The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-05-26
CHAPLAIN OF CALIFORNIA REGIMENT
Colorado Boys Under Howards
We're the Champions.
WASHINGTON BOYS A CLOSE SECOND
A Protestant Chaplain with His
Anglo-Saxon Church.

Angl0-Saxon Church.
In letter to a friend at Oakland,
Rev. Joseph M. Gleason, Of St. Roses
church, San Francisco, chaplain OF the
Thirtieth regiment in the Philippines,
has the following to say about the van
dalism OF the volunteers:
Speaking of the ravages OF these vol
unteers, the natives have terrible memo
ries of them. Speaking Spanish they talk
very freely with me. 1 have heard very
few complaints against the regulars, but
the discipline among the volunteers
must have been very lax. One could
scarcely expect better things. Too mucl,
politics enter into the commissions.
Most of the officers were mere politi-
clans, and poly's chief aim in action
is to curry favor.
A few fearless and conscientious Off
GERS did their duty-and the outcome
was murmuring on the part OF dis
gruntled privates, to whom obedience to
anyone was new thing. 1t is a pleas
TIRE to hear our Californian, General
Jim Smith, spoken of by the regular
army officers as the really only success
full commanding officer in the whole
volunteer force. To his strict discipline
is chiefly due the health OF the First Cal
iiornia His regiment is not remembered
as robber band, and, in fact, is the
only one that did not leave that im-
preston behind
The others left nasty memory be-
hind. They stole and looted and burnt
and murdered as if they never knew
law, order or conscience. The Colora
dos left very dirty record for them
selves on the north line. They looted
everywhere and evcrytlning-notlling be-
ing too sacred for their greed, but this
is not surprising when one considers
the character Of certain companies
such as Captain Howards, full A. P.
Il. You may remember how he was
hauled up for refusing to recruit men
who were Catholics. l suppose that
even in Colorado he busted his picayune
mind picturing all he could steal. A
native eyewitness told me that the
Washington regiment were kingpins in
the. art of stealing. He saw them clean
out the church, and pastoral residence
| at Pasig. He saw some of them take
the Sacred Heart statue into their camp
and-after painting it black-consign i,
to more vile mockery.
The church of Guadalupe, reduced by
the Utah battery, is monument to the
low notions of "mine and thine" evi.
! denced by the volunteer set. Before the
war it was the richest church in the
islands, both in ornamentation and ar
chitecturc. Now it is a heap of ruins
no altar, no pavement-no anything
and even the graves OF the dead priests
raided for possible treasure. Tombs
were broken open and the only hall
decomposed bodies Of priests thrown
on the floor. I saw two such bodies
and had them reburied by reporting to
the commanding officer the condition
of affairs. 1 would have taken kodak
view OF the awful scene, but there was
not sufficient light.
have met Archbishop Chapellc frc-
quently since his arrival here. He has
a very difficult task before him-but
seems to be man we'll able to meet
and dissolve all. kinds OF difficulties.
The Filipino reception given to Arch
bishop Chapelle was very nasty affair.
1t was billed as reception to the Apos-
to!ic Delegate by the Filipino Catholic
clement" The hall was crowded with
Katipunans and Masons. As soon as
the delegate took his chair there was
great shout of "Down with the Friars
down witt, Nozaleda." The whole
business was put-up job, intended to
give Archbishop Chapelle mistaken
notion of Filipino sentiment. 1t was a
clever trick Of the church's enemies, but
the archbishop saw through the scheme.
Some OF the army chaplains spend a
considerable portion OF their time in
prosclytizing work. One OF t',e worst
OF these is United States army chap
lain, Rev. Mr.. Pierce by name. who left
here for America. This Mr.. Pierce has
been stationed for long time at the
First Reserve Hospital, and superin-
tends the burial OF soldiers. He wanted
to make trip back to the United States
eve" before General 1.'r'""'s death