Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-09-05

u. Strong, a member of Company M,
Mfty-frst Iowa Volunteers, who is
we'll known in this city:
San Fernando, P. T.,
Wednesday, July595, 1899:
Dear Mothers: Having nothing else
to do at present guess 1 will try and
write you a few lines. We are still
here in San Fernando and donet know
when we will be relieved. We are now
the only volunteers north of Manila,
the Montanas left here day before yes.
terday, one battalion going over to
Cavite, while the other two went TO
Manila They were relieved by the
Twelfth regulars. The Ninth, Twelfth
Seventeenth and Twenty-second reg
ulars and Fifty-first Iowa volunteers
are holding this place now. The Third
and Sixth artillery also have a few
batteries here. Every body here has
Krag-Jorgeson guns now. The Fifty
first got their guns last week and the
men think it means another month
here for us The insurgents used to
lie out eight or ten hundred yards in
front of us when we. had the old
Springfelds,, but now they keep we'll
back. 1t was quite surprise for
them when they ran up against the
volunteers with "Krags,'' and they
nearly broke their neclSs getting out
of range. The first time we got to
shoot our new guns was last Friday
night about 1880 o'clock. They at
tackled all around the city, buttwe
were soon on the line pouring volley
after volley into them. The report of
a Krag is not so loud as that of n
Springfield, but they have a wicked
sound and they go '.crash!" "crash!s
through the woods, SO that one can
follow every shot by the sound it
makes, 1T was a long run out to the
outpost, and it was raining and very
muddy. The whole company ran
along in single file on the top of a mar
row rice ridge, and it was soSdark a
man could not see where to step. De-
casionally a fellow would step off the
edge of the ridge aud go down in the
muddy rice field about two feet, When
we got to the outpost the moon had
come up and we could see pretty well.
The regiment did not have man hit,
but some of thelregiilars were wound
ed and two men We're killed, one being.
shot right through the heart. The
,niggers" let up about 2 o'clock, and
we withdrew and followed our tracks
back to quarters. They also attacked
last night, and the company went out
but did not fire a shot, as things quiet
ed DOM. by the time we got there.
Well yesterday was the Fourth o.
July and about the tamest one
ever PASSED. A few of us tied rope
to the bells in the church tower and
ran the rope over near quarters here,
intending toring twelve times at mid
night, but the provost guard got onto
the racket, and when we got to the
end of the rope to pull it, there was a
guard placed there, so the thing was
all up. The men on outpost were go
ing to start fight and have a little
shooting il any natives We're seen, but
the dusky foe never showed up. All
the bands here played the national
airs at reyeille in the morning and
! gave concerts in the afternoon and
evening. We had our pictures taken
over in the church-yard yesterday af-
Sternoon. The ''Freedom' came out
yesterday with colored cover and
American, and English flags on it. 1t
was also much larger than usual and
had many nice stories and poems com
posed by men of the different regi-
ments. ! will send you a copy with
this letter. The Utahs, Nebraskas and
Pennsylpanians left us~a few days ago
on the transports Hancock and Sena-
tor. We are glad to see them go, as
they arewell deserving Of going home
and have fought long and hard. i
think the Colorados will be the next
to leave here. The Montanas will be
going soon also, and when they go we
will probably be relieved from the line
and take the Montanas' place at Cav
lite, our old quarters. We don't expect
to start home before the last of Aug
ust at the earliest, and may not get
out of here before September if they
hold the transports here as long as
they have been doing before sending
them back We have spent every hol-
liday away from the States now, and il
they don$ get a move on themselves
getting us out OF here, we are liable
I to spend another Thanksgiving day
before seeing Gods country again.
# Now do write soon, and tell the rest
towrite. Yours truly,