The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-12-23
WRECKED AT SEA
Sylvester Walker of Wichita
Has Thrilling Experience.
CAST UP ON AN ISLAND
And Fortified in a Hut Against
the FiIipinoS,

Sylvester Walker. a Wichita boy, has
had an exciting experience in the Philip
pines Writing his parents from Man
Bon, under date Of September q, he says:
Dear Father and Mother: L received
your letter this afternoon and it is the
first mail that we have got for a long
time. Was glad to hear that all are wei.
7 SIN have very good health considering
everything. The town was attacked by
insurgents last week, but We easily
whipped them
had quite an experience lately. 1 Will
Try and ten you a little of it, Two cap
tains Of the Thirty-seventh infantry took
me and six other men to pay a visit on
town garrsoned by the Thirtleth infan-
Try. and we had 10 make the trip on d
SAIL boat. The trip was all right, but in
coming back a storm came 10 and we
dr-fted cut TO sea and the main mast OF
the boat broke and then our sail was
useless and the negro crew said that oar
only way TO get cut safely was to make
for an island twenty-five miles out from
the mainland.
After nearly eleven hours we got sight
Of the island and our boat crew and all
prepared to land, and as the boat went
10 pieces we waded to The shore. We
we're twenty miles our at sea with no
beat TO take Us back to Manbon.
ShlpWTecked and among negroes, and
as our little party only had nine guns
and 100 rounds Of ammunition we ex-
pected to be captured by the natives.
Bur the natives were very good to US
and even guided US 10 a small town on
the island and we fortified ourselves in
q little hut and after five days Of wait
ing and living on rice and earriboo meal
a native sail boat came In to the town.
We took possession of the boat and
forced the natives TO take us to Manbon
where we arrived in safety. after being
absent for over nine days and nights.
The trip was made without orders and
nearly cost nine Of our lives and the
two captains are up for an investigation
and it is likely to cost them their posi-
tions. They are two ex-Tennessee cap
tains and the want of liquor was the
cause Of the trouble. All of the boys
were glad to see us back. but said it
would have been good thing if the Of
fcers had never got back TO their com
panies, for they are not much and the
men don't Ike them.
1 am Llle only man IN my company VINO
hasn't been in the hospital or missed a
guard. One company of the Twenty
ninth infantry went out scouting lately
and never returned. They were all killed
or captured. one company Of the Thirty
seventh and two companies of the FIT
tenth went out scouting and were am
pushed and had twenty men killed and
thirty-two wounded and were forced to
retreat
Two companies Of the Fifteenth infan-
try went out scouting lately, got into a
fight. twenty-five were killed and thirty
two wounded and were forced to leave
their dead on the field. General Collins.
the insurgent general. sent our dead in
under a flag OF truce. our regiment hal
1,2s0 men when it was organized and it
has only so left Sickness has caused il.
I hope Kansas viii go Republican, for
I have SO bet on it. SO that Mckinley is
elected and S25 Indiana goes Republican.
We expect 70 start for America in three
weeks. or by Christmas.
CORPORAL s T. WALKER.
Co. c.. 37th e. s V. Manila. p. I.