The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-03-14
Interesting and Spicy News from the Philip
pines-Coke Davis Heard From.
Editor The Manning Tines:

tASt nave seen ana eSpSfleuCeO SiuCe
my enlistment on Sept. 18th 1899, so
will cut it short, and only mention a
few of the most important events.
The 3Sth left Jefferson Barracks. Mo-,
on Oct. 2Oth. arrived at The Preside,
Cal. Oct. 9th, remained in camp at the
latter place until Nov. 20th. when we
boarded the Transport st Paul and
Duke of Life for Manila. ?. |.
My experience crossing the Straits
going to Cuba was nothing compared to
the 81 days crossing the broad Pacltlc
and China Sea. We arrived at Homo
lulu H. l. Thanksgiving day, remained
there until Dec 5, this is the lovelleSt
place | ever saw. much prettier than
Havana, Cuba, the climate about the
same as Cuba, it is a ''Heaven" COM
pared to our large cities; there is more
religion to the square inch at this place.
than to every acre in the States, you
can not buy cigar on Sunday. In San
Francisco, the majority OF the stores
and Bar Rooms are open all the time.
It is common thing to see women wal k
in the Bar Rooms, and buy drink
across the bar just the same as the men
Go.
Talk about the Pacific being calm,
and free from storms that is all dream,
although we encountered several heavy
seas we reached Manila Bay on the
evening OF Dec. 26th, without any ac-
cident or loss of life. The two trans
ports kept in sight most of the time,
for Is days nothing was seen, but the
hn
Nv company was in luck. Headquarters
was on board the ST Paul, so of course
we had music to pass away the long
dreary hours spent out at sea. at night
the boys would remain on top deck un-
til taps. singing songs, cracking jokes.
of loved ones. .SweetheartS. eic.,
left behind and talking about how many
Filipino's We expected to kill if the war
was not over when we reached the Is
lands. think the majority believed
that it would be over, but to our first
question when we anchored in the Bay
is the fun over-the answer-not by any
meanS; Gen. Lawton was killed a few
days ago. l think all of our feet got
cold that night. the next day came the
order to disembark. By noon we were
all camped in the heart of the City of
Manila irving to make ourselves com
Portable in our little shelter tents. We
all received q handsome New Years
gift. took hike out TO the water works
TO support the 29th which expected an
attack that day. but no attack was
made, 50 we were not needed. That first
Is mile hike will never be forgotten. AZ
ter being on board OF the boat and TAX
ing no exercise for overa month, it was
enough to make one sleep well, if on
the ground with only blanket and
poncho. The next day we got orders
to 90 to Maricalon, on the South line.
This was only six miles out. We led
the advance South, so every fellow was
in his place when orders came to move.
We had nothing to do at this place bnt
train the men on out post duties. We
remained there until the expedition to
begin the move on the South line was
completed. On January 9th we got
orders to re-enforce the 18th at Innes,
By daylight on the Ith we were on the
hike. When We reached InneS we rest
ed for two hours: all that afternoon we
could hear the roar of the artillery and
the crack OF the Kraggs: the officers
would say, ''cloSe up men, close up,
close up. About dark we reached the
battle field where the 18th, had lost
several men, when the wounded We're
brought to the rear, and the dead bod
les of the enemy could be seen on the
roadside, it made one feel like the days
of fine soldering was over, and we
would soon go up against the real stuff.
The next day the 3Sth took the lead,
Co. "E" was the advance guard, my
position was not a pleasant one, expect
ing every moment to be fred on, there
was not much time for meditating. The
enemy had 'vamoosed," we took two
small towns that day without any re-
sistance Outpost duty was now inter-
esting, every now and then shot would
be heard and the sing OF the Mauser
became real. General Bates came in
with his calvary, the next day we hiked
out and marched all day and until y
o'clock in the night, by day light we
were on the road again, after marching
all day through rice fields over noun
tains, we caught up with the enemy
about o'clock in the afternoon near a
little town by the name OF Tallse. 1t
was nv Cos luck to be the advance
guard that aft. We were marching
Slowly down the mountain trail when
without any warning volley was pour
ed into US. Captain Sawyer did not
command lie down every man. ex-
cept the reserves which l commanded,
and was 800 yards in the rear Of the
was fat on the ground, IN a
few moments two more volley's were
poured into the point and support. The
enemy was located, and line formed
while the bullets were singing a regu-
lar song, FIVE volley's were poured into
them, and in the brush Co. E. rushed
firing at will. The niggers can stand
when the Americans charge and begin
to yell so in few minutes they left
their trenches. and hiked out, such
running you never saw, then the boys
felt good and the kraggs began to talk.
One fellow made me bow pretty low to
him, we call it ducking or lodging: l
got a good shot at him, and the last |
saw he went into the bushes head first.
One of the boys said Sgt. YOU got him
before could get q shot: don't think |
killed him. but III bet he will know
what kragg sounds like. should he
hear one again. The town was taken
without any loss on our side; Here the
artillery got separated from Us. The
next morning we Went on. and took
another town without any resistance.
and waited until the artillery and sup
plies could 60 around the mountain. In
two DAYS the artillery came up and
q wagon train captured,
which proved untrue four days
later We were hungry set OF
men, as no looting or stealing was
allowed, oranges and bananas rice and
were plentiful; so when break