The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-25
TREATMENT OF VOLUNTEERS.
Complaint Against the Reduction oil
Travel Pay

Complaint against the Reduction of
Travel Fay
The following letter was written by
on-cemmissioned officer in the Twenty
eighth Volunteer Infantry, ana whose home
is in Washington:
Manila, P L, Sept. Is, 1900.
"a man is sometimes judged harshly for
unbosoming his trials and tribulations to a
newspaper man, but to whom else can
poor volunteer soldier go? II one be so
fortunate as TO have the confidence Of
commissioned officer, and goes TO him with
some grievance, his consolation is, Tut,
tut, tut, go 10 your. quarters
! When we Were fresh and green from
the transport, and after lying about eight
! OR ten hours in Manila we were loaded Cor
part OF otr regiment wasl ON a small side
wheeler and headed for the south line We
were all in good spirits-thinking that we
were TO get at the enemy at once We
landed at Bacoor. where there were some
| few shots fred during the night at the
outposts- The afternoon of the next day
| the runners brought in word that linus was
| to be attacked that night Our first bat
| talIi0n was moved up at once on a forced
march. We laid out in the wet grass,
while our regular friends were quartered
| in the beautiful church and sleeping on
| easy hunks. The next morning as We roll
| ed up our small belongings and the bugle
sounded assembly We no doubt were sOF-
| ~ looking lot, some with brown fatigue
pants. others with heavy blue, and in fact
we had no regulation uniform. AS We filed
past our regular friends 1 was surprised
| to notice on the face Of everyone either a
sheer or a look Of utter contempt. Now,
! in the part Of the country that | came
| from a regular isn't considered so many
| I'VE were loaded pretty heavily, con-
| sidering the intense heat and the green
N, heoE
| OF the day was beginning to tell on
| them when we reached our temporary
| destiuation-Las Finas. We were lined
rp, .Fhile our regular friends vacated
! laeir quarters, for We were to relieve
| t5eIn, they moving in toward Manila.
| liter getting their things out, a SER
| geant, addressing bunch CT privates,
| says: Get a broom and sweep those
! quarters cut They looked up and
widened their eyes, then one said: What.
| clean up for 4 lot of volunteers?' We
are treated III this manner in every
! thing-maiI, rations, clothing, etc
| They call US rookeys. jays, and many
other pet names, but when the real facts
are shown it is the volunteers that make
the advances and do the fighting. I hap
| pened to be in one battalion OF vofuH-
/ tsers one day that turned a trick that
nearly two regiments OF regulars at
| tempted. but could not DO.
NOW, LOT the haTQSIIDS- alter t+.S
march into south LuZon, with General
I Wheatons expeditioEary brigade, our
/ marches through the mountainous cCun-
| try were numerous. One CT these l shall
| long remember We were cut with three
| DAYS rations in the mountains when
| water gave cut. The heat was intense.
Our tongues began TO swell from thirst.
After five hours of steady marching. We
came 10 a stream In this We fairly
rolled.
Our fights consist largely of anbus-
cades but on many occasions VI have
found the enemy lined up and strons5y
! entrenched, and they put up coed L 3htS.
| My battalion also has had the disagree
| able experience of night attack
| We have had men shot 10 pieces, 9th
ers with loss OF limbs, loss CT eyesisht
| and loss of mind. we have all been sub
jected to the filthy diseases Of a tropical
| climate-hardIy a man has escaped the
scurvy Caused from continual diet OF SOW
! BELLY or the dobie itch which is in the
| very air one breathes. Fever in al It's
| various forms prevails here and malaria
| turks in every hole and corner
| The time Of cur enlistment is Low
| drawing to a close, and the boys who are
| left are now beginning TO think OF nome
/ and friends. Imagine our surprise and
/ CONSERVATION when we were informed OF
general order reducing the transporta-
l
/ Well. what of that2 Well il is this: The
volunteers now in the Philippine Islands
are comprised Of men from nearly every
State in the Union They were led 20 be-
| lieye that they would be treated precisely
/ if not better than the volunteers whom
! they relieved. They were mustered cut IN
San Francisco with two months extra pay
for foreign service. and received one
days pay and 80 cents for Tations for ey-
cry twenty miles This new general or
der robs the private of about $13-.3. the
| corporal OF about SO. the sergeant OF
about S35, and the first sergeant OF about
So
The men are now thoroughly disguised
! and some Of them are beginning 10 patron
ize the cauteen whom l never saw there
before. They expect the next thing is that
the law allowing them TWO months PAL
for foreign sarvice will be set aside
r. I think the aggregate number OF enlist
ed men in the various volunteer ersani
cations throughout the Philippine Islands
who claim The District CT Columbia as
their home Will exceed 800, if it does no
reach 400, and among them are many non
commissioned officers