The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-07-21

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try, four troops of Colorado and
part of the Utah and 9th artillery.
These two Observation-Disclosures and
McArthur's-are the ones which
have been Going most Of the heavy
fighting. The Coloradoans, LIST
Washington, and lst Wyoming are
holding the trenches on the south
line; the lst California is on Negroes
island-that. is, one battalion of it.
The other battalion is in the trench
es. The lst Tennessee is at Iloilo.
This practically overs the fighting
area. Notice how scattering the
regulars are.
Now, what we would like 10 know
is, what are we here for? We vol
u%nteers suffer all the hardships and
do all the lighting, while the regu-
lars lounge around in Manila, sport
ing white shirts and clean clothes,
living well and sleeping in a good
bed. SO many civilians might just
as well have been sent here by the
Washington authorities for all the
good the regulars are to US. I see
a good many of the people and press
are pulling the wool over the eyes Of
the people as to the sentiments of the
volunteers. We are willing to stay
and do our duty if need be, but we
don't think they need us any more,
as they have plenty of regulars TO
do the business if they will only use
them, but it is a sure thing that
they don't intend to have any of
their pet regulars killed off as long
as they have a few 'worthless' vol
untcers left. ! am sure if our
friends knew the real condition here
they would say with Gov. Lee:
Send our regiment home. 1t has
done it's full duty and is no longer
needed
From another volunteer writing
to Victor e. Swanson from San Fer
nando under date of May 31st, TIL
UNION takes the following:
owe came here about two weeks
ago and have not had much fighting
lately, except that Wednesday
Thursday, Friday and today tn,
Iowas are having some slight Skin
miShes. Our regiment was out fol
a while but later returned to quar-.
tiers. Company M is on outpos
duty, but as | have sore feet an<
cannot wear shoes l am in am
There + only about twenty mel
fit for duty IN the company. FEY
of them arc seriously sick, the mail
trouble being with sore feet ant
limbs,-what we call 'dobe Itch
bat it is hard enough. 1 can hardl
walk sometimes. | wish we ha
some of those people over here VIII
see so much harm in Gov. Lee
letter. | don't care how many reg:
ments OF regulars Uucle Sam ma
!, send here, he will never find on
that will outdo the First South Dl
kota.
l don't believe we will leave Nj
, Mia for some time yet. l lear
from "Freedom," the Manila pape
we get, that the Oregon and Califo
| MIA regiments are about to 90. W
have not had much rain yet, but
suppose it will not be long before
starts in. The Maccabebes are sci
: ing us fruit now. We have mangoe
1 bananas and a few pineapple
q though the latter are somewh;
green yet. The autho rites are o
ganizing a company of Maccabebe
They will work them in the comm
n sary for a while and probably di
charge some of the Chinese to mai
room for them, but l don't thin
they will dare give them arms FIR
long time to come. The Utah ba
terry was relieved today, but may
# somewhere else along the line.
hope we will be left where we a
until we + ready to start home
we never get u rations regular
a while on the march. Lieutena1
Young has been in Manila duril
the past two weeks takilg his e
animation. He came back to t
e line by train today. Col. Frost
= acting brigade commander and
the boys have a better opinion
!, him than they used to have. "
: ought to have seen how indigna
g the boys of Company NJ were t
:. other day when they received t
Rapid City Journal and read
ne comments on Gov. Lees letter.
l. petition was circulated among the
thanking the governor and indol
Al ing his action and every man in t
company signed it but two. &C
Lee is the man most of the DO
" say they will vote for when they g
back if he runs for ofice-no matt
&c which ticket he is on.
: This morning the insurgents can
out in front 81 tie Iowa regime
n swinging their hats and cheeriI
loudly, but we have not seen the
a since. But l must close. Ho
4 that l will be able to be back to y
10 all before long"
err These letters from the boys in t
n ranks speak for themselves and
re comment is required by The UN1t