Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-17

think of. Just as our festal occasion was
about to break up, the crack Filipino bant
of the city, the one that went out with Agui-
naldo when he started on the warpath came
down from Manila and serenaded us. play
ing THE Stars and Stripes" America
Yankee Doodle and "a Hot Time" After
the war opened we captured this band, but
as they appeared to be a pretty decent lot
of fellows we didn't treat them badly.
FiIipinos Share Christmas Cheer.
"After the serenade we banqueted the
Filipino musicians and showed them a good
time. They remained with us during the
evening and entered into the spirit of the
enjoyment that was going on. They sang
songs and played until taps for lights were
sounded.
with the soldiers Christmas was an off
day so far as work was concerned. There
was the regular guard duty, but that was
all. We did not have to drill or appear on
dress parade, so taking it all together, we
had pretty good time"
THE boys of the Fifty-first Iowa did not
eat turkey last Christmas" remarked Frank
w. Reed of Company l. of that regiment,
who had listened to Barnell. I'm fact" he
continued, sit was one of the nastiest
Christmas days l ever experienced. Last
Christmas we were lying out in the bay at
Manila, about two miles from shore. 1t
was as hot as hades and not thing to break
the rays of the sun except the tarpaulins
we stretched over the decks of the transport
Pennsylvania, Our regiment left San Fran
cisco on this transport about November 3
and reached Manila just day or two be-
fore Christmas, We found our Christmas
boxes awaiting us and received them the
night of December "a. Opening these and
admiring the contents, which consisted of
good things to eat and little presents from
home, helped to relieve the monotony, but
even this was not enough. We had been on
the water nearly two months, and wanted
to get out on the land and stretch our legs,
which seemed to be tied up In knots How
ever, our wants were disregarded and we
stayed on the ship.
Christmas on the Transport.
"As to our Christmas dinner, it was pretty
fair and was varied somewhat from the reg
ulation fare on the boat. We took some
money out of the company fund and bought
canned goods, which, in addition to our ba-
con and beef on the daily menu, made a
pretty fair dinner. In the evening, after
the sun went down and after the atmosphere
cooled OH some, we got out the musical in
struments and had stag party. There were
round and square danees, the men who posed
as female partners having handkerchiefs
tied around their arms to distinguish them.
After the dance We had songs, recitations
and stories and games, yet we were not
happy. The next day we sailed up along the
coast and it was a couple of weeks before
we touched land. | shall always remember
Christmas, 1898, but never with a great deal
of pleasure"
Il have an idea we had about as good a
time last Christmas as any of the boys"
said Fred Nygaard, who was a first lieuten-
ant in Company ID, Third Nebraska yolun-
teers Last Christmas" he said, I'VE were
at Savannah, Ga Our Christmas boxes from
home came the night before and with them
and their contents and the royal manner in
which the women of Savannah treated us,
We had much TO make us happy
The day before Christmas the members
OF the Womens Christian asso-
citation came TO our camp, four miles from
the city, and told us they were going to
make our Christmas. OF course that was
cheering information and Christmas morn
ing the boys were all out with the coming
Of the dawn. They all put on clean clothes,
shaved and looked as spruce as though they
were going to church. Along about s o'clock
100 young women clothed in pure white
Invaded our camp. With them they brought
wagOnloads Of evergreen wreaths, flowers