The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1899-05-09
A Letter Prom Arthur Fiszpatrick
Msnils, p. J., III. S ADJ
March ~, '99.

Msnils, T. J., III. s ADJ
March ~, '99. !
, Dear Mother:
We landed here after % day
, trip from Honolulu On the way W,
encountered storm and waves were
rolling twenty and thirty feet high
sometimes rolling over the deck OF
, our boat.
We now have 100 cartridges each
and are expecting to 60 on the firing
line at any moment. The enemy is
very much afraid of our guns and ]
think we can whip them in few
months.
We are living in houses made OF
bamboo and nearly every thing Is tied
instead of nailed. The barracks are
very cool as they are full of windows
and doors. We have mosquito bars
and so those pests don't bother us
very mnch, though very large. The
trees are full of monkeys of all sizes
and kinds, and some of them are very
tame. Bananas and coaconuts grow
very thick and palms are as common
as oaks in the States. The days are
awful hot but the nights are very
cool we use our blankets and are
none too hot at that. We only drill
one hour day. 80 have plenty Of time
to took around. There is an old
church and also graveyard. The
church was badly damaged by our
battleships, although the walls were
of stone and three feet thick. In
ire graveyard are many vaults which
are rented for FIVE years and at the
end of thst time IL the rent is not paid
the bodies are thrown out. On this
account the yard is full of skeletons.
To-day a native was burYing his
baby, and when we went in he show
ed uss permit to bury it, probably
thinking we were guards. 1t was
very sad to see him digging a grave
for his own child and at the same
time trying to smile and be friendly |
to us. tIlr.a |
You must excuse me but started
this letter and had TO go to the firing |
lines before finishing it. Now, know |
what it is to hear bullets flying thick
and fast and often wonder how our
company came out without loosing a
man, We spent ten days chasing the
negroes and are now in for q short
rest, expecting to 60 to the front, in
a short time again. For three or four
days we laid in trenches, in reach of
the enemy's guns and then went after
them. We found them in strong
trenches and stone church. The
church fell after charge. and the ne
groes lett their trenches and ran to the
woods, but not before we had killeI
several and wounded more. That day
we captured nine prisoners. Then
we went to small river and were
up a road along its bank
when suddenly the bullets began to
sing to us once more. We halted,
knelt down and commenced to return
the fire, but were doing little good I'M
til our cannon began to work, for the
town was built of stone, and the ene-
my was again in a church,and they
cut holes through the rock for their
rifles so we could not see them, but
finally the town surrendered and we
eft it complete wreck.
Then we went into camp for few
lays and made a march OF thirty '
niles, driving the negroes across
srge lake. This march was very ,
lard on me, but finally made it back ,
o camp. The next morning we looked
Up our missing men and found only
wo dead, while hundreds of negroes t
,aid for their deaths. We then
marched eight miles to camp, making
bout 40 miles in two days on but ]
wo meals and short water supply.
Hoping to hear from you soon, am r
Your loving son,
ARTHUR.
P. S.-Direct your letters to Arthur
Company c. 22nd In |
ID |