Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-03-12
Correspondence, Associated Press)

0OAN0OdO4N, JOutAOlA AtNOAAt ~N~~N-
airy 20.--Two days ago military ex-
petition of some $500 American
troops under Gen. Kobbe, left Manila
and proceeded ON several steamships
to the southern end of Luzon Island,
there to occupy and permanently gar
rison six sea coast towns and villages.
Up to the present time three such
towns have come under the American
flag and the control of American army
officers and no one has been hurt on
either side. Two or three more places
still remain to be garrisoned down
here, and then the expedition will pro-
coed to Samar and Leyte, there to oc-
cupy and hold the principal towns OF
these neighboring islands.
Gen. Kobbe's command is composed
of the Forty-third and Forty-seventh
United States volunteer infantry and
Capt. Randolph's battery of the Third
artillery. These troops were loaded on
the transports Hancock and Garonne
and the local steamers Venus, Aeolus,
Salvadora and Castellano, conveyed by
the gunboat Nashville. The expedition
left Manila January 18th, and slowly
Steamed Down the Coast
to the entrance of the deep bay that
leads from the sea, up to the town of
Sorsogon, near the southern extremity
of Luzon. On the morning of Janu-
airy Goth we met the gunboat Helena
and the little Marveles, the three war
ships leading the transports in single
file, the whole expedition slowly pro-
ceeded up Sorsogon bay. 1t was like
Lake Champlain. The water sparkled
and was bright in the morning breeze
and the hills that run back from the
sides of the bay were well wooded. We
swung past several islands. We were
not close enough to the shore to detect
the tropical foliage and there was a
freshness in the morning air that re-
minded our soldiers of home.
There had followed us from Manila
a side-wheel steamer called the Nunez
with a serviceable draft of six feet.
Her use and value now became appar-
ent. Two companies of the Forty
seventh were loaded into eight of the
Hancock's pull boats, and two more
companies passed aboard the Nunez.
Then the Nunez
lowed the Whole Outfit
toward Sorsogon, still eight miles up
the bay.
After an hour and half the small
boats arrived off Sorsogon and we saw
the town was decorated with white and
American flags. The Helena, Nashville
and Maraveles had preceded the Nunez
and her boats to SorsogoL and were
anchored in front of the town.
Gen. Kobbe and Capt. Farrell, Col.
Howe, of the Forty-seveath, Capt.
Bradley, of the Hancock, and Lieut..
Kobbe, the. generals soA, were on
board the Marayeles. Tie gunboat
steamed close to the wharf in front Of
the stone warehouses along the water
front and a pull boat set the above
mentioned party on shore. They were
met by a number of natives and Span
iards while crowds of tie villagers
stood and gaped in wonder and Curl
osity. Only three days age the Tagalo
leaders had cohvincingly told them
that Aguinaldo had driven us out of
Manila and held us prisoners upon ves-
sells in Manila bay. The Spaniards told
Had Evacuated the Gown
that morning, whereupon Col. Howe,
with an American flag under his arm
and accompanied by an orderly, walk
ed rapidly across the squSre in front
of the church and raised tae flag on
pole facing building that had the
appearance of barracks.
The soldiers from the Nunez were
landed on the wharf and Immediate
" forming into companies marched up
INTO the town. The people seemed in
different to our presence, their only
visible characteristic being curiosity.
All day long they looked al the Amer
leans from street corners doorways
and second story windows and several
times crowds of the curious had to be
dispersed from in front of Colonel
Howe's headquarters.
There were several Spaniards in
town, aud from them it was learned
something of the recent happenings on
shore So-sogon is an important ship
ping por1 and district capital. 1t
has likelaAe rest of this coast and the
islands Samar and Leyte been
blockadedby ur.vesssls since August
last and Consequently its people have
have suffered from the lack of varie-
ties Of 70 They seemed to have
sudicient rice. ash and bananas,