Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-06-07
Philippine Letter.
Hospital detachment with headquarters
End battalion 2lst Infy. San Pedro
Macti, May 1900

End battalion 2lst Infy. San Pedro
Macti, May 4 1900.
EDITOR AUDUBON REPUBLICAN.
Sir:--I was for some years a resi-
dent of Audubon and Audubon county
and / thought possibly some of my old
time friends and associates would not
he averse to reading few lines from
my pen as I am in the Philippines.
We sailed from San Francisco harbor
August 30, 1899 at AGO p. m. with
five commissioned officers and $50
recruits on board going to fill various
branches in the U. 8. service at Manila.
We enjoyed our ocean voyage very
much but ut times We were very hun
CRY as the facilities for getting food
for the men was very poor. Neverthe-
less the transport on which we sailed
was one of the best IN the service, the
City of Pueblo" which was formerly
coast steamer for passengers only.
We arrived at Honolulu at $3.50 Sept.
5, 1899. The boys were wild to get
ashore being closeted, SO to speak,
for six days and nights without seeing
land.
Honolulu has been called the garden
city of the world and it truly deserves
the name as it is one of the most beauti-
full places / ever saw. The estimated
population is about 40, 900 as the cen
sus has never been taken up to the
present time, but is now being taken.
On September 8 1899, we raised
anchor and again steamed out to sea.
After we passed the $50 meridian we
had lost day which We will be unable
to gain until We return. When we
were within five days sail from Manila
We encountered typhoon or in other
words tornado ut sea. Quite num-
Der were seasick again owing to the
extremely rough sea. rather enjoyed
the sensation although at times we
could not tell whether we were going
down to stay or not. had an oppor.
tunity to witness burial ut sea which
was interesting as we'll as sad. We
arrived at Manila September 20, all
telling quite well after SO long yoy'
age being on water 25 days in all.
reported for duty at Condofa 16(
miles in the interior where the 22nd
Inf. was stationed. l remained witt
them until January 10 1900, when
was transferred to the hospital corp.
and was assigned to the 21st Inf.
wished to enlist in the corps but wal
unable to do SO at that time as they
were only enlisting for the infantry, 81
/ had to wait until / had the opportnn'
ity to transfer. Ihave seen some rea
soldering / assure you and have heart
more than few bullets sing and have
seen few shells explode. 1t is rea
soldering when you can march AND
fight all day in the rain and when 20,
wish to lay down and sleep you viii
wake up in the morning and find 20,
are lying in about six inches Of watel
and still raining. Revellie sounds a
three and you get up from your water.
couch you will surely think of HON,
and mother if you are fortunate enough
to have one. have stood the climat
and hardships quite we'll so far.
have never missed duty from sickness
since coming to the island nearly tel
months ago. I have quite often rea'
in medical works and novels of peopl
dying of starvation but never until
came here was an eye witness of tn
fact. In one town which we took o.
the northern portion Of the island W
found an old Spanish doctor and tw
children and native woman who
seems were held as prisoners. The
were simply so poor from starvatio
that they could hardly walk. As W
had but very few ratiohs ourselves W
could give them only q small porto
at first until We received our reserv
rations. One of the men gave ther
, the ont side part of his bacon, tina
, which we would throw away, and
never saw person or beast devon
anything with such avidity and relisI
. as those poor beings did that. w
r have lived quite hard at times ourselves
, tell you when a man gets hardtac
and half and couple of spoonful
of coffee for two or three days ration
: and is not certain that he will get an
/. more it makes him feel rather sma
around the abdomen.
This il surely picturesque COUNT
= with some wild but beautiful scener
i One can climb around old ruins
/ their hearts content at present asthe
i is little or no fighting now. 1t wou
!. no doubt look odd to people unaccu
~ toned to the sight to see bananas, &C
ton, oranges, coffee, lemons, rice bal
boo, bread fruit and vegetables gro