The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-07-21

Idaho, and a part OF the 23rd infan-
try, four troops of Colorado and
part Of the Utah and 9Th artillery.
These two Observation-Disclosures and
McArthur's-are the ones which
have been doing most of the heavy
fighting. The Coloradoans, LIST
Washington, and lst Wyoming are
holding the trenches on the south
line; the lst California is on Negros
lsland-that' is, one battalion of it.
The other battalion is in the trench
es. The lst Tennessee is at Iloilo.
This practically covers the fighting
area. Notice how scattering the
regulars are.
Now, what we would like 70 know
is, what are we here for? We vol
u%nteers suffer all the %hardships and
do all the lighting, while the regu-
lars lounge around in Manila, sport
ing white shirts and clean clothes,
living well and sleeping in a good
bed. SO many civilians might just
as well have been sent here by the
Washington authorities for all the
good the regulars are to US. | see
a good many Of the people and press
are pulling the wool over the eyes of
the people as to the sentiments of the
volunteers. We are willing to stay
and do our duty ii need be, but we
don t think they need US any more,
as they have plenty of regulars TO
do the business if they will only use
them, but it is a sure thing that
they don't intend to have any of
their pet regulars killed off as long
as they have u few ''worthlcss' vol
unteers left. | am sure if our
friends knew the real condition here
they would say with Gov. Lee:
Send our regiment home. 1t has
done its full duty and is no longer
necded.'
From another volunteer writing
to Victor E. Swanson from San Fer
nando under date of May 3lst, TIL
UNION takes the following:
1--WE came here about two weeks
ago and kave not had much fighting
lately, except that Wednesday
Thursday, Friday and today the
lowas + having some slight Skin
miShes. Our regiment was out fol
a while but later returned to quar-
ters. Company NJ is on outpos
duty, but as | have sore feet anc
cannot e a shoes | am in camp
There II only about twenty mel
tit for duty IN the company. Few
Of them arc seriously sick, the mair
trouble being with sore feet unt
limbs what we call ''dobe Itch
bat it is hard enough. I can hardl,
walk sometimes. | wish we hat
some of those people over here witt
see so much harm in Gov. Lee
letter. | don't care how many regi
ments OF regulars Uucle Sam ma,
send here, he will never find on,
that will Guido the First South Da
kOta.
don't believe we will leave Ma
, Mia for some time yet. | lear
from "Freedom," the Manila pape
. we get, that the Oregon and Califor
MIA regiments are about to 90. w
have not had much rain yet, but
suppose it will not be long before i
starts in. The Maccabebes are sci
ing US fruit now. We have mangoes
! bananas and a few pineapples
, though the latter are somewha
green yet. The autho rites are OF
ganizing a company Of Maccabebes
They will work them in the comm:
l sary for a while and probably dis
charge some of the Chinese to max
room for them, but | don't thin
they will dare give them arms FIR
long time to come. The Utah ba'
terry was relieved today, but may g
f somewhere else along the line.
hope we will be left where we ar
until we are ready to start home a
we never get u rations regularl
a while on the march. Lieutenan
i Young has been in Manila durin
the past two weeks taking his e,
e animation. He came back to tn
e line by train today. Col. Frost
= acting brigade commander and a
the boys have a better opinion {
him than they used to have. 70
ought to have seen how indignar
the boys of Company NJ were tt
other day when they received tt
Rapid City Journal and read il
comments on Gov. Lees letter.
: petition was circulated among thel
thanking the governor and indor
! ing his action and every man in tn
company signed it but two. Go,
Lee is the mar most of the DO,
say they will vote for when they &c
back If he runs for ofice-no matte
which ticket he is on.
This morning the insurgents cam
out in front Of the Iowa regimen
h swinging their hats and cheerin,
loudly, but we have not seer ther
! since. But l must close. Hor
that | will be able to be back to 70
, all before long
r These letters from the boys in tn
: ranks speak for themselves and n
e comment is required by THE UN1o,
One letter shown TO us refers I