The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-05-10
LETTER FROM
MANILA.
WELLINGTON SOLDIER BOY
WRITES HOME.
A Pass Into ManIlla-Meeting Of Other
Wellinston BOys-Ths Flying Brigade
Murder and MutilatlOn of Wounded
Filipino style-On 10 Malolos.


We give below the latest letter from
Francis T. Reynolds to his parents in
Wellington. 1t was written in camp
near Manila, March "a, 1899:
"In Camp, March "a, 1899.
my dear father and all: received
your letter this morning, written Feb.
10, 1899, in which you ask me to tell
you II received it. assure you did
and was very glad to hear from you.
But before | go any further, let me
tell you there are two more boys from
Wellington here. The other day got
a 12-hours' pass and went into Manila,
and as | was walking up the Escolta,
| passed sentry who raped me on
the back and said Hello, Reynolds, old
boy, how are you coming?' On looking
around there stood Lu Ashford. l
would not have been more surprised if
l had seen you or mother. We then
went down to the Twenty-second U. S.
headquarters and saw Art Hollenbach,
who is here, too. There was another
boy who came from somewhere in that
region who will never return, for on
March 18th, when THE Fourteenth and
Twenty-second u. S. and the First
Washington volunteers and Second
Oregon volunteers were in the flying
brigade, he was one of the boys that
was wounded, and when we fell back
for the night he was missing. When
we again advanced the next morning
he was found with his head bursted
with the butt of gun and his heart
and stomach cut out. So you see our
fate If we fall into their hands.
Within the next four days many a
hoy in blue win bite the dust, for to-
morrow morning we commence our
march for the capital of the Filipinos,
the fortified town of Malolos, which
the Spaniards have not been able to
take for the last 80 years, and it will
cost many life to take it, but when
1t is once taken the trouble is about
over, for they can get no more food, for
the head commissary of the Filipinos
is there and also their powder mill is
located there, and that supply of course
will be cut off. We start tomorrow,
and we are all eager to go, and, of
course, all think that they are the
ones to get Through lucky. But, Of
course, time alone will tell.
There will be 10000 men in the ad-
vance, the rest holding the lines to the
south and east.
The advance as given out to-day will
consist of the Twenry-second U. s.,
Thirteenth Minnesota, Second Oregon
infaIstry, Fourth u s. cayaaryy Four
teenth U. S. infantry, Sixth and Third
artillery, Utah light artillery, Twen-
tieth Kansas infantry, First Nebraska
and First North Dakota, and every inch
of the ground must be fought, as they
have breastworks nearly all the way
from Maloban to Malolos, which is Is
miles, and Maloban is Is miles rom Ma
Mia.
Everything is very quiet along the
lines to-day, but, as usual, there is al
ways a calm before a storm.
Tell mother to write as often as pos
sible and | will do the same, but it is
very seldom we can get any writing
paper on the field and wv ure generally
too tired to write, and after a hard
days fight, you, father, know what it
is to go out and do guard duty all
night. Yes, there is something you
cannot feel or imagine unless you have
been there and seen comrades fall,
killed and wounded by your side, and
wondering if your turn is next. But
when you see the stars and stripes we
all love so dearly fall to the ground as
the color-bearer is wounded, all fear
leaves you and you rush forward, think
ing not of your life or loved ones at
home, but only OF your flag that is
down. And when again she floats in
the breeze, with victory floating before
her, cheer after cheer rends the air as
the boys in blue move forward.
March 26.-Maloban has fallen. Still
moving forward; $50 Americans killed
and wounded. Insurgent losses un-
known, as they carry their dead back
among the hills, as much as possible,
but so far there have been 1900 buried
by our boys in the last two-days' fight.
Tell Mr.. Ashford that Lu is safe. He
came over this morning to see if l was
still kicking. Goodbye. Malolos is
ours tomorrow.
FRANCIS T. REYNOLDS.