People's voice., 1899-06-22
Says Many Of the Reports Are
Greatly Exaggerated.
The Kansas Colonel Is More Of Raftsman
Than a Swimmer After All-The
True Situation In Manila.

written at San Fernando, P.I., May 8:
Friend David: take advantage of
the first opportunity for several weeks
past and will try to write you let
ter. We have been pretty busily en-.
gagged with the rebs for some time and
have not had many moments to spare.
Then too, the weather is so hot aOd
sultry that no one cares to write or do
anything else, but would rather forget
the past, and present, and all things
except far away home, and ever keep
in memory the longing, faithless wish
that he were there. Although the
thermometer will not indicate it,
nevertheless the oppressive heat is
something awful. Dry clothes are out
OF the question, il any movement 10
attempted whils exposed to the suns
rays. Then again, one may repose In
some shady place during the heat of
the day and his contentment will
make him think he is in real para
disc. Some opinions Uf heaven and
hell would make one believe that the
two are 10 close communion here.
However it may be, l had better
quit on this weather question, or you
will think | have "cold feet" As the
boys say, "CaDpaigning in the Phil
ippines" will look nice as the title Of
book, but no one is going to get
much Of an idea Of the real thing by
wading into an account of it. For
instance, in the battle Of Santo Tom.
as the other day some OF US waded a
Quagmire knee deep for half a mile
and woven with numerous muddy
streams waist deep. The excitement
OF an engagement is the only thing
that makes one able to stand this, foI
five or six of H company were over
come by heat before they encountered
this mud.
AS you notice, at this writing W
are at San Fernannn. 1t is on tb
railroad aad forty-twO miles fruu
Manila. A. yet une raIlruad is / OF iu
operation any further than the Ba,
bag river, wniCH is nir" miles in OF
rear. The rebS had so much confdenc,
IN our ability tU get there" tina
they have cut Lwp .luss Urlusr, u
tween here aud thrIr, and let tin,
fall into the river HIJh sucn sm;
facilities as are nere it
time to get tralr> mining.
In coming from MalOlOs there WERE
three engagements, the first a small
affair, as the work vas done by artll
lery, machine guns and K Compan,
our regiment. The second was
Calumpit on the Rio Grande. This il.
a large and deep river, and it was :
little difficult to get the rebs on tht
run, they were well entrenchsd acros.
theriVer from US, They had artiller,
there and H company got one of their
unexpected shells, which hit not over
a rod from US in the soft dirt. We
were in reserve and the shell went
over the firing line. 1t had scarcely
ceased moving when it was picked up,
which shows with what contempt
and impunity men will sometimes do
things. At CalOocan during consid.
erabls firing, a shell from the rebels
full unexploded in front Of the Men
tana firing line and two compan-
les made terrible scramble to see
who would be the first to get it.
About noon Of the second day at
Calumpit Colonel Funston, with about
100 men, crossed the river on RATS.
AS soon as we had men over the
river the rebels began to retreat
or run away, and in half an hour We
were crossing over the railroad bridge.
They tried to cut this bridge also,
but had not time. They derangsd it
in such manner that we had to hang
on with hands and feet In crossing
This is the first engagement where
they used Maxim gun upon US. Ii
had very little effect, however, and
their main efforts were exerted in
keeping US from getting it. We got
their artillery piece, which belonged
to some past generation Of war imple'
ments.
The last engagement was at SantC
Tomas. As usual there was a river
but it did not benefit the rebs very
long. You doubtless have noticed
that H company was 10 pretty warm
place in this fight for we had one
killed and three wounded. These
casualties occurred in an interval OF
twenty minutes time and in heat
that Overcame half dozen more. The
one who was killed, Merton Wilcox Of
Olathe, was only a few feet to the left
Of me and l saw him fall. We now
have had two killed and nine wound.
ed. l have fears yet Of our captain
for he seems to get no better but
rothor worsa from what We ran hsar