The Opelousas courier., 1900-10-06
Another Letter from the Philippines.

II &Ax1OJAg4 ASSkSA $4,000
FIT. LEGATA, NEAR CALIBO, Z. LIZ
Ina 3 s. June 49,, 1900s s.
| DIR. l. E. SHUTE,
Opelousas, La,
NV Dear Friend We received but
fourteen letters OH the "Lee Fat"-six
for "Cn Co. and eight for "a" Nota
yery extensive mail. Every body was
sorely disappointed. Fortunately ! re-
| ceiyed one letter and four papers. My
company came back three days age. AS
usual. their trip was uneventful. One of
orr corpOrals who was only made cor
poral d few days before the company
went out-when the company was at
Ranga-went out about u mile aud a
half from camp unarmed and where he
had no business. He met q party OF Fill
ipinos who attempted to take him pris..
| oner; he escaped, but not before one Oh
them stabbed him in the abdomen with
a dagger ; the dagger struck a RIB ana
| glanced inhicting a slight wound. lie
is up now for q general court maftlai
| for leaving camp against orders. lie
always wanted q scar to show when he
would go back to the States. lie bas IL
now. ~
I received a mark while skirmishlng
in Ceber which | shall carry to the
grave. I did not crave 1t, and never
think Of it unless l happen to look att.
Great changes have been made in my
company since we have come to Caiibo.
Two sergeants have been discharged
and three corporals have been reduced.
| Another, the one just referred to, will
be reduced. There is Il great chance TOR
the military ambitions in u company
now. AS it is a fellow may go to sleep In
the evening Il private and awake up
next morning a corporal or o gea
while n sergeant or corporal may wake
up and find himself a private with a
months sentence In the guard honse
and from So to S25 fine included. The
sergeant IN charge here up to a few
DAYS ago was from my company. A
ship engaged in the cOastlng trade, hav
| ing n Spanish master, arrived here.
The Spanish captain had a liberal sup
oily of wine gu board, aud wished TO
| install himself in the good graces of our
noble sergeant, who like all other poor,
weak, erring mortais could not resist
the temptation to look upon the win
| that is red without wishing to sample
it,. The SDaniard placed the wine at
| his disposal, and he did it justice. That
evening he went into Calibo, but for
tunately he did not meet any officers.
The next day he was back again, test
ing the wine. The third day, he was
at the wine again. That evening he
and u native merchant started for Ca
libo before going he procured a fresh
supply of wine, then started Oft on horse-
back. Everything went qniet!y until
| thew got near Calibo, when the sergeant
| decided to take the town by storm. He
began yelling and firing his rifle. The
| native became excited, whipped up his
horse and gallnped into Calibo and went
to the guard-house and reported what
| had happened. A patrol was sent ont
to round the sergeant up. They took
him to the guard-hOuse, where he began
cursing the officers, army, etc, un-
| til finally he was bound and gagged.
| The next day he was tried, reduced and
fined a mouths pay.
There is talk now of q force of mount
ell scouts being organized here to patrol
along the coast. They are enlisted like
| soldiers, the term of service being five
years-the pay being $G5 per month,
clothes and rations. They have them on
Luzon, and il they organize them here,
| may try and transfer to them, il can,
| The examination will undoubtedly be
| rigid. | am tired of the 9th Infantry,
especially of my company. Yesterday
| ten members of my company put in an
| application for transfer. / will wait
awhile Ionger.and see how things GO.
IL they do not improve, / will then
make my application.
Now I will tell you something Of our
fort here. AS I told you before, We
have q garrison of 90 men. The fort,
which is a quarters and storehouse COM
bined, is constructed of bambo and
nipa, like all native buildings. It is
surrounded by a wall five feet high and
1.-two aud a half feet thick ; it is cons
~structed of logs and stones filled in with
sand. The Spaniards had q landing
and kept q garrison here. It was at
tackled by the insurgents several times,
but 40 far they have not made an Mt
tack 90 it since the Americans have
taken possession. We have two men
on guard at night. Mosquitoes are
here by the million. Every evening we
gather ~cocoanut hulls, build o fire in the
.lquarters, put the bulls on tito smolder;
soon the building is full of smoke and
the mosquitoes adjourn for the night /;
and 50 will Z. Good night.
Very sincerely,
JOHN w. STANFORD,
Co. A, 9th u. S.Inf't'y,
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