Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-08-01
PHILIPPINE LETTER FROM LESTER WOOD.
Writes Captain Silbaugh Of His Adventures With
the Savage Foes

| ATTMoNAN, LUzoN, p l., June 5 1900
Ny DEAR CAPTAIN - received your
letter of March 50th few days ago, and
was very glad b hear from you. The
next day aftargetting your letter this
/ Company ws< ordered ont on an exp,,di-
tion in the vicinity of Lopez for six
! days, distance about IS milea. We were
| very successful capturing "a rifles and
several reyoivsrs. Most Of the marching
was done by night. and having native
guides the places We're easily surprised
4 pony train with four days rations We're
taken along, thus living on the country
tor two days, sIbsisting chjetiy on nee
If you could have seen and heard the
men on their rpturu while at Guaniaca,
after marching 10 Lopez and making
marches every night while ut that place
living ON scant rations and marching in
the rays of u tropical sun, with bistered
feet or with the fever or chill. which il
sure TO follow an attack OF malaria. In
this condition you wonld hear song after
song from the lips of those men The
most popular one seems TO be We have
seen better days" have heard the ex-
preston that the majority of the men
who volunteered for the late war, were
mostly worthless fellows and that the
country was better VI without them
But surely, something more grand and
noble inspired such men as have spoken
Of 90 endure without murmur and with
song, such hardsalips
Nearly every house in this town is
occupied and Business is fourishing
Yesterday sal;5an was opened up on
the corner opposite my quarters, and
last night the booze fighters were at
work We have some signal corps men
here who are pushing their wires toward
Tayahas, and LOPEZ, so we will soon be
in touch with Those places. The insur-
rection is over in this province and es-
pecially in this vicinity. la one engage
ment the insurfectoes We're so badly
beaten and scattered that they never
tried TO collect large force again. 1t
was a surprise and very dear one for
them Major Hartigan with 81 officers
and men, did the work in charge of
G"tachment of I'll men, of Company X,
wer' included We killed five officers
and Gwenty-eight men and wounded
seventy-one, captu ing | major, lieu
tenants and % men, besides 33 rifles.
large number of bolos, and 2 600 rounds
of ammunition and all the headquarter
correspondence and personal effects of
Col Mololos, who escaped bareheaded
and clad only in nightshirt. His force
consisted of $50 rifiemen and 80 bolomen,
our loss being one man of my detach-
ment slightly wounded. give the re-
suits of the fight as stated in letter
from the Colonel to the Major and his
men, one of which / received, and was
with others, named in the letter and
especially COMMENDED for energy and
courage displayed in the fight
The health of the men at this place is
good / have not been sick enough yet
to be sent to the hospital, and at present
am picture of health, weighing 1876
pounds; yet hare seen plenty of service
and have been with my Company to the
finish At one time during our first
fight al Binyan, was detailed as color
sergeant and asked the lieutenant to
nave me relieved which he succeeded in
doing the next day. | saw both Garfield
and Willard Penlsn, one at Par van
the other at San Pablo Both were well.
Willard was a corporal ! met Lieuton-
ant Blanchard at Batanges. ] saluted
and spoke to him, saying | was of Go,
M of the 9th, aud then he said, You
are Sergeant Wood. I have been in
several engagements and nave mad sew
eral thrilling experiences. a0out one of
which will send you clipping from
the Manila American. | was acting
first sergeant for two months, one of
which we We're without government
rations. SERGT LESTER J. WooD.