The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-12-20
FROM PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.

One of "Uncle Sans" Boys Writes
Interestingly of Things in Aguln-
aIdo's Countrywide Signs for Home
and Longs to Press the Soil of His
Native Land Again.
From a private letter written to his
mother BY Lieut.. S. Y. Britt. now
serving in the volunteer army in the
Philippine Islands, under date Of Oct.
9th. we are permitted to print the
following extract. Lieut.. Britt is n
brother of our townsman Mr.. w. A.
Britt, and has many friends in Hen
derson, where he lived at one time.
This letter was not intended for pub
LEGATION of course, as the reader will
understand:
Dearest Mother-"Over the hills and
farther away and still farther l am.
Back in Legaspi. 1t was here fought
my first battle in January, a long time
ago it seems. | have been through so
much since that memorable 23rd day OF
January. Still there is trouble here. The
Insurgents stay up in the mountains near
here, and when the Americans go out in
small force they fire on them from the
hills
The company of which | am the Lieu
tenant was ordered here, and | was
| ordered to Join it from Bason. and had to
give up my command there. Quite a
large number of troops are being cOncen-
trated here. we now have 3 companies OF
infantry and troops of cavalry.
The kind of warfare the rebels are wag-
ing now can be kept up for long time.
no 10 q
enemy hide away in the gulches and
| ravines. If they would only come and
| stand up for us we would settle them in
| 80 minutes But they won't stand.
! Shoot and run is their policy.
| One more month is gone from
the calendar, and | am one more month
nearer my native soil. l have followed
"Old Glory through thick and thin,
through rain and sunshine, over hills and
fields, through volcanic eruptions and
storms at sea, and while still filled with
love for the old flag, and devotion to my
country, confess to being little tired.
| You remember when StOnewall Jackson
was shot and his life fast ebbing away,
he said, Let us pass over the river and
rest under the shade Those who stood
near his side said "his mind wanders, -
| but | think Jackson was perfectly sane,
and spoke the thoughts of any old war
rior after marching and fighting for a
year. No word sounds so inviting as
that one word. rest. Far from war and
rumors of war. far from a tropical sun
far from earthquakes, pestilence, famine
monsoons, volcanic eruptiOns, and the
trials of soldiery How refreshing, what
| music, the roar of the surf at Old Point
Comfort, Va. would be, how delightful
| Al. L - u. l. r.: j.,
| old Washington.
am distressingly healthy. If l could
get sick and go to Manila for a month OF
two, could lie back in a nice cool hos
pital and enjoy myself, but healthy! never
felt better in my life.
We have a gay crowd of officers living
together here, 5 in my mess, 3 cavalry
and infantry officers. Some time age
some OF the officers found little nativ.
| boy, about 10 years old, who had neither
father nor mother, and brought him il
from GuinabatOn, and he lives in the
house with u.s. His native name was sc
long that we gave him the name OF Pat
and he is learning to speak English rapid
| ly. You would strain your sides laugh
ing if you could hear him sing the Regi
mental song, Hail, Hail. The Gangs AL
Here He will be Satan's own by the
time he is Is years old, and is now head
ing straight for the gallows. He has 8
uniform and can drill with "bolo," OF
cutlass, as we'll as any
Tell Dick to shave clean place under
one OF his large oaks and spread down
some straw for me to sleep on next July
Don't care for a bed; also, to have things
perfectly natural SO that | can sleeI
sound. Rig up some water concern over
the place SO that it will sprinkle all night
| then about a. m. shoot Off few guns
and let out two or three Commanche wal
whoOps, just to have things natural and
Philippine like
when | left to come here. l had beer
commanding officer there nearly two
months and had organized good police
force, opened a school, suppressed the
sale OF liquor, and all this pleased thu
people, SO they sent a native mounted
escort with me to Sorsogan, where
took the steamerfor this place. For hal
a mile both sides OF the street was lined
with rich and poor, great and small, anC
with heads uncovered, all were bowling
and saying ''AdiOs, Senor" 1t is really
embarrassing to be made SO much OF, bu1
when these people like a man they delight
in showing their affection
If l should be killed today my hand.
are just as clean as they were the day O
my birth. There is great deal of wrong
being done and much that is good is beine
done, but some in high places stoop tt
mean, low things, but not a dirty dolla
has ever found it's way into my pocke
yet, and hope never will.
Your loving son,
STARKEY Y, BRITT.
Lieutenant 47th Infantry. q. S. V.