The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-19
SOME OF THETRUTH
Told In Letters from Men IN the
PhlIlpplness
AMERICAN LIVES SACRIFICED
In the War Against the Liberty Of a
People.
THERE Is NO HEART IN THE WORK
And the Volunteers Are Most Anxious to
Return Home.
A NATIONAL SCANDAL WILL RESULT
when the Men DO Return md Arc
Permitted to Tell the story
with Their own Lips.
And the Volunteers Are Most Anxious to
Return Home.
NATIONAL sCANOn WILL RESULT
Especial to The Postl


Washington, July 1S--The Post pub
fishes an open letter from H. IL. Van
meter of Chicago, addressed TO President
Mckinley. in which he complains of the
censorship instituted at Manila over press
dispatches intended for the information OF
the American people, Accompanying this
letter OF complaint are letters from private
soldiers now in the Philippines, which
show that affairs are not as represented to
be in the censored press dispatches. Ono
of these letters was written by soldier
wlese name is withheld for good reasons,
but whose Intelligence and veracity. 1t is
said, can be vouchcd for in Chicago, gives
the lie unequiyocally to the roseate re-
ports cmanating from General Otis. He
says among other things that the soldiers
have no heart In the fight. and that they
all want TO be sent home. volunteers us
we'll as regulars.
In one day" says he, ''six of our bat
terry deserted but were caught and sem
fenced to thirty days in prison This is
preferred 10 doing duty. and more have fol-
lowed. We have been on continual guard
four hours of. and then we sleep on the
ground. Should we not be relieved when
the new troops arrive there will be mu-
tiny in several regiments including ours,
Nebraska. Kansas, Pennsylvania and Mon
tana regiments, Expansionists will hen
something they won't like whom the sol
ders got home. No one can tell when this
will nd M haua ia had
little except driving the insurgents before
us. They destroy their towns, in most
cases setting IRE to thcm then take the
women and children with them"
Another letter from Manila. under date
OF May Il, written by Sergeant Hugh d.
McGosham Of company II, First South
Dakota regiment, described how sick SOL
dicrs are sent to the front and compelled
to do duty. This is how Sergeant Nc
Gosham pictures the situation there: III
the people of the United States could know
small part of the truth of the situation
here National scandal would result, The
hospitals are full OF men who will never
live to reach home. Two days after san
Fernando was taken our regiment had but
lUN lutH ON LUt inc, lHt ICDlhiuutI Dtiub
lead, sick or wounded. General Mac
Arthur complained of the number of men
sick, other regiments being in the same
shape as ours, and Major Potter, with one
surgeon, was sent into Manila to rush men
to the front. Acting under instructions.
he sent los men 10 the front or these
thirty were unable TO reach the depot,
mile away. and many OF them tainted on
the way, some twenty eight or thirty ul-
imately arriving at San Fernando in
worse condition than when they went to
iania, tho others being ordered back
by surgeons along the line of railroad
who saw at glance thet they were In
condition. | saw two or three
nen thrown into ward ID OF the first re-
erve hospital who will die before this
letter leaves Manila. can prove by the
'ecord OF the hospital that men were or
lered to the front whose temperature was
03 degrees, and men from other regi-
nents Jared no better. Major General Otis
las telegraphed that the volunteers are
nxious to remain here. when know every
,ffcer knows that 95 per cent of the en-
listed men are praying to God to get home
1t once.
you Americans shudder at the tyranny
II Spain and the cruelty visited upon the
natives OF Luzon and Cuba. but / want to
ell you that bright young Americans, who
Volunteered to defend their country In the
lour of peril. are giving up their lives,
acrihced to the vanity OF star be-
pangled generals and fog-headed,
ollar- hearted bureau OF officials ut home.
'ou may publish this letter. and my name
nay be signed. would face court
partial willingly to prove more than !
rite. for / know 1t is only by arousing
he states that We can be relieved, and
0 stay much longer will be the death OF
lost OF u.s."
From both OF these letters the bittersst
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