The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-07-28
A SANTIAGO SOLDIER
WRITES A VERY INTERESTING
LETTER FROM THE PHILIP
PINES.
He Has Good Health and Good Times
and Thinks tine Philippines
a Fine Country.

We have been kindly permitted to
publish the following letter from the
Philippines, written by son of James
X. Mcdonald, of West Liberty. Young
Mcdonald was soldier in the 18th
Regulars, in Cuba, and took part in the
battle of San Juan, where he was
wounded:
SAN FERNANDO, 2. l., June 4, 1899.
DEAR MAMA:
Received your loving letter yester-
day; was so glad to hear you all were
we'll. / am in my usual health and still
improving in flesh; weigh 166 pounds.
So you see hunting Filipinos agrees
with me.
I expect you have been looking for
letter from me ere this, but if you have
been watching news from here land
no doubt but you have), you will know
why I did not write.
We have been securing the country
for the last two weeks and 1 must say
we went through everything imaginable
during that time, but we think we will
have it easier now, that the rainy
season is ON.
This is large city; forty-fve miles
from Manila. The cars run from here
to the latter place and are such odd
looking ones; they are so small that
they can only seat twenty-four passen-
gers; they are on the French style of
make; they make very good time con-
sidering everything; the average is
about twenty-five to thirty miles an
hour. So they are not so bad after all.
We are quartered in this city, in
bamboo and stone quarters, with plenty
of water and provisions. The water
from large artesian well; it is very
good. We do not drill; it is too fatig-
uing. We have two Cinnamon, with
OK and cart, to each company, to do our
hauling and heavy work. We get
fresh bread and meat, every other day,
| from Manila, by cars. So you see we
haven't much to growl about.
1 haven't been knocked" out by the
heat yet, although great many have,
and 1 begin to think I am getting
''toughened up.''
We all think this is a beautiful
country. We have men with us who
have been all over the world, and they
pronounce it the finest they ever saw.
Everything can be raised, with. but
little cultivation.
Suppose you saw in the newspapers,
about us taking San Louis. 1t was a
pretty hot fight for while. We fought
within two hundreds of each other, and
it was awful the way we pumped lead
into those heathen. We were so close
to them that we all thought we killed
one every shot, and we fired over a
hundred apiece.
We all think, or at least hope, the
backbone of this trouble is broken, but
you can't tell, for there is not bit OF
confidence to be placed in the majority
of the natives-for treachery is borr
and bred in them.
By the way, the day we had our fight
seemed very much like ''Cuba" to me-
with the "Mausers" flying thick and
fast around us, but they did not "sing'
long.
I had nice long letter from sister
Grace; will answer soon; also an inter
esting letter from Harry Evans.
| Will close by hoping this will int
lyou all enjoying good health. Remem
Der me to all inquiring friends. Write
soon to your affectiOnate son,
| JOHN LOOMS MCDONALD,
i Co. B, 18th U. S. Infantry,
| San Fernando, Philippine Islands