Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-06-28
Philippine Letter.
Jolo. p. l.. April &. 1900


J. w. b Cole As it has been some
time since / wrote to you / thought
maybe you would be glad to hear from
this part of the island again. / am
still alive and well and enjoying my
self finely. We are still stationed at
the same place doing garrison duty
which is rather monotonous but moth
ing better can be expected.
There has nothing of any Importance
happened since / wrote last. The
natives get into fight among them
selves every once in awhile and we
have to send out couple of companies
to quiet them down. Last Thursday
they got into a fight out by No.
block house and our company and ID
company was called out and we had to
wade through creek some four feet in
depth and it was raining for all it was
worth, for the rainy season has set in.
We also had two Colts automatic with
us which we had to pull by hand also
carrying our rifles with 200 rounds of
ammunition which made quite a load.
By the time We arrived at the scene of
action all was quiet except few i'll
tempered Moros who wanted to fire on
us for coming out and would have fired
on the advance guard if they had went
another step further. They loaded
their guns and took aim but we had an
Interpreter with us who held council
with the Dad-do after which he ordered
them to unload and all was we'll ex-
cept good drenching on our side.
We will have to fight them sooner or
later and if we ever do get into it
Major Sweet viii push it to the end
for he is commanding officer here.
Capt. Clanker is our battalion COM
mander. The Moros are now fighting
on the Minado island north of Fam
boango. The 3rd battalion of the Odd
was removed from Cebu to that place.
They are talking of taking three COM
panies from this place but do not know
if our company will be included. They
went down and helped to take Fam
boango and staid until everything was
settled in that vicinity. They said that
after the landing of the American
troops there wasn't native within ten
miles of the place for two weeks after
wards. Zamboango is the headquar-
ters for this division and Gen. Bates is
in command.
| had little experience with the
Moros myself the other day but came
ont very lucky by running a bluff.
There was one corporal two privates
and myself out guarding cocoanut
grove some three miles distant from
Jolo to the northwest near the beach.
After arriving there it commenced
raining, so thinking there was no
danger we pulled our belts and stacked
arms throwing our ponchOs over them
to keep them dry because the salt air
is so bad about rusting them. 1t had
been guarded for three weeks without
the slightest indication of trouble so
we did not even load our guns. 1t was
about 3 80 p. m. when / was all alone
guarding the guns, for the other three
were up and down the beach looking
for shells and the nearest man was
about $50 yards from me. We had
taken turns that way all day but most
of the time two of us guarded the guns.
l was sitting down some thirty or forty
feet away looking over some shells
when heard little noise to the right
of me and looking up quickly l spied
six Moros coming coming down the
path on the run with bolos in hand, the
one in the lead we gave forty cents that
morning to row us over to the place.
By the time got to the guns they were
within twenty feet of me but grabbed
a gun in one hand and a bayonet in the
other bringing them to halt. If they
had not halted I would have fixed
bayonet for 1 did not have time to load
for if they had seen that the gun was
not loaded they would have charged on
me so intended to give them bayonet
exercise if they did charge.
After beating them to the guns the
one in the lead said, "Americano and
Moro no combatti" and tried to be
very friendly but l would not trust one
further than you could throw an ele-
plant by the tail. By this time the
other boys came up and | told the
Moros to vamoose and they went. |
will close sending best regards to all
w. j. HAMILTON,
Co. G, 23rd q. S. Inf.