The evening times., 1899-10-03
BACK FROM THE PHILIPPINES.
Lieutenant Donovan Describes His
Experiences I'm the Far East

Experiences I'm the Far East.
NEW YORK, Oct. 3.-Lieu.. Joseph l..
Donovan, Of the Twenty-first Infantry, who
served at lieutenant colonel of the Sixty
ninth regiment in the Spanish war; arrived
in New York from the Philippines SATURDAY.
night on crutches. He is now at Govern
or's Island with Filipino bullet in his left
leg, but he has every prospect Of recovering
fully and again permeating New York with
his breezy personality.
After coming back from the camp at
Huntsville, Ala, with the Sixty ninth regi-
ment, Lieutenant Donovan was relieved
from the volunteer service and sent back te
his old position as commissary at Govern
or's Island. When his regiment was Or
dered to Manila, he went along, leaving
New York ON the 9th of April
The Twenty frst-"The Presidents Own
had no sooner landed than 1t was demand
ed by General Lawton and almost before
the men had got rid Of their sea legs. they
were plugging Filipinos in the marshes
around Manila.
Lieutenant Donovan, acting as adjutanr,
was ordered TO take $50 men-seventy- five
from Company and seyenty-five from Com
pany H-his own company-to make a re-
connoissance about the three mouths OF the
Zapote River ON June 13. General Lawton
accompanied the accommodating party.
They ran into two regiments OF Fiiipinos-
the Thirteenth and Fourteenth, the flower
of Aguinaldos army.
The little party of regulars came into
view at a point about half the width OF
City Hall Park from the Filipino forces,
and ran into a fire that meant business.
While foundering through the marsh aI
the head of his men. striving to reach
position from which he could form and
charge the Filipino stronghold. Lieutenant
Donovan was struck by bullet at point
lust above the knee in the left leg.
1t shattered the whole limb, but in spite
of his injury he went with his men in a
movement to get on the flank of the enc
my. swan a stream assisted by one OF his
soldiers and remained in the fight until
the pain compelled him to get out OF 1t.
Hours after he had been shot he reached
the hospital in Manila, and il was said by
the surgeons that he would have to lose
his leg.
Lieutenant Donovan asked for cigar
ette lit it, and announced that he would
not allow anybody TO cut of his leg he
said he would take d chance. If II mad
been in the civil war" he said yesterday.
they would have sawed it off as soon as
they could have got at me- But the sur
geons OF today are wonders, and they pull
ed me through.
Leaving Manila on August II, Lieutenant
Donovan spent forty-one days on the trip
from the Philippines to this city He put
the foot of his injured leg on the ground
for the first time yesterday.
The Filipinos." he said, ARE good
fighters There is no doubt about that.
They have good guns and they know how
to shoot When they run away it is be-
cause they are whipped. With all the SOL
diers we are sending over there we ought
to do them up in a hurry-the time de-
pending on how long it takes the green
men to get seasoned.
The fighting boys We have over there
are the greatest the world ever saw. They
can't be whipped-that's all there is about
it,
Colonel Duff, Captain Davidson, Captain
Mcclure. Captain Delin. Lieutenant Leary,
and other officers of the Sixty ninth met
Lieutenant Donovan on his arrival Satur-
day night and rendered him luncheon at
the Murray Hill Hotel