Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1900-06-01
FROM THE PHILIPPINES.
\ Middlebury Boys Experience Fighting
the Filipinos.

!
y Middlebury Boys Experience Fighting
the Fnirnos.
f. G. Piper has received the following
/ interesting letter from keudrick Han
chett, Middlebury boy now in compa-
ny \, 43d regiment, [. ;. volunteers. in
the Philippines. 1t is dated April at
Tonowan. Island of Leyte, p. |.
We arrived at Manila on Dec. 81 and
disembarked at / a. m. Jan. |, and after
a four-mle hyke under the blazing sun
in the middle Of the day we went into
camp at FL Deposito. on the Old South
| line. That was the longest four miles
ever saw, as walking ten PAGES in one
direction was novelty after spending
A. days on board ship.
| At FL Deposto nothing happened
worthy of mention, except payday and
| the usual incidents which inevitably ac-
company soldiers payday; but even
that passed off and wore away after
| few days. At this camp was assigned
to duty with Lieut.. Johnston as scout,
and on one of our trips went over the
ground where Gen. Lawton was killed
few weeks before
On Jan. Is we left Manila. Our regi
ment was put on board three steamers,
one battalion on each boat. The Nth
regiment went on the transport Hancock
and the Randolph battery of light artil
lerv on the steamer Garonne and were
sent with us. The 18th regiment landed
at Albay province. on LuzOn. and
the l3d went to Samar and Leyte
islands. forgot to mention that we
were conveyed by the gunboats Nash
vile. Helena and the mosquito gunboat
Marivees. At Catabalogan on the island
OF Samar we saw and heard our first bit
of war. The first battalion Mai. Allen
attempted TO land and succeeded on the
third trial, after the insurgents had
burned the town and the gunboats had
got in their little work on the natives
and sent them vamOOsing to the hills.
/ That same night companies c and ID
and JOhnston's scouts went ashore after
dark. and we went up the mountain and
captured two brass cannon. The two
companies stayed with the cannon and
we pushed on across the top of the hill.
We ran into Filipino outpost and
there we had our first scrap. We killed
one man, wounded one and captured two
more. One of the prisoners was bolo
man, and we had hard time to get him
out of the house. as we had no light and
he was swinging a 30.inch bolO in a man
ner calculated to put anything out of
business which he came in contact with
But we put a bayonet through his sword
arm and gave him a clip over the head
with rifle butt, which put him to sleep
while we tied him.
On Feb, l the first battalion, which
am in, reached the city of Tacloban. on
the island of Leyte. BIS miles from Man
ila The insurgent general. Ambroso
Monica. refused to surrender the city,
and at - O'Clock noon we landed. After
we had proceeded 100 yards inland they
opened fire on US. but we were in a
swamp oyer our knees In the mud and
we did not answer their fire till we had
advanced 30 yards further. Then we
did give it to them. We drove them out
of their trenches and from behind their
breastwOrks and chased them seven
miles and only stopped after we captur-
ed the town of PalO, after a fight at the
bridge which lasted about ono hour.
We have had several small scraps since,
but they don't amount to much. Com
pany 4 has lost two men, and | have
heard that companies c and b. now on
another part Of the island, have each
lost a man. If the natives knew how to
shoot we would have lost many men.
You probably read many letters from
the Philippines describing the beauties
of the islands. 1t i. all rot. | don't
see how any American can see anything
here 10 call beautiful. Just imagine vouI
self here looking down the main street.
THIS is Sunday and market day among
the natives. When they come in from
the country in the morning to go to
church they bring in their produce.
After church they squat down in the
street to dispose of their wares, which
includes tobacco, hemp, fruit of all
kinds, poultry alive, palm leaf mating,
pottery, cloth, and last, but not least,
chino white wine made of rice and
which tastes like gin and peppermint
and is warranted at 100 yards. They
also sell drink called "tubuc," made of
the sap of bastard cocoanut and root
extracts. Around the streets roam at
their own sweet will black, Tazor-backed
hogs, and dogs of all descriptions run
between your legs and knock you down
and interrupt your dreams with the
most dismal, blood-curdling noises you
ever listened TO. And Chinamen-they
are here by the thousands. All the bust
ness of the islands is transacted by
these pig-taied disciples of Confucus
but their faces are pictures of sadness
now, for after today the Chink who
would deal in opium must first pay into
the Golfers of Uncle Sam $500 for the