Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-03-02

]
with LuXurIes GsIore---"wsr WIN
Never End In the wav we Are Doing"
BlNAN, P. l.,
Jan. 10, 1900
We are up against the real thing now.
Our brigade under Gen. Schwan started
out Jan. for the South Luzon fighting
line, with orders to take and garrison every
town we came TO. We were marching and
/ fighting every day until Sunday, When we
captured this town, losing two men killed
and four wounded, and our battalion was
left here for garrison duty.
The town is situated on Lake Laguna de
Bay, about 30 miles from Manila, aud was
at the time of its capture u Filipino strong
hold and the headquarters of Filipino
general in command of the southern forces.
| For the first three days | was on outpost
duty at the outskirts of the town. The
post was on the shore of the lake and ten
men were kept on duty all the time. The
rest stayed in bamboo bungalow a little
way back.
! We had very fine quarters as the natives
/ left in such hurry that they took nothing
with them. We all had hammocks to sleep
in and fine china to eat of, also three ca
noes TO paddle up the river and out into
the lake and we could fish and go bathing
all we wanted But you should see us now,
this afternoon. The whole company moved
up into the city and are quartered IN the
Filipino generals house. The house Is
very large, built in the best Spanish style,
and surrounded with beautiful garden
filled with all kinds of tropical plants As
is the custom in all the houses, the first
floor is only basement and we live on the
second floor. We 90 up broad mahogany
stair to get in which is lined with potted
palms on both sides The floors. tables
and chairs are all of mahogany. We sleep
in huge canopied beds and best Uf all We
have a fine upright German piano. You
see when we drove the insurgents out they
did not have time to take anything with
them.
All the duty we have now TO do is to pa
troll the city from at night to in the
morning, each corporal having relief
the same as if on guard. Tonight | have
to patrol from 9 p. NJ t II p. NJ. and a N.
to AM
The insurgents have exchanged shots
with our outposts every night SO far, but
do no damage as we do not brighten as easy
as they. This war will never be ended the
way we are doing. For instance we took
30 prisoners when we captured this town,
we kept them two days then gave them
two days rations and let them 60 and now
they are back with Aguinaldo This is the
way it is done in every town and how can
you ever expect to stop them from fighting
When we came into this place there was
not 200 Able-bodied men in the town and
now there 1000. aud ten to one half of
them are members Of the insurgent army.
Our captain says We will be here a month
and possibly longer. We have telegraph
connection with Manila and also with Ca
lamba, a town which We captured 10 miles
from here up the lake. When you write
address to Manila and the mail is forwarded
to US.
| met Mike Sherry in Manila New Years
day. He is in Company A. Ninth infantry.
| am feeling fine as usual as are all Of the
company and don't think this country is
half as bad as represented. We have plenty
to eat as we have captured rice, sugar and
fruit, not to mention chickens and pigs, be-
sides government ratious.
Corr. a. Y. d. PIER,
Co. NJ, 4Gth Reg't Inf.