The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1899-12-12


And this was the reason why, after the
transport had cleared Honolulu and was
on the last tack for Manila, that John Sloan
found himself detached from his company
and on duty in the officers quarters, where,
much to his surprise, a certain captain
often spoke kindly to him and gave him en-
couragement.
81 have watched you enough, Sloan, to
know that you are MORALLY afraid OF what
we are going into You are bundle of non
sensical nerves; but whatever is going to
happen when we are on shore, remember
this, Sloan, don't run
Men pray even in these hard days, and
John Sloan prayed that night for strength,
prayed as only a man can who knows that
he is a coward, yet is determined to hight to
the end. In the morning, while looking over
his kit, he came across North-W estern
railroad folder, which was the only one re-
naming of several he had provided himself
with when starting from home, and some
how it gave him cheer and comfort to read
the old familiar names in the states, and to
know that back there many were thinking
and living for him.
The landing was rough. Their transport
had passed up the harbOr by the Olympia,
the Raleigh, the Boston, flags flying, bands
playing, and the great admiral on his bridge
bowling and raising his hat as the troops
cheered, which had come to his aid. Even
Sloan forgot his fdgets, and waved his cap
high in the air, and yelled:
'Hurrah, Dewey
Manila was still in the hands of the Span
ish. AguinaldO was seeking to secure recOg-
milton from the United States, and at the
same time to capture Manila and loot the
city. Dewey was holding the insurgents
in check and preparing to take the city. The
Tenth Pennsylvania was landed at Cavlte
and then marched to the trenches at Malate
in front of the Spanish outpOsts. Active
service was commenced at once. The hrst
duty that came to Sloan after the regiment
was in the trenches was that Of picket. HIS
post was on the edge of a thicket, scarce a
mile from the Spanish line. The tropical
rains had commenced, and the fever
was already upon some OF the men.
He was given particular instructions to
watch out for a surprise, the Spamards haV-
ing displayed great activity during the day
along the front of their line.
Wrapped in his rough weather coat, hold
ing his gun underneath it to keep 1t dry,
Sloan paced up and down his post, splashing
in the water, wondering at the brilliancy OF
the lightning, and shivering in dread an
ticipation of trouble. A flash of lightning
showed him figures on the plain, IL front OF
him, moving toward him.
Only the enemy could come from that dl-
rection Sloan stood still as if welded to the
ground His hair rose on end. lie yelled
and fired in the direction of the advancing
foe.
Strange, is it not, that that shOt-fred by
John Sloan, coward-gave to the American
army its notice Of the advance Of the
Spaniards at Malate, defeated the enemy,
and made hero of a trembling, frightened.
half-boy, half man!
Sloan, after firing, ran back towards MS
own lines and stumbled or fell at the feet
of that captain who had first encouraged
him to do his duty. He jumped up out OF
the slush, saturated, and was ordered to take
position with his company. Twice during
the battle did Sloan have the widest desire
to run. But, as it has done many times be
fore in the worlds history, that name
Mary" held him to his place and duty
When morning came and it was realized
| that American pluck and valor had won the
day, it was Sloan's captain, who, sending fol-
him, said:
''You knew your duty last night. You
| have placed yourself in line for promotion
| The colonel knows of your service as picket
Then, out of the boys heart rushed al
| those years of misery and doubt; all those
unnamed fears that held manhood back anC
| kept him the child. There came messages
| from PARKWAY home. At the end of hi.
mothers letter there was penciled line:
IL 81
your bravery at Malate. We hear you may
be promoted. Keep up, John. Mary Carr. ,
That kind of a love letter would not sat
isfy all men, but it did satisfy John Sloan
who tucked it away in his blouse and reaC
it many times in the days to come. He
would sit in the shade of his tent, read thu
short lines from Mary Carr over, draw Ou
his Northwestern railroad folder, and OF
the ground work out the Typographical MAJ
of the long range of country from the Colder
! Gate to the Juanita region.
| Other soldiers came to watch his self-ap
pointed task. Some suggested the outline
of the Missouri valley, others the location 0
Ames and Clinton, still others the topo
graphical building of that beautiful SWEEP
of Illinois from Clinton to Chicago. TIL
little time table and folder from which they
| drew their general plan was preserved a
though priceless in intrinsic value. Nos
talgia, that dread disease of all armies callct
in the German 'Heimweh," in Englisl
"Homesickness was fought off with thi
strip of printed paper and these rough trac
ings on the face of the earth, time and tim
again.
There was not much soldering to be don
after the July fight until late in Decem
Der. Hostilities with the insurgents com
menced shortly afterwards, and by Februar
real war was again raging on the island o
Luzon. The day and the night of Februar
4 will be remembered by Sloan so long a
he lives.
During the day of February insurgent
kept creeping up on the American outposts
and there was desultory firing. That nigh
Sloan was stationed on picket duty, perhap
200 yards from Chinese hospital in whic
were several hundred FiEpinos. The OF
presisve darkness of an oriental evening ha
already settled down when number of thes
insurgents attacked the American lines o
outposts at the point where Sloan wa
placed. At the first scattering vOley tina
appraised him he was under fire, he ran Xix