Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-08-24
CLYDE BAKER
Writes of Soldier Life at the Front

San Fernando, P. l., July 9TH 1899
Mr.. ID. G. MORT, ..... d.. .s
Dear Friend Your kind letter OF
May 9TH received. Yes, We have had
our share of the fighting by this time
and are now anxiously waiting for the
order to take us off of the firing line.
We are doing out post duty around
this city and have had a few very good
skirmishes and kept our part of the
line up. The Manila papers gave us
a few good write ups which, of course,
gives us more courage. will send you
one of the papers. Perhaps it will be
a relic. We were all very anxious to
get on the FREEING line and at last We
arrived there and got in our good work.
We have had the best luck, not loosing
a man in any of our battles, but had
some wounded. One Iowa man was
killed who was detached with the
Hawthorne battery and one in company
L died last week in Manila of typhoid
fever. The volunteers have started
home now and the 5lst is the only
volunteer regiment in the field. We
think we will be released in few days
Perhaps some people think Mckinley
is wrong by keeping us fellows over
here after our time is up and about the
country but he has to take everything
as Gen. Otis cables him. don't
think there is one man in the volunteer
department that has good word for
Otis. In today's papers he is beginning
to see his mistake and is thanking the
volunteers for the service they have
rendered since Juue 18th.
| must say that / feel very sorry for
the poor ignorant people because they
don't seem to know that we are here
for their own good and not to be con-
tinually fighting. / think it will be
some time before this trouble is over
At our out posts we are about 1900
yards from the "nigger's" out post.
Whenever one of the "niggers' sees
one of our men he sends a slug lead
after him. Our company and two
others were on out post duty yesterday
and the '''niggers" had sharpshooter
stationed in tree about 1000 yards from
our men and he kept plugging away at
few of our men when one of our men
spied him and shot, dropping the mig
ger" from his perch as he had never
done before After this, all was very
quiet. Mr.. Krell is so busy that he is
on the move all the time He is TAX
ing pictures and has very good selec-
ton indeed Wilson and receive
your paper and are very glad to get
them as there is always some news in
them that we don't get in our letters.
We can't thank You enough for your
kindness. If at night the "niggers'
open up on our outposts all the rest of
the regiment have to get up and march
out to assist the ones on duty.
One night we were called out in the
rain, mud and water and by the time
we went through u couple of corn
fields in a skirmish line, we were wet
from head to foot. After staying out
there a couple of hours, we marched
back to quarters and tried to sleep,
but had to get up at half past three
and eat breakfast and march out once
more and do our guard duty. Our
clothes were wet for thirty-six hours or
more. We were issued Krag-Jorgen-
sen rifles the other day, but don't think
we will use them very much. l have
shot mine nine times already. They
are very good gun and we should
have had them since we started and
we could have done better work. Will
son is feeling little bad on account OF
his stomach, but is not bad and l am
enjoying the best of health yet. Hop
ing sometime soon to be in the United
States and into civilization, think !
will have to close for this time, 50 hop
ing to find You all well and happy, ]
will stop. Our hope is to meet you in
the near future. With our best re-
CARDS. Goodbye. CLYDE W. BAKER.
The Rev. w. B. Costley, of Stock
bridge, Ga, while attending to his