The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-04-07

special Correspondence Of The Tribune.
Mandauc. +. l., Feb. 2S.-We have
moved again. We are now along the
coast, about eight miles north of Cebu,
in town of about 5000 inhabitants
called Mandauc, and are quartered in
an old convent. I am glad to say that
we now have the best quarters we have
had since we arrived in the Philip
pines
I have not written for some time, as
| have beeen somewhat under the
weather, and have been suffering with
muscular rheumatism for some time.
but am getting much better now
was returned for duty yesterday and
am feeling as well as ever again.
February has been memorable
month for the boys of X company so
far. and one that they will never for
get If they live to be the age of Methu-
saleh. On Feb. . Captain Smith, of q
company, was killed while defending
his country, about nine miles from
where we now are. Several months |
ago and G companies of our regi-
ment started around the island, keep
ing as close to the coast as possible, |
and when they got pretty well around, !
Captain Smith, who was in charge, |
went ahead with a squad of men, and |
got into a scrap with a band of ma
tves and lost his life. He is the first |
officer of our regiment to be killed here, |
and it cast a gloom over the regiment, |
as he was considered one of our ablest |
officers. He was very strict in mill
tary affairs, but was always ready to
help one of his men when they de-
served it.
MEN INJURED.
On Feb. one of our men had the
misfortune to break his leg twice while
we were on "a march, and on Feb. an
other man was shot in the leg, so we
had to return to our camp to send the
two men into Cebu to the hospital, as
we could not take care of them in the
field. On Feb. just as our company
was about to retire for the night, a
volley was fired in our camp, and it
was kept up for several minutes The
natives had taken us by surprise and
were using the officers house and
guard house for their target. They
were doing everything they could to
get our officers and men, but we were
fortunate as none of us were hit.
Lieutenant Fiscus gave command to
the guard to hold the camp and for
the company to Iall in at the brow of
one Of the hills.
was one of the CorporalS of the
guard that night and soon had my re-
lief firing at the enemy, as near as /
could locate them; the other corporals
did the same. and we kept it up until
our company was stationed on the hills,
when we Joined the company. There is
not much fun in being under fire in the
day time but hope that never again
will I be called upon to fire after dark,
as there is not a great deal of fun in
hearing bullets whistling over your
head when you do not know where they
are coming from.
On the morning of the 9Th, word was
brought into our company that they
were going to have us, dead or alive,
in five days, and especially our COM
pany commander, so we were prepared
and every man stood guard until the
morning of the 18th, not man going
to bed, and the most of us not even
washing his hands or face. 1t was
here / got my touch of rheumatism
and every man was played out COM
pletely, and were glad to get where
they could have one nights rest again.
NOT BUILDING FORTS.
The insurgents have stopped build
ing forts now and have started guer-
rilla warfare. They have organized
themselves in small bands and are at
tacking small detachments of soldiers.
They are after our company and
company commander, mostly for cap
turing General Alphonso here some
time ago, but I guess they have a big
ger job on their hands than they think
ha. L Al IL.
together as long as a man can stand
up.
General snydef sent word out to
Lieutenant Fiscus the other day, that
he congratulated the company on the
good work that they had done; that in
after years the pride of their life
would be in belonging to this company,
and for US to keep on being good SOL
diers." Every man of us felt like
cheering the general for his words,
but. of course, in the regular army
that is not allowed, and consequently
we had to keep still.
We have now been in the Philip
pines over six months and are getting
pretty well acclimated, but all of us
would like to be back in the state
again. We can't help but think while
our friends are going around with
their overcoats on we are having very
warm weather, and can go in swim
ming every day without catching cold.
] notice in several of the papers that
certain amount of the people there
are opposed to holding these islands.
am Democrat myself, and no doubt
would be in the same position If had
not been over here to see for mvsef
These people are in no position to gov
ern themselves and will not be for
many years to come. They are hold
Ing out against us simply because so
many of the men prominent i'm affairs
OF the states are sympathizing with
them. 1t seems to me to be a shame