The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-25
ANACONDA NEWS.
SOLDIERS DOING WELL
Dave Kenealy Writes an Inter.
esting Letter From Manila.
BATTLE OF FEBRUARY 4
Montana Boys Had Good Luck and Did
Some Wonderful Fighting Captain
Hallahan a Great Soldier-Opin-~
ions Regarding the Natives.

Miss Mamie Brennan of HOS East
Fifth street, has just received from
Dave Kenealy, now at Manila with D
Company, list Montana, an interesting
letter in which he writes of the fight
ing at Caloocan. The letter is dated
"Caloocan Battlefield. March 49," and
reads in part as follows:
'Since arriving on the Luzon island,
some six months ago, I have often
thought of writing of the life we lead
here but at no time did feel that the
scope of my observation was sufficient
to attempt the task, but now that I
have had sufficient time to study the
natives, their customs, their dress, or,
rather, undreSS, and have tasted lit
tie of war life, / feel that it would be
a great neglect on my part not to write.
There are many picturesque places
along the trip. Honolulu is very beau
tiful little city, with it's crooked mar
row streets. Its capital palace and other
historic buildings, and also it's beauti-
full monuments must be seen to be ap-
preciated.
.The hospitality extended to us dur
ing our short stay at Honolulu showed
that the people had their hearts in the
right place. After rest of five days,
known mission. Some said we were go
ing to war, others said it was only
pleasure trip, but to me it seemed as
if we We're going on "a trip where we
would starve, and that came nearer be-
ing the case than anything l can
think Of
.'The voyage was a very long one, but
at last we landed in Cavite for the first
time in the enemys country. 1t was
there that l saw the native woman for
the first time, and she is enough to
make any man blush. The talk that a
cannot be applied to these women, for
they dress with a few pieces and some
times less than that.
..The churches are one of the most
interesting sights in Cavite. Ere we ar
rived they had been racked and sacked,
but they still bore traces of their for
mer beauty. One church was dated
1913. There We're four others. Think of
five churches in a city which would
make in America about four blocks long
by about nine wide.
1.-The old prison I cannot describe
very well, but it had the appearance
of a place intended to deal out all the
misery to it's occupants before facing
the ,executioner.- The place where the
last act was performed showed plainly
by it's battered condition that many
were the executions performed there.
After three months in CaVite, we
were civilized enough to be transferred
to Manila, where a slight change of
scenery presented itself. Here were to
be seen on the Escolta many fashion,
ably dressed ladies of different nation
alities and some were very pretty. This
CITY was better preserved than Cavite,
and for the first time I realized that
our American churches, at least those
in the West, are anything but pretty in
comparison to those here.
"I will now endeavor to give you a
little description of real war life and
the events that led directly up to it.
over since Christmas, when Major
General Otis was obliged to deny Cen
eral Montenegro the privilege of the
city of Manila. the Americans have
been pestered on outpost duty. AT no
time since our arrival in this neck of
the woods have we been anything but
friendly to the natives. This friend
ship they misconstrued, believing that
it was evidence of our fear of them,
and in the city they appeared to appre-
ciate 1t, but on outpost they abused it.
1.-The Montana regiment had a peril
Gus outpost position, and it came near
being their lot to start the ball rolling.
Had it been their fortune, no one can
tell what their fate would have been.
However, it was left for the Nebraska
boys to lead in the grand march, and
since that memorable night, February
4. there has not been a day or night
that we have not heard some of their
music.
"About o'clock p. m. on February
q was the hour when the fighting be-
gan. There was an insurgent lieuten-