The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-02-17
A Mason County Boy at Manila.

Extract, ON t.tters from A. Fl Tells
Company H. First Infantry. Philip
pine Islands
Three letters were received last week
by his mother from A. HI. Eells having
all come on the same steamer, dated
December 19, 26, and Jan. ]. They
were not intended for publiction, but
at the request of the Editor of the
JOURNAL and for the benifit of his
friends, we select the following items
from them. He had been there since
November 9th.
"The regiment is divided up and
stationed all over the town. Com
paf9ses G.sand III. are close together, ,Aof
the third battalion, and K and M of
the same battalion are about a mile
from us. The first battalion is to-
gether in one place, and the second in
another. They are not allowed to run
around much.
each soldier has to furnish his
own soap, towel, comb and brush.
The government gives each man lit
tie cooking outfit. 1t consists of a
little frying-pan with a lid and quart
cup. The handle of the frying pan is
on hinge. A knife, fork and spoon
are inside the frying-pan. They are
what we use altogether for dishes here.
We have no table, but when a meal is
ready, we all line up, and our share is
given us. We sit on the ground, or
anywhere, and when we are done each
man has to wash his own dishes. We
keep them with our things ali the
time, so that when we are called out
for anything we have our dishes with
us.
"We do not drill much here, but we
have enough duty to do. We only
drill twice day, half an hour in the
morning and half an hour in evening.
We have to do our post and picket
duty twice a week, and guard duty at
| our quarters once a week Outpost and
picket duty means that we take days
rations and our blankets, and march
about two miles to our outposts near
the Insurgents camp and stay twenty
| four hours. Our picket lines, and
those of the Insurgents are not more
than hunderd yards apart in some
places. Two companies go out every
day. Besides that we have twelve
men on guard at our quarters every
day. We also have to put just one
day in the kitchen and one at clean
ing up the barracks so you see we do
not have many days to drill.
"We have always had plenty Of
water and | have had a bath every
night that | have been here. It is the
only time that we get cooled off. It
rained the first day that we were here
but we have not had drop since. It
is worse than warm here now.
Everybody smokes here, men, wo-
men and children four and five years
old with cigars nearly as large as
| themselves. The women are dressed
up when they have square yard of
calico, straw hat and cigar. They
wear a very short shirt and never have
any pins or buttons. They sometimes
have string to hold up their clothes,
but nearly always hold them up with
one hand. They always carry every
thing on their heads.
81 send you little rag in this letter
but do not lose it for anything. tits a
piece of the white flag that the Span
ish ran up when they surrendered the
town.
Dec. 25.-"Ever since the soldiers took
possession of Manila, they have held all
the roads and bridges leading out of
town, and kept guards on all of them.
| Part of our work has been on roads
and bridges.
"On the night of the 10Th the In
surgents forced our guards from one of
the bridges. There were so-few there
that they moved back and let the In
surgents have it for the night. The
next day orders came to fall in with a
hundred and twenty rounds of am
munition. Our belts hold City rounds
and they are heavy enough. The
regiments ordered out were the First
California, First Washington, and
parts of Idaho, Fourteenth US. In
fantry and Utah Battery. We went
part way out, and stopped. We sent
word to the Insurgents to move their
guards back, or we would move the
guards for them. They were not long
in getting back.
yesterday morn ing we all went to
the outposts again. Nothing happen
& \