Mexico weekly ledger., 1900-07-26
LETTER FROM LUCKIE
MEXICO SOLDIERS EXPERIENCE
WHILE DOING SERVICE
IN LUzON.
ONLY A FEW DAYS IN MANILA
he Was Then Placed on the Firing
Line Soon After His Arrival
Was Wounded he IL How
Doing Duty With the
Hospital Corps.
ONLY A FEW DAYS IN MANILA

Correspondence Of the Ledger.
MANILA P. L., June ID, Hospital
No. alt Is With the greatest OF
pleasure, / assure you, that acknowI-
edge the receipt OF my letter in the
dear old LEDGER.
A Mexico friend has asked me to
write letter giving full account Of
my experience OF army life from the
time landed here up to the present
time, but as I have several times
written Of my experience here l will
not 90 into full details.
1t was on the 18th day OF April, 1899,
that we landed here in the Philippines,
and found this to be very beautiful
country of flowers and plants. lhave
not been at all disappointed.
My stay in Manila was limited to 10
days. At the barracks with its .bam-
boo houses, monkeys too numerous
to count, beautiful shade trees and
large driveways 1t made o beautiful
picture; and after we drilled In the
morning for two hours, we took q
shower bath, then laid down under
the giant trees for q rest, but our
quiet life in the Philippines was soon
interrupted by firing, which was only
two or three miles way.
My first real guard duty was at Fort
Malata, which place has history. To
make 1t sound real like, one dark
night when the Spaniards we're sleep
Ing quietly and thought the Ameri-
cans were doing the same, Dewey
steamed quietly through the blue
waters OF Manila Bay and sent a
thirteen inch shell into Fort Malata--
entrance to ManiIa-where there we're
several hundred Spaniards on guard,
but they never knew what hit them.
Our troope landed and marched into
the great city Of Manila, victorious
again, which little work helped to
make Dewey-not the sailors and the
poor soldIsrs-famous and which help
cd to make him talked OF for Presi-
dent Of the United States. This was
the place / did my first guard duty.
As sat on high tower overlook
ing the bridge, which crossed the riv-
or that was the entrance TO the city,
l could not see my hands before me
and every few minutes the large
search lights on the battlsships in the
bay played on the enemy's trenches,
and while there could not help but
think how wide awake and watchiul
the Americans are, even at the hour
OF midnight.
I can truly say have not once been
lacking for courage, for / did not
come ever to have solid rest.
Soon we were ordered to the south
lines, where we stayed two months,
fighting the enemy with swords and
bullets. We were iu close range Of
the enemy and every fight were both
cred with their bullets. Many nights
when / was out on post duty the bull
lets would fly over my head and all
around me, but 1t seemed ! was in
Gods care, for I believe He is on our
side or there would not have been so
many victories.
We soon left Guadalupe Ridge,
which is named after Q church that
was destroyed by the volunteers, as
the church was used by the insurgents
as fort. We then went north. The
rainy ssasen had not yet come. San
Fernando was our first place on the
north line. We did outpost duty and
was called out . great deal. The lines
extended this far then. 30 we had
our troubles with the enemy and the
rainy season soon commenced to play
upon Us. Many mornings we would
get up and 90 to our breakfast In wat
er up to our waists.
Then came the advance north. We
took the guards By surprise, as they
did not dream OF us advancing through
the rain.
It was ct Mexico De Leon was
wounded In the leg below the knee,
but have fully recovered. My health
then began to fall me and / was very
low at the hospital at Angeles. This
place we took on the 18th Of August.