The record-union., 1899-03-28
In the Trenches Of Malabon,
Philippine Islands,
February II, 1893.

Dear Mother, Brothers Dudley, Char
ley and Howard, and Sisters KoWena,
Ethel and Edith and friends: l will
now write YOU All a letter, as it is al
most impossible Tor me to write to You
individually. l was fortunate in OBJ
tanning this paper to-day.
1t is evening. The sun has just set
amid all the glory and splendor of a
tropical sunset. A fresh breeze is blow
ing, and it may possibly rain tonight.
I'VE have just been assigned our posi-
tionS in the trenches two PAGES apart.
We face a. ravine, beyond which lies an
open plain skirted by a fringe of ban-
boo. Insurgent sharpshooters fire.
quently try their skill, and though very
poor marksmen, their little Mauser
balls come tipping unpleasantly near,
though We mind this but little now.
This trouble, which has been coming
gradually, came to a head on the night
of February 4th, while a determined,
preconceived attack was made around
the entire city
1t Isl now morning. I had to stop last
might because of darkness. No lights
are allowed. The boys talk in low tones
till after taps. Away off on our right
flank last night the clouded sky was
hinged red by the burning of native
shacks. They have to be burned. They
are dangerous. Flashes of lightning
ever and anon lit UP the sky, seemingly
m opposition to Dewey'S brilliant
searchlights, which at frequent inter
walls play over the surrounding coun-
try, revealing the possible presence OF
foes Heavy firing. lasting for fully
Two hours, occurred on our right at
at midnight. Some thought it was the
First California 1t was a long way
off, but the dropping sound was dis
.tinctly heard.
l was on ration guard last night. and
on the main outpost guard two nights
before. We sleep on the bare ground,
with only the blue vault of heaven as a
canopy. 1t gets very cold toward morn
ing, with a heavy dew, but our blank
cts keep US warm. We are now await
ing reinforcements. when we will prob
ably quickly force the insurgents to
submission
We are camped on high ground and
are fed we'll We have fresh meat
beans, rice. mush. potatoes, prunes.
bread and coffee in rotation. We are
restered with flies mosquitoes and
ants, and they all bite vicously.
will try and give you a little account
of the present trouble, from the night
of February 18th to the present.
The native soldiers were daily becoTn-
ing more unbearable We were shut up
in our quarters,-with but little free
dom. and we longed for something to
change the monotony. We were eX-
pecting to be sent home when the regu-
lars came, but there was more than one
who wanted to see something happen
that would change the manner of the
Filipino and make him respect the
Americans once more. They planned
their outbreak and carried it out but
their crushing defeat showed them
again that the. American was to be re-
spected, not castigated; to be honored.
not disgraced.
On Saturday night I was sent on out
post duty to increase the regular out
post, as was usual every night. About
$50 a peculiar noise was heard
away over toward Malate. The Lieu
tenant said it was firing, but did
not think it would amount to
much. Fifteen minutes later I took
my post near the pesthouse. An
old veteran of Battery X was with me.
We thought we heard trampling on the
Iilf TOOl VI lilt uOSplldl we Sooii, iloN =
ever, agreed that it was firing. The
Kansas regiment was on our left. the
Montanas on our right The firing
came nearer and nearer. Suddenly a
shot was heard in front of US in the
bamboo This was signal for an on
Elaught on the Montanas, and then the
ball was opened in our part of the
country
What a roar of old Springfields fol-
lowed, Did you ever hear the noise on
Christmas or Chinese New Year. when
all the crackers in town seemed to be
going off? Or did you ever witness an
Immense confiagration when great
buildings We're going up in smoke
These noises would family illustrate
the noise on our right, and the noise
that was soon taken up by the Kansas.
The patrol came running in, shouting
their identity. The patrol of three men
and we two made a force of five men.
Then we waited for reinforcements
The patrol said they saw the insur-