The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-02-17
LATE SOLDIER LETTER
Adds a Little More to the Infor =
nation About Manila and De-
scribes two lola Boys
Picnic.

letbbT from MS son rTou, III mduiit
yesterday from which the REGISTER
Is permitted to print the following ex-
tracts:
Headquarters Goth. Kans. inf U. s.
V. II. o. NJ. Dept. Manila, p. /.
January A, 1900.
Dear Folks:-The LIST. Iowa, 18
Regulars and 9th. Artillery went to
lloilo about q month ago and the let.
California ls on board coast steamers
now to go. there. They were "roar-
ing" because they thought they were
going to be relieved and sent home.
The natives have taken possession OF
Iloilo as the Spanish evacuated about
two weeks ago and it is reported here
that some trouble occurred when the
LIST. Iowa landed. There Is talk of
our being sent there. Our Brig. Gen.
has been sent there or rather Gen.
Miller who was our General has been
sent there and he requested the Com
manding General to let him have the
10Th. Kansas. But Brig. Gen. Otis,
who is our Brig. now, is his senior and
wanted us himself Our going or
staying here hinged on the seniority
of these two generals. Major Gen.
Macarthur is our Maj. Gen. command
ing the 2nd. Division, and Maj. Gen.
Otis is commanding the whole lay
out, the Sth. army corps. suppose
you have read all this but it may have
been in such shape that it would be
difficult to follow the regiment and
remember its place. But | don't
know as it makes any difference ex-
cept to an old army man. Just now
is u rather critical period here. In
structions have been received here to
take formal possession of the islands
and it is expected that the proclama-
ton will be issued almost any day
and we will probably soon know
whether or not we will have to go out
in the swamps and jungles and fight
the insurgents. They can't hope to
whip us but it will be hard job tn
make them surrender If they retreat
farther back in the swamp. IT would
be impossible, almost, 10 whip them
or starve them out in such case as the
swamps are almost impossible and
they can't be starved out as they can
live ON almost nothing, and there is
plenty of fruit and nuts. LUST now
heard couple of officers who were in
here say that general proclamation
by President Mckinley was issued
here last mig hit but you will read it In
tomorrow's paper. All the troops
here are confined to barracks, as they
may be needed at any mement
Another reason, | think, Is that they
have all been paid lately and toe
many of them might get drunk
There is lots of American liquor here
at a rather high price, but many o
them drink native liquors, especially
native beer which they say tastes like
certain kind of u. 5. beer. / have
never tasted any kind of drink here
There is quite good deal of small
pOX here Nine Kansas boys are IN
the hospital now with 1t. One dice
night before last. 1t was Cornett, o
Co. +, of whom l spoke in my las
letter. His Captain went over to the
hospital and bolted in to see him il
/ spite of rules and he is in the hospita
now for the last five days. They say
he has it too He is "a man of iror
nerve and constitution and tries [,
take care of his boys, l am perfect!
well and my work is not killing me
l got vaccinated again yesterday.
don't think 1t was at all necessary a
1 have good fresh scar, but Dr
Boaz told me to come In yesterday a
he had some new virus of Asiati
small pox that he wanted to try Of
me. Oh, it Is all right, 1 dent SUI
pose 1t will take but If 1t does 1t vii
fortify me all the more against tn
disease. think there is somethin
in person not being afraid of 1t.
such is the case it may help me on
some, as really am not frightene
about it. am not Christian Scien
tist either.
On New YEARS. day Bert Miller an
1 weat out to FIT. Malata and saw tn
holes which Rear Admiral Dewe
shot through the walls of the for
We took some canned turkey, sal
dimes, apricots and crackers whic
came in his Christmas box and had
feast out there on the beach betwee
the fort and the water, right undo
where the shells from Dewey's flee
passed. The natives here are afraid O
death OF Admiral Dewey. They seeI
to think he Is some sort OF God. b
the way, do not know whether {
not the other Kansas City papers hay
a special reporter here, but the Ste
has. am quite well acquainted wit