The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-05-31
IN THE
PHILIPPINES.
Wilmington Boy Tells His
Sister Of Army Life
There.
Letter from the Philippine Islands.

Letter from the Philippine Islands.
The following IL a letter from Elwood
Stokes to his sister, who resides .atNo. !23
Warner street.
Malabon, Philippine Islands. ~:
April 9th, 1899.
Dear Slster:-I wrote you letter after
I arrived In Manila. We only stayed
there two days. Then we moved out close
to the firing line and campedayer night,
and tell you wehad good grub as we
would go out and catch chickens and pigs,
as there were plenty Of each, but now they
are getting scarce, as we together with the
volunteers have cleaned them up pretty
thoroughly. After our first night out we
were on the 60 all tho time We would go
into camp and stay about half a day or
night and then would start ont again. We
just kept that up till We had marched to
Malolos, the capital Of tho insurgents.
After we took the capital we chased the
Insurgents little wayI further and then
stopped for while to give them time to
give up, but they have not done so yet,
and don't think that tn ey will either.
We did not have any one hurt in our COM
pany, but one Of the battalions had 1t
pretty hard as they were right in the mix
up and there is six dead and about twenty
wounded In one battle. We have not been
In any battle but we were on the line, for
all the niggers shoot very high as II gen.
eral thing and toll you it made some Of
the boys feel funny to hear the bullets go
ing over our heads. 1t was not much
trouble to take Malolos. Some Of the sol.
diers thought they would have hard bat
tie OF 1t, but when the artillery started to
give them some Of their bullets, they soon
backed out aud ran out Of the city. We
have had good time since we have been
here as everybody, that Is the natives
all left their houses and we had great
times going from one house to another
ransacking and destroying all tho furni-
ture and every thing else In sight, and in
most cases burning the shack as they are
all built Of bamboo and the roof is made
OF the leaves They are nice places for
tho warm weather. but of course tho in
surgents have saved us the trouble of do
Ing all that in most places Us the business
part of tho towns had been destroyed be.
fore we arrived thore. There are some
very large churches here, some Of them
being larger than any in Wilmington
We would 60 in and some OF them would
BIO smashed to pieces ond some would be
burning. We have gone through towns
as big rs Wilmington. and most all would
be In ruinous condition from fire. The
furnit ure that they use here is very expen.
sive. have seen some suits that are all
mahogany and inlaid with ivory and very
fancy in every other way; the beds here
are not spring beds but they are all made
of cane, that is the centre where they
would have the STATS 1t is made the
same as any cane seat chair. They have
some very nice reclining chairs.
We have como back within four miles Of
Manila to town called Malabon. 1t was
at one Tina, before we captured 1T, q town
OF about 10000 population. The centre is
all burnt out but we have quarters In some
OF the best buildings and arc guarding the
town to keep out the insurgents. The na-
tives are all coming back to their homes
andlstarting over again as II nothing had
happened. A few Of them have started
little stores and sell bananas and other
fruit. There are bananas, piueapples and
coooanuts growing all over the island and
have found out that bananas will not
get ripe on the trees; they just keep grow
Ing and when they arc cut from the tree
they soon get yellow and are all right. I
have had some Of the best ever ate here;
they seem to taste better. There Is not
much left now for the natives to eat and
think che Government will have to give
them supplies before long or some of them
will be starving, as now when we line up
for our meals there Is a string of them
waiting for our leavlngs or anything that
we oannot eat, and they arc hard looking
set OF people. As rule tho most of them
are old people and young children most Of
the young mon are out with the enomy
md here we arc taking care of their people;
but when they catch any of our people
they make short work OF them. Just the
other day a cook from the Minnesota VOL
unteers went out to got some eggs and
when he did not return in time to cook
supper they sent detail Of men after him,
and when they had searched while they
found him by tho side of the road with
basket Of eggs and with his skull mashed
In, and five or six cuts, rs If they had gone
up behind him and hit him on tho head
and then stabbed him; then they took his
revolver, but did not rob him as he had a
watch and about 500 in gold on him l
tell you they are very treacherous people.
We have orders for every man to take his
gun and belt with him wherever he goes.
Most Of the nights we are not allowed to
take off our shoes as we expect them to at.
tack us at any time. We arc on guard
good part of the time We are on ono
day and night and have twonights off and
some Of the posts that VIC have arc very
lonesome and dangerous too, but we don't
have to take any chances rs we always
have our guns loaded with six bullets and
II we see anything We are supposed to halt
tuolh ohoo uhu ehou IL tiioy uuL Y StUp why
we shoot, but some Of the volunteers
say shoot first and halt them afterwards is
the best plan here. We have 1t pretty good,
though for all, as oil of tho boys were al
lowed to get all the furniture they needed
aud some Of the quarters here are just like
home with chairs, tables and beds. Most
Of them have clocks and everything that
they need But the house that we wore In
there was young fellow got sick and the
doctor said 1t was small pox and of course
they had us all put out and we were not
allowed to take anything out Of the place,
so now we have to divide with all the
other shacks. We have not got any beds
but the floor Is just tho same to us; we
will go out and hunt up another bed and
We will be all right again. did not toll
you about the railroad thut we have here
1t Is what they call narrow gauge road,
being very narrow alongside Of the ones
at home, but it came in handy, running
the whole length Of the Island, and
when they were chasing the insurgents
back they tore up the tracks and threw
tha raiIc in ha ditch or nc to dol,u