The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1900-01-18
Letter From chas. C. Mathews

About week ago We we're at Psrac, in
the Province of Pampsnga. l was very
glad to hear from you. We we're hur-
ried away from Columbus so sSon that
l had no time to come up to DsnVills.
1 was awfully disappointed when / re-
ceived your letter and found that Bud
was at your house. l am sure she is
heart breaker. but am afraid she will
not get chance to break my heart for
about two years yet. Give her my
love, and if you can enduce her to
write me letter 1 will certainly an
swer it with pleasure.
We had great trip across the At
lantic. We had some very nice weather.
We were on the ship about 81 days.
We had good health, and were permit
ted to go ashore in Yakahoms and
Nagaski, Japan. We had two days
shore leave in each place and a very
good time. Yakahoma is very large
city, and there are great many foreign
ers there. The people are very small
dark, and are very much like the ma
tives here. They are strong and very
industrious. The girls are very pretty
and have fine hair. From Yakahoma
to Nagaski we came through the In
land sea for about SO hours. The sea
is not more than five miles in width,
and the shores are mountains covered
with vegetables. Tea is raised here
and the whole country looks like a
garden. st Nagaski We coaled the
ship and proceeded on our way to Ma
Mia. The China sea was pretty rough,
and we were awfully glad when we
came into Manila bay, just as Dewey
come in more than year ago.
Last Monday were paid off at Porac.
OF course the usual amount of gamb.
ling took place, and some of the boys
are broke again. We left Porac the
| the next morning and came over to
l Malablot, station on the railway.
The myers left as soon as they found
we were coming. During the next
morning three nigers tried to sneak NJ
: on our outpost, and they are now il
heaven. We went back the next morn
ing to small place and stayed two
= days, and then we started at midnight
n for hard march. Through trapica
d jungles, rice fields, over hills, ant
. through cane fields, and almost con
= tinuously wading through mud an(
v creeks almost waist deep. Through
grass so high that man on horse bacl
= could not be seen, and through muC
d and water until I thought we were lost
O Then we came to the hills and up W
l. went until we came to spur about 40
d feet high, at thefoot of which flows tn
river. The railroad bridge was brok
l. down and two engines and some car
II were wrecked. But what was of NOR
!. interest was the line of trenches tn
d myers had made only a mile away; an
o so low down below us that it seeme
like an easy shot. All out TO our RICH
J. the country for miles is as fat as
,r floor. Cane fields, rice and banana
IA and almost everything is growing jus
as if there was no war. We could SO
It the myers in their white clothing NOV
i. ing about in the trenches. Off TO on
q right was the 18th U. 8. Infantry
a. further around was the 9th Infantry
10 and ON their right, but too far off TO d
any good, was the e. and X. troops q
"a the 4th Calavry. We had very smal
T. command, Colts Rapid fire gun wit
us, and about a. m. the fun began
Col. Bell took battalion and went dow
the hill to our left to flank the niger
IL trench and we commenced firing, an
10 how we made the hills ring. The littl
8 cannon would boom and the she'll woul
'S shrek and then little puff of blu
= smoke in the trench, and the niger
u would cheer to show us that we wer
>. doing them no damage; and they re
VI turned the fire with their rifles. Her
g one of the very sad incidents Of wa
"a happened. just about Is feet to m
u left Lieut.. Davis was struck in tn
y head by rife ball, and in about thirt
% minutes he was no more. He was
fine young officer from Arkansas, an
~ came over on the same ship with me
20 One other fellow was wounded in til
u leg. SO far we were not doing tn
l. myers much damage; they kept dow
I" low, and were shooting more than
u mile. But we knew they would 500
change their opinion Of us. Far ava
long line of blue was sneaking alon
ID the base of the hill. They got into
lg pretty good position and commence
ii to pour the lead into the trenches, an
a the nigers run. They marched to th
8. tune of our rapid fire gun, and as
IS shoots 400 times q minute the pace wa
lie pretty rapid. They carried almost eve
le rything away, but we found one dea
Dt man and several wounded. We the
" marched up to town about five miles
went into quarters for the night an
l. then marched up here. This was tn
n capitol Of Aguinaldo's government, an
lie here were railroad shops, large city