got
up saw the fellow about 80 feet away going
crashing through the bushes towards our
upper trenches. He was going with the
speed of an express train l had to laugh in
spite of myself, to see that fellow sprint.
Well, while this was going on, the other
fellows were firing away to beat the band. /
turned around to see if l could see any thing
to fire at but there was nothing in
sight. They finally stopped firing and
we crept forward to our front trenches
When we reached there we found that out OF
IA men we only had men left all the rest
having deserted us. We lay behind the
trenches, but didn't see anything more that
night. The next morning we found the
other men. Some were behind the bushes
and some were behind trees, and any place
they could find. Maybe we didn't give them
a roasting. / couldn't tell which one it was
that came near hitting me- on account of the
darkness. As soon as it was daylight we
went out TO see what damage we had done
and. well, had to laugh. we found two dogs
and cat, and that is all we found after the
battle of the rice field"