Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-03-02
FROM THE PHILIPPINES.
John Bloom, Jr.. Writes Interestingly
of His War Experience.

from John Bloom, who enlisted in the
First Nebraska regiment, on Feb. 20,
1893:
MANILA, Phil. Is, Jan. 3, 1899.
MIR. NICK. MILLER:
Well, old boy, | got your kind and
welcomed letter, and was glad to hear
from you, and to hear that you were
all we'll.
This leaves me somewhat stiff this
morning, for we had Field day yester-
day | was in quite number of the
sports. | won the 200 yard foot race
and the 100 yard heavy marching
order race, and ] was in the base ball
game and we won that as it is so hot
here that it nearly bakes one to death.
Well Nick, / will try and tell you
all from the time that | enlisted as
near as ! can; and that will give you
some idea of what we had to endure
and what we have to endure at the
present time.
Well, on the 10th of February, en-
listed In Co. ID. Nebraska Vols. AT
that time, they were only the Nebras-
ka National Guards; but were called
on to drill every night, until we were
called out to Camp Alvin Saunders,
on the 10th of April, and on the 9th of
May we were mustered into the United
States service.
When we went into Camp Alvin
Saunders, it raincd nearly all the time
we were there, and kept us good and
wet, and at that time it was not very
hot at that place; and on the 18th OF
May, we got orders to be ready to
break camp, as soon 40 we received
notice. 1t came on the 18th inst. at
four o'clock in the morning, and in
one minute from the time that the
buglc sounded there was no more
camp.
At II O'Clock we pulled out of
we could see was people. And we had
just such crowds all the way. We
got into San Francisco; were taken
across on the ferry; then went into the
Red Cross headquarters and had IL
good supper We then marched six
miles to Camp Merritt, and pitched
camp, We were the first to pitch
camp in Frisco, and were there four
weeks, when we got orders to go on
board the S. S. Senator.
And from the time we got on board
that ship we did not get enough to eat,
except one day, and that was at Hon
olulu. The way we were treated there
! will never forget, nor will the rest of
the boys. There was nothing to good
for us.
We left there the next morning, and
were then on the boat twenty-four
days May be you may think that we
were not tired of that trip. We were
all glad to see land; we got into
Manila on Sunday morning, the 10Th
of July.
We could see the Spanish war ships
all sunk and blown to pieces, and the
natives and Spanish fighting. All that
we could hear were rifle reports and
cannons roaring. At night we saw
the line of fire: and the next morning,
we unloadcd from our prison on "cas-
cas-, or small boats. We could not
get to shore in them, so we had to
jump into water up to our waists, and
some OF us up to our necks, and wade
ashore and pack all the stuff from the
boat, and then go and pitch our tents.
1t was raining all the time, and our
tents that we had were only shelter
tents. They were only two feet high
and four feet long: so one-half of our
body would lay out in the rain all the
time. We had only one change of
clothes, so We could change. The
grub" we got consisted of canned
beef, hard tack, coffee and the side of
n hog, That was killed for II year or
two. Well, we lived that way for five
weeks, and fought Spapiards, ants
and mosquitoes, and packed wood to
cook with.
Well Nick, the first time that we
went out to fight we did not have any
intrenchments, and it made us wonder
why we ever left II happy home and
mother dear: but we soon got used to
1t and forgot that We ever had a home
for little while, when the Spanish
sent the first volley into our lines;
and the order was given to load and
then to fire. There was II wall of fire
for twenty feet in our front.
The next trip was August 18th. That
is one of tho nights that | never will
forget We won't out in the morning
Mt -.lh and upt In tho intreorhmants