Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-10-11
Philippine Letter.

buuRuo, L., aug ~, icou.
Mr.. j. W. b. Cole, Audubon, Iowa.
Dear Friend:-I was looking over
your last letter of May 4th and noticed
there were several items that did not
answer. Our companylwas called out
on short notice and, asl.stated in my
last letter, to see about Co. b, and did
not give me time to finish my letter.
We found Co. b all right and had just
landed and was burning the shacks of
that village on account of filth and the
leprosy. Major Sweet would not go
ashore the day before for he thought it
was nothing but plot on the part ofthe
Ioros to have a sham battle beween
themselves and the Borneo natives
which are called parroutts but are in
reality nothing but pirates. The Ma
jor could command good view of the
battle from the ship and they were
doing nothing but discharging their
fire arms in the air and there was no
one hurt. The major concluded that
their fight was to get the soldiers after
the parroutts who would take to the
mountains and then the Moros would
close in the rear having the boys be-
tween two fires and by that way they
thought they could massacre the
whole company. They have sent in
word several times that they would
| fight at certain place and q certain
time but when we would get there not
Moro would be in sight. The Moros
are very sassy in Jolo but down here
the commanding officer which is Capt.
Cloman, has them so well bluffed that
they are a different set altogether.
Down here is where they killed three
and wounded two out of company II
last February, one sargent, one corp
oral and one private killed and two
privates wounded. They cut the sarg-
ents head off with one blow and it
dropped in his hands. They very nearly
cut the corporals head off. He held it
in one hand and fought with the other
The private was chopped all to pieces.
One private was cut in the back until
he had no use of himself and fell fiat
on the ground and laid there so they
thought he was dead. The other pri-
yate was hit in the back of the neck
cutting his head about half off and the
doctor said it would have cut his head
off entirely if it had not been that
just as the blow was struck he turned
his head and received the point of the
bolo on the jaw bone just below the
right ear. He got over it but it left a
terribly ugly wound and disabled him
for life. He was sent home with the
home battalion to be discharged and
recommended for three-fourths pen
sion. The party was on an adjoining
island hog hunting and they had sat
down to rest when the natives slipped
up on them.
This is the Tawi-Tawi group belong
ing to the Sulu archipelago consisting
of the islands of Bongan, Sangie- Sangie
Sing Sang, Cebuits, Semanoles, Twai-
Twai and two others. No, it did not
make me angry because you let Mr..
Mott have my letters to publish, al
though it took me by surprise as was
not thinking of such a thing. Our
Capt. is q fine fellow but l am afraid
we are going to lose him though, as
he is going up for promotion to Major
First Lieutenant Bonnycastle is our
company commander now and fine
officer. No, we are not bothered much
about stamps, sometimes the post office
runs out entirely but as rule the boys
all lay in good supply. / received
the blotters, calendar and the slip of
poetry and gave Terrell his. Terrell
is now in Co. A since his company was
sent home. The companies all consist
of $50 men now with eight sargents
and eighteen corporals. We received
the housewives alright and were very
much pleased as they are very useful
article. l see by the papers that Ma
ior Kirkman has been reinstated in his
old place. We were under his COM
mand coming over on the ship as the
third battalion Of the 49th was on board
with us. am feeling fine at present
eating my bacon on the rine as we can
not get beef down here. Thanking you
once more for your kindness for send
ing me papers will close sending my
best wishes to all remain your friend,
VIM. J. HAMILTON.
23d U. s. INIT.