The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1900-01-24
From Far Away L1son.
An Interesting Letter from Corporal
Edward H. R.wl.
To the Eiitor Ct the Dispatch:

daVlES IecelVeo seSelaA 1etoe o
from friends in Old Lexington urg
ing me to give some account of my
self since I enlisted in the regular
army in March last, I will now en-
deavor to do 80 through the columns
of your paper should you feel dis
posed to publish such a letter as l
nm under the present circumstances
only able to write.
After enlisting I was sent direct to
San Francisco to await transportation
to the Philippines. There were about
one thousand recruits there at the
time awaiting to be sent to their va
rious regiments.
I only had to wait about a month
when L, with the rest of the recruits
for the 3rd artillery, were hustled
aboard the transport "WarreD," and
onthe Goth Of April We set sailor our
destination.
Six days steady ploughing the bill
lows of the Pacific, brought us to
that beautiful little capital of u
newly acquired possessions in the
Pacific, the Hawaii Isles. We
stopped four days there and had
shore leave all of the time, 80 We
we had plenty of time to epj,y the
the hospitality for which the people
of this city are so noted. o. the
30.h we left the harbor of Honolulu
aud wendell our course directly for
the Philippines.
. There was nothing to be seen on
this trip except the Landrone islands
which We passed at night, and only
knew that We we're passing land by
the immense volume of smoke and
fire that were belchipg from the
mouth of the volcano Mt. Assump-
ton. Seven more days steady sail.
ing brought US in sight of the most
easterly extremity of the Luzon is
land and on the Goth we went ashore
W. arrived at the Q laltel De Meisic,
the quarters of the 3rd artillery when
in town, about 10 o'clock at night.
after marching four miles without
any supper. Some salmon, hard
tack and cold coffee we're soon got
ready for US and I think I can truth
fully say that I never Ell Eyed meal
more in my lifo than that me-. We
were allowed to stay two weeks in
our quarters and rest upbefore going
out to join our batteries. I might
say just here that the old Spanish
quarters in Manila for soldiers are
most convenient that I have ever
seen, and as 8 rule for surpasses u
quarters in America. About the
last of May we we're assigned and
sent out On the lines to our respect
i've batteries to really and truly be-
gin "soldiering in the Philippines"
I was assigned to Battery &C." and
sent to Calumpit, where the battery
was then doing duty. Our quarters
consisted of the walls and tin roof
of an old rice warehouse-were right
nea the Rio Grand river ard at the
same place where Fighting General
Funston" and two of his men swan
the river with a rope, and that, too,
under a CALLING fire from the Iosur-
gents trenches which we're on the
opposite bank of the river.
Our post guard duty and scouting
were the order of both the day and
night then.
Having served in the volunteers I
missed the ordinary "Rachie" drill
that usually characterized a recruits
first few weeks in the army and on
the second night with the battery I
was placed on guard, and as men
were pretty scarce at that time our
outpost were necessarily pretty far
apart. Everything went on smoothly
until I went on post at twelve o'clock,
I suppose I had stayed on post about
half an hour when pop, and imme-
diate!y following cams the whistle of
the Mausur bullets over my head.
I must admit as these we're the first
that I had heard, that I would have
been more comfortable had l been at
home instead of where I was just
then. Nevertheless nothing more
WAS heard and the night passed
slowly but quietly away. We were
acting as infantry at that time aid
had a great deal of scouting to do
il addition TO our guard, and as time
wore on We became used to to the
sound If a Mausur or a Remington
b ing fred off at long range around
oar camp.
About a month of this duty and
Wa were ordered to 60 to Balinag to
relieve Light Battery B." Of the
Utah Vol, n eer A tillery, and to
tske their guns and equipments. Of