Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-03-30
"A SKIRMISH WITH THE INSURGENTS.
Will Wilson Tells of Some Exciting
Incidents i'm the Philippines.

| CaNlte, L. l. FEB. 9th. 1880
DEAR FATHER AND ALL.
Well we are on land at last Day before yes
terday the First Battalion, Co. L. and n. OF
the Second Battalion went ashore. The mex
day the Third came and this morning we came
Onr Co., Co, L.,were the last to leave and as We
were pulled away from the old PENNSYLVANIA 4
feeling of regret went over us. We had been
on board "a days and had learned to like the old
i ship. We gave the crew of the Pennsylvania
cheer after cheer and they cheered us and
waved their caps as long rs We remained in
| sight. The Pennsylvania started for Manila
| right away, where she will coal and then go tC
| Hong Kong in dry dock Cavite is only Il small
town with only few natives and Cinnamon in
it. The city is nearly situated on an island
Manila is nearly IL miles north from here
across the Bay.
We went out to the fort yesterday and watch
ed the battle for hours. You can imagine how
| we felt when the boys over there were having
such hard fight and we doing nothing but
| standing around watching them Every time
| we saw shot come from one of the ships we
watched its course until it got to Aguinaldo's
| lines then we could see it burst and hear an,
other loud report. That Is when they fired
| slow, but most of the time there was a cOntin.
uouS roar nearly making us deaf although we
were IL miles away. Our Company's quarters
are up stairs in Il large store building The
floors are wood. The windows don't have glass
but are merely openings.
We have every thing just fine and comfortable
and are well pleased. We have not our cots
yet but the Captain said that we would gel
them in little while. We got our Christmas
box Hnpacked and slept on my pillow for the
first time. My, but it was nice. The mosquitoes
are bad but as Hank can tell you we have net
tingS which we sleep in and are all O. X We
had a scare yesterday and thought we were
going to have some fun ourselves but we didn't.
was in the dining room waiting to get shaved
when few boys came in quite excited saying
that Co. X. was called out In about fifteen
minutes we heard the ungOdIiest no Sc you ever
heard, as about SO L. boys came tearing up
stairs six at Il time, some falling over one an
other, their eyes sticking out about one inch.
They dashed In our sleeping rooms, grabbed
their belts, rifles, and when one of them got
quoted a little he said that the Insurgents were
firing on our OutpoSts and that II bugle sounded
a "call to arms" didn't think there was any
thing in it until a Sergeant came in looking
| quite pale and ordered us to fill our canteens
here and we got our equipments and "fell in" in
double time. The roll was hastily called, "FOr-
ward, FOurs Right, 'given and we went down
stairs and swung into the dusty streets and
marched about half mile when we met some
of the other companies and found out that it
was a false alarm. When the bugle sounded
"to arms" in the first place, the soldiers who
were mostly out at the fort watching the Manila
fight jumped to their feet and started on the run
for their quarters. Cinnamon leaped out of
their wooden shoes and with their pig tails
hanging behind them blowing in the breeze,
they left their stands and stores and flew for
home. Natives with their women and children
fled in their houses and barriCaded the doors
and when we marched on the run through the
streets we saw no one but a few u. s. guards
and a few native heads sticking out of the WiE-
dOws. That was our first scare. We are }eX-
pecting another most any time. Last night we
had to sleep with our clothes on and shoes and
leggns. We were ordered to have our guns and
belts at our heads so we could get out in IA
hurry if called. But we didn't get another
alarm and had a pleasant dream of being at
home, and hearing Julia playing on the piano.
l don't think they are fighting in Manila today,
but long after we went to bed last night we
could hear the rumble Of the guns.
February II. Well | haven't this letter
off yet. | must send it soon for we are
liable to be sent to the front again. The
reason | did not send it, is because
we have had little active service and have not
been in Cavite. On Feb. Sth we were very busy