Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-05-17
WILL EBERT WRITES TO HIS
BROTHER IN ROSEDALE.
RECEIVED SERIOUS WOUNDS
LETTER WRITTEN FROM THE HOS
pITAL AT MANILA.
Bullet Passed Through His Abdomen
and Then Through n Comrades
Leg-Severnl Deaths From
Smallpox in the Phil
ippine Capital.

Charles Ebert of Rosedale, has received
d letter from his brother. VIII Ebert, OF
the Twentieth Kansas. who was wounded
March IS IN t. lighting before Mdlolos.
Young Eh4rt's case was remarkable Illus
tration of Ickleuess i'll the fortunes of war.
His letter is as follows:
Il have written but one letter since i
have been on the island. While we were IN
the barracks in the city the smallpox was
SO bad that l was afraid to write; lots OF
our boys have died with it, including two CT
my bunkmatcs, on whom l waited for over
week before we knew what was the mat
ter. with them. So you see L am pretty
lucky so far. Smallpox IS an awful thing
over here. The city of Manila is Il regular
peSthouse, as large percent OF the ma
tivcS have the disease. AS for the island, l
can't say as am much stuck on It, Manila
itself is a very romantic looking old place:
1t is a large city, is very low and situated
on the bay: the harbor is very poor one,
ships of any size cannot come nearer
than four miles to the city, yet it could be
made very good port, but would require
lots of capital.
There are two cities, one called the cid
and the other the new; the old is surround
ed by Il large wall, ranging from thirteen
to fifteen feet in height and from thirty to
walls. the inner and the outer, making a
very strong defense. Outside of the wall Is
the canal, ranging from forty to elghty
feet in width and from ten to twelve feet
deep. 1t is impossible to navigate 1t, as 1t
is nearly full of mud. The new city Is
across the river, and the principal business
of the two cities is carried on there Over
two-thirdS of the city Is built OF bamboo
such as you see in pictures. The river
Pasig is very large stream, nearly as
large as the Missouri: quite large steamers
10
out of this country and it wouldn't be
very desirable place to live in. The natives
are a low minded class of people sup
pose you have read what lively time we
have had with them. SO lively someti mes
that the Yanks will never forget 1t. We
have had some tough skirmishes with them
but they have never made us run yet
Il suppose you will be surprised to know
that / am writing this letter in the hos
pital at Manila, the first time have been
in the city since the war began, as have
The Twentieth Kansas is one of the
principal regiments here, and we have
seen plenty of good, hard fighting: we are
in what they call the Flying Brigade,
composed of volunteer regiments from
Montana, South. Dakota. Nebraska, Penn
fantry of Kansas. We have been chasing
the negroes through some of the. toughest
country one ever saw; junSles and swamps,
over rivers and hills. and every old place,
with an army of from 10000 to $1,000 strong
in front of us.
You ought to see the ground as we pass
over it. 1t is sad sight to see what were
once towns and cities. but now nothing
but heaps of ashes. When we get the en-
emy on the run they destroy all their
earthly belongings before leaving. We
have got the insurgents capital and all
its surroundings.
The morning of the 29th we We're night
ing about five miles from MalolOs. and
was shot which stopped my scrapping for
Il while but, as the wound is not fatal, I
hope to get another chance as them. l
was wounded in the abdomen in the right
side: the bullet passed clear through me.
lodging in my comrades left leg and GO
ing clear through it. l was forwarded to
Manila, and have been in the hospital
here ever since. There are about 500
wounded soldiers here. 1t is awfully hot
here. and I wish could have some good
old Kansas weather..