Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1899-08-04
CANTON. SOUTH DAKOTA. FRIDAY. Auous? 4. 1899

CANTON. SOUTH DAKOTA
FROM THE PHILIPPINES.
SAN FERNANDO, P. l., May ~, 1899.
DEAR BROTHER Lou: Well, It mas
been long time since I received your
letter but think am excusable for my
DELAY, on account OF circumstances
which surrounded and still surrounds
us. One difficulty is overcome, now
ever, for we are now able to get writ.
ing material. We are having pack OF
trouble at present; the niggers attack
us nearly every night, but as they were
led into couple traps and fell into one
of their own, they are somewhat DIS
heartened, and are little less courag.
eous than they have been. The worst
scrap we got into within the last two
weeks was day before yesterday when
the Insurgents made frantic effort 70
get into SanF ndo, but they were
knocked out in the first round, mainly
because they failed to have the differ
ent divisions move at the same time.
They had it figured down fine and It
shows pretty good generalship on the
part of Gen. Luna, in fact is equal to
that shown by our officers on most oc-
casions. NH
Yes, the South Dakota regiment has
been strictly in it from start to finish
and has earned a reputation if any regi-
ment has, but it IS very little consola-
ton to know that we did well when we
think of the cause many OF our boys
have died in, it can be said OF them
that they died glor1ously but in an in
glorious cause. When we fight we do
not fight because we feel justified in it,
therefore it takes just that much more
courage to go ahead. 1 have been in
every scrape or skirmish Co. B. has
been in.
Say, did it ever occur to you how in
teresting it would be to have all kinds
of bullets going over and around you?
Well, I'll tell you it sometimes makes
la fellow think OF all the mean, bad
things he has ever done in his life and
you had ought to see we lads hug old
mother earth. The other day when
they opened fire upon US we were or
dered not to shoot for awhile and lie
down. Well, I wanted to see how
things looked ahead and was somewhat
slow about getting down, but just then
volley of bullets came over me and I
got down on my knees and was salts
fed to be in this position for a while,
but few more bullets made me think
of lying down and by the time we
started firing on them was almost
buried in hole had dug.
There is good deal Of talk about
the South Dakota regiment being sent
back to Manila, as we are about done
up; twenty mine men out of seventy
nine in Co. '.B'' is all there is for duty
and most of the companies are smaller
than that.
We have so much mud to- wade
through that large sores break out on our
feet. The stuff seems to be poisonous;
| it is Just in bitches and swamps that
this mud is found. Centepedes are very
numerous here and we are more afraid
of them than Mauser bullets. We
have to keep our eyes open for them all
the time as they stay in the same
houses we are in. The wounds on the
boys that were shot, do not heal we'll
here and understand they will be tax
en- to San Francisco for treatment.
Small scratches in time, unless we are
very careful. will soon be large sores
and have few on my hands and feet
now, otherwise am feeling we'll and
% foraging is fair we live pretty good.
Don't be afraid I'll not take care Of my
selt for have so far. have hopes of
getting home, but know will not be
much good after this is over. Gosh! I
wish could get home, but I am not
homesick as yoa may think although l
was about Christmas time.
Your brother,
CHARLES SMITH Co. B.
June 3rd, 1899.
1 will write you few lines today.
Well, Just watch our smoke. When
we get home we will make it warmer
for some of those Mark Hanna clique
and also for that awful liar daily, than
we did for the niggers at MaraloO,
Kingroa Sante, Mesa, or Calumpit.
They are liars when they say that the
whole regiment do not care to come
home. To our faces they call us brave
boys and at the same time try and keep
us here to die They are worse enem-
les to us than the Filipinos ever dared
to be.
Well, if we were fighting in a just
cause } would not care to come home,
but we are not, and there it is, we are
to my notion doing wrong.
The company and in fact the entire
regiment, put in applications for dis
charge and for fear they would be dis
approved and we would go on record
trying to get out of the army, most of
the boys withdrew theirs but [ go on
record as man that believes that the
term of our enlistment has expired and
will not withdraw mine.
As ever your brother,
CHARLES SMITH.
Co. B., First So. Oak. Inf. Vol.