The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-29
Worcester Soldier
Writes of Manila
Fighting.
FIERCE BATTLES, LONG MARCHES.
Has Been on the Firing
Line Five Months and
Is Satisfied.

F. M. Hastings, 80 Orchard street.
received a letter yesterday from his
son. Everett F. Hastings, Co l, Ninth
regular infantry. Hastings enlisted
Feb. 10, and left month later for the
Philippines. Since then but one letter
has been received by his parents,
missive written in May The following
letter was dated Santa Rita, Sept. IL:
Il have been on the firing line now
almost five months, and have had some
hard. fights. The first one I was in was.
at San Louis, on the Rio Grande river.
Going to this place was my longest
march, 70 miles. When 1 came back, /
was in the south line advance, and this
is where 1 saw some hard fighting, and
never want to see another day like
Macati. This is where we saved the
Colorados from being cut up when the
''niggers'' were thanking them, and here
was the hardest fight 1 have been in.
The Mauser bullets came thick for a
little while. Then we got them going
and began to chase them the rest of
hot sun pouring on us all day. We
could not get drop of water. Before
the day was out the 'niggers' made
another stand. but we got them going
again until night, and then we stopped.
We were on the outskirts of Paranaque
and stayed all night in the field. It
rained all night, and I was on the out
posts.
After marching all day the next
morning we went in to take Paranaque,
but the "niggers" had all gone, and so
We rested until the next day, when we
marched up the beach alongside of the
Las Pains. This is where the mig
gers made a stand for eight hours.
We were on the beach with the ma
rines fighting, and the warships in the
bay Sheling them over our heads. At
ter we got them agoing we crossed over
the bikes into the town and halted in
a road for a rest. The orders came in
to fall in, and just as we started to
march out the "niggers" ambushed us.
They were all back of the trees and
fired on us. We were ordered to take
cover, and all ran to the other side of
the road on a bank. Then an order
came to charge, and we chased them
out into the fields and out of the
trenches and saw no more of them
We stayed here for the rest of the
night and the next morning we went
down to the big trench, 10 feet thick,
where they made the big stand, and
they were full of dead "niggers." We
went on further through linus and Ba-
coor, driving the "niggers' out beyond
San Francisco de Melabon. Then our
battalion was ordered back to Manila
to get some new clothes, because our
other ones were all torn up Then we
were ordered to San Fernando on the
north line. and we stayed here for a
month, doing outpost duty. We could
not advance on account of so much
rain. / was pretty well played out when
/ got here. The whole company was,
for it was hard doing outpost duty
every other night in the rain, and every
once in a while the "niggers" Aould
make night attacks. They were in the
trenches all around the city.
An order came on the Sth of August
to make an advance and drive the
''niggers" up the railroad farther. In
the middle of the night, the Ninth,
Twelfth, Seventeenth and Thirty sixth
regiments moved to the outskirts of the
city in front of the niger trenches
and laid there until daybreak. Then we
opened the ball along the whole line
and took them by surprise. They only
stood for q short time and then ran.
We chased them twelve miles up the
railroad to Angles. Our regiment
chased them off to the left to a place
called Santa Rita, where we are now.
The line did not make any further ad-
vance because we have got to have
more troops to go through them before
we make another advance.
In Santa Rita the other night, the
ringers" made an attack on the out
post. where was. They had field
piece and fired three or four shells at
u.s. but the nearest one came 300 yards
down the road in front of us, (
have been all through the Seven
teenth regiment looking for Fred Rog-
ers, but cannot find him. If You have
heard what company and regiment he
is in, write and tell me.
1 am feeling weli now. One man has
died in my company, one killed and five
wounded Everett F. Hastings.
Manila, P. l.