Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-06-07
Philippine Letter.
Hospital detachment with headquarters
End battalion 21st Infy. San Pedro
Macti, May A 1900.

ina batalllOn ZlSJ lnly. San Ieuro
Macti, May 1900.
EDITOR AUDUBON REPUBLICAN.
Sir:--I was for some years resi-
dent of Audubon and Audubon county
and thought possibly some of my old
time friends and associates would not
he averse to reading few lines from
my pen as / am in the Philippines.
We sailed from San Francisco harbor
August 30, 1899 at AGO p. m. with
five commissioned officers and $50
recruits on board going to fill various
branches in the U. S. service at Manila.
We enjoyed our ocean voyage very
much but at times we were very hun
CRY as the facilities for getting food
for the men was very poor. Neverthe.
less the transport on which we sailed
was one of the best in the service, the
Getty of Pueblo which was formerly
coast steamer for passengers only.
We arrived at Honolulu at $3.50 Sept.
5, 1899. The boys were wild to get
ashore being closeted, so to speak,
for six days and nights without seeing
land.
Honolulu has been called the garden
city of the world and it truly deserves
the name as it is one of the most beauti-
full places / ever saw. The estimated
population is about 40, 900 as the CEN
sus has never been taken up to the
present time, but is now being taken.
On September 1899, we raised
anchor and again steamed out to sea.
After we passed the $50 meridian we
had lost day which we will be unable
to gain until we return. When we
were within five days sail from Manila
we encountered typhoon or in other
words tornado at sea. Quite mum
Der were seasick again owing to the
extremely rough sea. / rather enjoyed
the sensation although at times we
could not tell whether we were going
down to stay or not. had an oppor-
tunity to witness a burial at sea which
was interesting as we'll as sad. We
arrived at Manila September 70, all
telling quite well after so long yoy-
age being on water 25 days in all.
reported for duty at Condofa l6O
miles in the interior where the 22nd
Inf. was stationed. / remained with
them until January 10 1900, when
was transferred to the hospital corps
and was assigned to the 2lst Inf.
wished to enlist in the corps but was
unable to do so at that time as they
were only enlisting for the infantry, sc
/ had to wait until had the opportun-
ity to transfer. Ihave seen some real
soldering l assure you and have heard
more than few bullets sing and have
seen few shells explode. 1t is real
soldering when you can march and
fight all day i'm the rain and when you
wish to lay down and sleep You will
wake up in the morning and find you
are lying in about six inches of water
and still raining. Revellie sounds al
three and you get up from your watery
couch you will surely think of home
and mother if you are fortunate enough
to have one. have stood the climate
and hardships quite we'll so far.
have never missed duty from sickness
since coming to the Jsland nearly ten
months ago. / have quite often read
in medical works and novels of people
dying of starvation but never until
came here was an eye witness of the
fact. In one town which we took on
the northern portion of the island we
found an old Spanish doctor and two
children and a native woman who il
seems were held as prisoners. They
were simply so poor from starvation
that they could hardly walk. AS We
had but very few rations ourselves we
could give them only small portion
at first until we received our reserve
rations. One of the men gave them
the out side part of his bacon, that
which we would throw away, and
never saw person or beast devoul
anything with such avidity and relish
as those poor beings did that. We
have lived quite hard at times ourselves
/ tell You when man gets hardtack
and half and a couple of spoonful
of coffee for two or three days ration,
and is not certain that he will get any
more it makes him feel rather small
around the abdomen.
This is surely picturesque countr.
with some wild but beautiful scenery
One can climb around old ruins T.
their hearts content at present asther
is little or no fighting now. 1t woul,
no doubt look odd to people unaccus
toned to the sight to see bananas, cot
ton, oranges, coffee, lemons, rice ban
sboo, bread fruit and vegetables grow