Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-07-20
F1L1P1Hos ARE FIGHTERS.
Members Of Co. L Writes Of Sol
dier Life

onN fH"NANpO, - ~ may ol'-
received your kind letter while a
Apalit and haven't hardly had TIM
to answer. You know how lazy ,
fellow gets in the army-the less hi
does the less be wants to do.
l haven't been feeling very well fol
the past month. Stomach trouble
and thisTbot climate is what botherl
me. The rainy season will soon SCI
in and then the sick list will grow
larger.
Nearly all the volunteers are being
relisved off the line and regulars are
taking their places. We expect OIL
rather hppe to be relieved this week
but 1t is rumored that Gen. Funston
has asked that the regiment be kept
Jon the line thirty days longer. This
is only rumor, not known to be 9
fact.
Maj, Bell, Of the 7th cavalry, CHIEF
Of scouts and chief secret service man,
wanted 100 volunteers from the goth
to stay on the line with him as scouts
till the regiment was ready to sail for
home. Funston told him he could
easily get 500. When the company
officers took the names, some com.
panies didn't have a man, others a
dozen. In the whole regiment about
70 volunteered. for one think the
volunteers have done more than their
share and don't propose to do any
more than | have 10. This Is the
sentiment OF nine. e.tenths Of the regi-
|
ment.
We have over a hundred men on
the sick report, have lost more men
than any other regiment and have
been right on the line since the 4th Of
February. The regulars. except the
Srd artillery acting as infantry and
the 22nd, have always been in the re-
serve as support. Otis says he has
5000 regulars in Manila and they are
the cream Of his army. guess he
needs that many to guard his valuable
pelt. If they get out here wading
swamps and rivers for several months
he wouldn't know his fighters (D.
This is the last day of May. | can
hardly realize that nearly half Of the
year has passed by and we have been
fighting nearly the whole time. I'll
tell you, uncle, we have all had some
narrow escapes and seen some pretty
stiff fighting. When people get 1t in
to their heads that these niggers
won't fight, they are badly mistaken.
Several times they have staid till they
were run through with bayonet and
when they did run | think they had
very good reason. Just think Of the
bursting shrappel and the good mark
manship Of our boys. l think they
have done admirably well for class
Of people that were scarcely known to
the civilized world and were called
savages. wish the editors Of those
papers showing us fighting these peo-
pie using bows and arrows had. to
face those Mausers and brass capped
Remingtons-I think they would sud.
denly change their minds.
About week ago we had little
fight, our boys fanking the niggers
and getting within one hundred yards
Of the riggers before they were dis
covered. About a hundred niggers
were killed. In this engagement
Ernest Ryan Of Hope was killed and
Sergeant VIM. Tozier Of Junction City
was wounded.
The Oregons expect to sail for home
within week and the Californans
will follow soon. Iexpect we will be
home by the lst Of October. Hope SO
anyway. The officers sent cable
gram that we wished to be mustered
out in Kansas. We got up petition
unanimously to be mustered out in
Frisco. HOMER LIMBIRD.
BAD LUCK WITH HORSES.