The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-28
Long War for the United States
in the Philippines,
PROFITABLE IN THE END
Lieut.. James N. Croft Says There Will
Be Many Good Openings for Young
Men-The Climate Is Not So
Bad as 1t Is Painted.

ed to the command of Company M, and
whose picture graces the, Standards
latest premium, "On to Manila" writes
the following interesting letter to a
friend in Utica, from which it appears
that the boys at Manila are no less
anxious to be sent home than were
their friends at this end Of the line
to have them come Lieutenant Croft
says:
San Fernando, P. T., June 49, 1899
B. F. Gordon, Esq, Utica, Mont. ::
Dear Friend and Brother-Some time
in April / received letter from you
which, while it failed of its original
intent, that of cheering up a sufferer
in the hospital, was none the less CRATE
fully received and appreciated by as
healthy soldier as you could find in
the Sth army corps.
| have been at a loss to know how
1t came to be reported that / was
wounded, for while l have been under
considerable fire during the campaign,
! have never been scratched. This is
not at all surprising, for only about
one out of every seven men have been
hit, so you see the danger has not
been extreme. OF those hit only one
in seven have died, but the latter is
said to be high percentage by those
who know about such things. ! have
been in everything except the hottest
part of the fight at Caloocan, when
got in only about the windup, and a
little brush here at San Fernando,
which took place while l was in Ma
Mia.
In the latter fight Company NJ, of
which company / am now in command
(the captain being on the sick list)
1,o 1t colt atA
the 4 enemy by killing seven we
know of. besides the number the ma
tives carried off. They try hard to
carry all their dead and wounded off;
how hard you can judge from the fact
that in an effort to recover one body
they had IA men killed and wounded
before they succeeded in getting it to
the rear. l am very sorry / was not
here, for it was the best chance we
have had at them for some time. We
hope, and rather expect, they will at
tack us again before our regiment is
ordered into Manila to rest up before
our voyage home. We hope to get
away the early part of August, but
may be delayed longer, as the move
ments Of the transports are quite slow
and uncertain, and the authorities
seem to be quite as much afraid of
crowding the vessels on their return
trip as they were that they could not
get enough men on them coming this
way.
1t seems to most of us that no great
effort Is being made to hasten the de-
parture of the volunteers and doubt
less the opinion is carried, for it seems
to me that there is employment for all
the troops here now. After this insur-
gent army is thoroughly broken up,
then, l think, there will be plenty of
guerrilla warfare for some little time,
and it will require quite a large num-
Der of troops to effectually control the
turbulent elements in such a half civ
ilized country Then, the other islands
of the group will require considerable
attention. and, take it all in all, the
United States has contract on hand
that will prove very laborious one,
but, think, very profitable one in
the end.
For myself, do not care to remain
here, but l think it a healthful, rich
and interesting country, If l were
free from responsibility and younger
by 10 years I would just as leave stay
as not. / think there viii be plenty
Of profitable openings and / think the
climate is far from being SO bad as
many have pictured it.t.5
During the last month our men have
suffered from sickness more than at
any other time, but believe 1t is due
to the hard campaign through which
we have passed.. The Montana boys
have been the healthiest lot of men on
the islands, and even then more than
"a per cent. of the regiment was on the
sick list At present the situation is
much improved and the men are fast
, returning to duty.
Just how 1t will affect the men If
we are relieved and sent to Manila,
/ don't know, but l look for farther
Improvement. The Company men you
know are quite well, believe, Stoddard
having just gotten into good shape
from a light illness. Cheadle is on
the briny deep on his way to Fergus
county, having been discharged. l am
glad for his sake. for he deserved much
better treatment than he received here.
Dick Roberts and Burmaster are
both well, and believe every one of
the chain gang" has escaped injury
at the hands of the enemy. l believe
three Odd Fellows in the regiment have
been hurt, but will all recover. / sup
pose you get chance to visit the lodge
once in a while l expect to write
them to-day, but my ambition may
evaporate in the heat, which is terrific
here during the middle of the day at
this season. The nights are fairly cool
at present. We will soon, l suppose,
have our daily showers to cool off the
atmosphere
Just how wet the rainy season may
be I don't know. but SO far. it's no
worse than June in Montana, if as bad.
To see it at its worst think we should
commence an active campaign in the
field 1t would probably rain inces-
sanity then.
We have been in San Fernando for
a month and have been ordered re-
lieved, but no relief is in sight yet
Probably next week will see us in Ma
Mia. We all want to go there, for
then we would have a chance to rest
up, clean up. and fill up on good food
better calculated for this climate than
the rations issued to US here. The
last thing is very likely to have been
Il prolific source of illness. When in
the city we can see something and
enjoy our surroundings a little, but
here II is very monotonous unless the
natives try to stir up a little fun by
bombarding US. They have done so
once OF twice with no serious results
to us yet. They don't "sabe" any
thing very, well, so We have secured
several unexploded shells. but have
had no one hurt by the proJectiles, yet.
of course they NAV accidentally hurt