Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1899-09-07
WE SAW THE FIRST NEBRASKA
A Manly Crowd of Brave Soldiers
Were They.

Wednesday morning of last week we
stood among the thousands who thronged
the depot yards in Omaha, to greet the
members of the First Nebraska Volunteers
In came the train in three section bearing
the most precious load that ever came to
the city The bells rang, whistles blew,
locomotives screached and the voice of
ten thousand people rang out on the morn
ing air. The deep voiced cannon fired a
salute, flags waved joyous welcome and
the bands played sweet music while with
abated breath and tears of joy the rela-
tives and friends of the Fighting First"
greeted the manly, noble and patriotic
boys that had so nobly defended the flag
of their country and endured and suffered
the hardshipS privatives and the attend
ant horrors of war.
We soon met our brother and in so do.
ing the fondest and dearest and most pre-
cious hope of a lifetime was fulfilled. AS
much as we love our country, her flag,
her institutions and the freedom and lib
erty she greetS her citizens, we love our
brother more and the sense of JOY it affords
us cannot be expressed in words and had
our readers witnessed the meeting of the
ny L
dear, grey-haired mothers whose vlsage
betrayed traces of care and sorrow and
whose eyes were dimmed with tears and
her heart of love for her darling boy so
full of joy that speech failed to give utter
ance, lesson would have been taught
that nothing but death could eradicate
from the memory
Owing to privileged courtesies shown
L,
had been appointed to protect and care for
the boys at the depot and to serve them
with feast, we We're permitted to pass
into the encircled and guarded enclosure
where long tables We're spread and loaded
with all the necessities and dainties that
could be purchased and provided for the
boys. We could not realize or understand
how the boys could sit down to the tables
and eat with such seemingly indifference
upon meeting their relatives and friends
after so long an absence. For ourselves.
we had eaten no breakfast and no daint-
les, however temptingly prepared .and
daintily served, could have tempted us.
We were permitted to be on the inside
with the boys, owing to our belonging to
the newspaper fraternity, but our heart
bled for poor fathers, mothers and others
who were not permitted to be close be-
side their loved ones. We soon met all of
the members of Company "B I" to which
our brother belonged, besides most of the
commissioned officers of the regiment.
BY nine O'Clock the soldier boys were in
line for the last time, ready to march to
the City Hall in front of which they were
to halt and be welcomed by the mayor of
Omaha and the other towns ha wing COM
panies and by the Governor in behalf of
the state. Many organizations joined the
parade which was over mile long and
all acting as an escort to the brave boys of
the Fighting First From the time the
procession started until it stopped it was
a grand triumphant ovation, such as we
have never before seen and last year we
witnessed the return of the Ohio boys at
Cleveland and the 18th Illinois-the Irish
regiment-return to Chicago, but there
was no such demonstration or appropriate
ovation was given them as was rendered
to the First Nebraska that had Seen SER
vice in the PHILIPPINES and We're now re-
turning with honor and unfaded glory for
the state from which they had gone forth.
We We're surprised to find the entire
regiment made up of such young men
who had scarcely passed from mere boy
hood. They all looked much better than
anyone expected and in fact, With few ex-
ceptions, they were in better coalition
than when they enlisted. They were not
badly tanned and there was nothing to
give any evidence that they had been in a
climate that had been unbearable. All of
the boys complained of the heat on the
streets of Omaha and declare that they
had not endured any such heat at any
time in the Philippines. They say that all
newspaper reports of their hardships and
suffering are badly overdrawn and smile
to think the people here so little under
stand the situation as it really exists.
While the boys of The" Fighting First"
have seen the most active service of any
regiment there, and have suffered the
greatest loss OF men, they are universally
agreed that the reports here as to the
number of Philippines killed in the var-
Gus engagements are greatly exaggerat-
ed, and they believe, in fact know, that
they did not kill more than one-tenth the
number reported in the American news
papers. 1t is universally conceded that it
will require at least 100000 men to defeat
the Philippines, and that these would
have to be under the command of Lawton
and Hale; and with such commanders it
would require two years to end the war.
Not a private or officer has good word
for General Otis and they generally speak
of him as "Well-in-hand," owing to the
term used by him so frequently in his re-
ports. Every one thinks the island would
be a desirable place to live and that there
is a bright future awaiting it's develop
ment. The people in all the captured dis
trict are bright, active and energetic, and
possess degree of intelligence equal to
that of many of the European nations. In
battle they are brave and nervy and dis
play much heroiSm. In all the houses
they entered in the captured districts
they found books and papers and letters
and scraps of writing Indicating that
they could read and write. Most of the
books We're of religious nature and
treated on religious topics. Their homes
through all the interior were we'll and
comfortably furnished and everything
was indicative of the practices of modern
civilization. In the cities the houses were
most elegantly furnished and artistically
arranged. Their dishes are numerous
and of the finest Chinaware. They also
have large quantities of fine silverware
and in nearly every home would be found
large French mirrors. All of the boys
brought back many relics but since they
Il arnf,, ~ IA