Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-07-21
ON FIRING LINE
AT San Fernando, 40 Miles fran
Manila.

Napt. Moran Writes OF His Exp.r,.ro..
l---Hopes 20 he In BrattIsboro Ne,
Thanksgiving.
Mrs. John T. Kaine received this weel
a letter from her brother, Capt John NO
ran of Company A, LIST Montana regi.
ment, at San Fernando, Manila. dated
May III Capt. Moran was overcome bv
the heat\ April and was sent to Manila
but was back at the front May Z. He saws
that he could eat nothing for five weeks
and lost irf\ flesh, but has now regained his
appetite and is gaining every day. San
Fernando s\about 40 miles from Manila
"There are quite number of insurgents
In front of opr brigade, and we have a
company from each battalion out on post
duty by day and night, so as not to get
caught mapping If an ack is made on
our line. They Keep piping away at the
line all the tima, mostly at night. The
boys do not pay much attention to them
but occasionally send shot their way.
"My company has been pretty fortunate
lately, no one killed or wounded since
March %, when one of my corporals was
wounded in the arm, but at every advance
that is made some Of the regiments get
caught by the bulletsA The volunteers
are anxious to get homeland some of the
regiments are talking of refusing to 90 any
further IL ordered, but that would be fool
ish as every man that enliAted did so will
ingly, knowing he was in for two years if
the government needed hi4 services that
long. 1t looks as il we would al, be away
from here by August next
"Our regiment for the paet month has
had more men on the fighting line in pro-
portion to its strength than alpy regiment
in the service The men frokn the start.
with a few exceptions, havA acted as
though they were used to beinA under fire
all their lives. You should see the
trenches the insurgents have b4en driven
out of. Our troops in the saline place
would have, with two companies, lstood off
a whole regiment. We are aboutA 10 miles
from our base of supplies on the railroad.
but the trains will be running in about five
days up to this place, as there is otly one
bridge to repair and most of the track is
all right.
1.-THE natives are around selling eggs.
mostly duck eggs, bananas and other
fruits and it helps out the grub in great
shape. Eggs sell for three and four cents,
Mexican, apiece, that is one and one-half
and two cents United States currency.
The country through which we have
passed lately is fine, but owing to the
wars between the natives and the Spanish,
and lately with the United States it has
been neglected and very little cultivated,
and have no doubt when peace is restored
and under the improved methods that will
be introduced this will prove very rich
and productive country, but would not
care to stay here any longer than have 20.
as any part of the United States have
seen is preferable to me. Hope to be able
to eat dinner with you folks on or before
Thanksgiving next, as 1 intend, after be-
ing mustered out, to take trip home and
get fat again.
"Our brigade may make only one more
advance, to town about six miles from
where we are now and the head of naviga-
ton on the San Fernando river. The
rainy season is about to set in and it will
be impossible for our troops to do any
campaigning before October or November
next, by which time the volunteers expect
to be home and turn the business over to
the regulars. So far the volunteers have
done nearly all the fighting"