Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-02-23
ANOTHER SOLDIER BOYS LETTER.
VIII Wilson Writes Interestingly
From IIoiIo Harbor.
On board Steamer Pennsylvania"
Jan. g. 1899. Iloilo Harbor.


Jan. 2, 1899. Iloilo Harbor.
DEAR FATHER AND ALL THE FAMILY:
suppose you are all wondering what
has become of us and how we are get
ting along, etc, so will try and write
you few lines. 1 suppose you Of course
have heard through papers that we came
here and that the insurgents were in
control of the city and that we have to
scrap them in order to gain the city for
ourselves. But you must remember
that very little of the news in the papers
is true, 30 don't believe all you read. AS
to US capturing the city we are yet to
learn, but if we don't capture it it will
be the biggest surprise in the world; for
remember that we have been on board a
transport sixty.one days and believe
that we can whip any two regiments Of
troops on earth if our reward is to be
ITO live on land once more" In other
words the word "land" sounds to us like
the word "heaven'' should sound to all
of us. What wouldn't I give to place
my feet on land once more? I know
that there isn't soldier on board who
wouldn't swim all the way from this ship
to the city ifonly given permission. But
am 80 glad that we are not to be
stationed at Manila that I would be
willing to stay on board another thirty
days in order to be stationed somewhere
else. The people down here are more
brilliant and sharper than the people OF
Manila. We can tell that in several
ways. First, down here the natives have
sail boats which they manage as we'll as
American sailors. Second, they are busy
all day long conveying their women and
children across the bay to another island.
Third, they know better to come around
our transports in their little sail boats.
And another good reason that they are
quite intelligent is the fact that they
captured the city from the Spanlards
and did not massacre their prisoners;
and they have sentinels posted along on
top Of the walls of their ports and
trenches and have their flags flying
everywhere. But we are not scared out
at all and are as crazy as bed bugs to get
orders to land.
L am sure we will like the city of Iloilo
better than Manila for several reasons.
1t is situated on level ground, bounded
on one side by mountains and on all
other sides by the sea, so there is a
strong sea breeze blowing over the city
all the time, keeping it more healthful
than Manila. BY looking through field
glasses we can see that the people all
wear white suits, while in Manila half
the people wore no clothes scarcely at
all. The buildings are quite nice looking
and although we can't see much of the
streets Of the city, from what we can tell
from the distance, they appear wider
than those of Manila. We are all we'll
pleased with what we have already seen
of our new quarters and we are sure that
we will be coatented and comfortable
here. We left Manila week ago yester.
day. Gen. Miller is in charge of us and
we could not be under better general
He came with the 9th Artillery on the
transport Newport" The 18th Regular
Regt. came on the "Arizona" and we of
course came on our dear old stand by
the "Pennsylvania." Dewey sent the
first class cruiser Baltimore with us
and also dispatch boat. The reason
we haven't landed before is that when
we started down here the Spaniards
held the city and we expected to land
peaceably and help them. But when we
arrived here and found that the insur-
gents had control it was a different
matter. Gen Miller went ashore and
tried to persuade the natives to give up
the city. They refused, but he still
argued with them thinking they would
give in without fight, but they wont
do it. Miller then sent word to Gen.
Otis at Manila for reinforcements and
ordered all the foreigners out of the city.
The foreigners, who are mostly German
and English, have twenty-four hours in
which to leave and they have been flock
ing out of the city all day.
We expect the cruiser Concord" down
here from Dewey's feet in the morning
and twenty-four hours afterward we
expect to be in the city. A German war
ship is here now. It is the "Irene," the
cruiser which caused Dewey so much
trouble at Manila. But she don't dare
to cut any antics here because an En-
glish warship is here also to see fair play.
There is Spanish gunboat here also,
but she is disabled and can't do any
thing but lay here in the harbor and
defantly fly her flag.
Whom we enlisted we expected to get
into some battles and help serve our
country, but after the peace protocol
was signed we lost all hope and expected
that our only fate was to come here and
stay in garrison until mustered out of
the service But now just think what a
pleasant surprise is in store for us. We
IL - h. L.