Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-12-19
HE HAD HARD SOLDERING
PHILIPPINE LETTER BY SERGEANT LES
TER WOOD
Says Filipinos Expected Bryan would Give Them
Freedomif Eiected-Marches Through Mud Knee
deep-Has Been in Command of Post Portion Of
the Time--Army Life rees With Him.

Freedomif Elected-Marches Through Mud Knee
deep-fias Been in Command of Post Portion Of
the Time-Army Life A rees With Him.
A LtFarge gentleman sends us the
following letter for publication, write
date of October 9th. and w~itten from
Lopez, where bis detached squad is To-
Gated
Loptz PHtIIPpINE ISLANDS Oct. 0, 1900.
DEAR FRlEND:-l received your let
ter few days ago and was very glad to
hear from you. | am pleased to hear
that the town Is boon ng and business
nod; also that so many improvements
are taking place-a grist mill, school
house, the completion of the tunnel
will all help to make LaFarge the best
town in the valley.
| just returned from one VI hose plea
SAINT hikes" we have. A Spaniard came
in few days ago and gave the lieuten-
ant big con, which resulted in my
being sent out with q detail. We were
after "a party of Ladrones who were
supposed to have forty rifles | had s
men; made q junction with Company
G, but finding no trace of the party we
were compelled TO return through rain,
water and mud. Several times we were
forced TO throw our equipments across
and then swim the small screams. The
mud and water was knee deep on the
level, with rocks, sticks and everything
that would help to hurt your feet or
tear your shoes off, mixed with il. You
may think / estimated the mud pretty
deep, but lots of places it was over my
knees; it is something terrible aud inn
possible TO keep the men supplied with
shoes and clothing.
have been at this post since the 18th
of July. ave a detachment of forty
men under lieutenant Chadwick, who
was with the Macabebe scouts He is
fine fellow and good officer lam the
top sergeant and have very little out
side work to do, only when there are
insurgents in this vicinity, then the lieu
tenant or poor me have to 60 Every
thing is very quiet here at present; some
fighting in the Camonaries; have been
expecting trouble here; 1 'ceive messa-
ges from Atimonan often, speaking of
partie of insurgents near and warning
us to he careful They even got 80
scared few days ago that Captain Lat
inner with % men came down, bringing
1000 rounds of ammunition for us
The lieutenant was out at the time with
detail and ! was in command of the
post. We had no rations at the time,
and were living on rice / had every
thing ready and the insurgents were all
that was lacking for scrap. i arrested
| the presidente and confined him in our
quarters Captain Latimer took him TO
Atimonan an ! he has not yet returned
They refused civil government when
offered them, and the presidente refused
| to serve; said he was afraid of his life
They ''bucked" us pretty hard for q
| while even wanted us to clean up the
| town and refused to do it themselves.
| The lieutenant sent ont the guard and
| picked up every man in town and set
them all to work He had about 10(
and they did some good work. Since
then they have cleaned up the town il
good shape aud the lieutenant has then
bluffed to standstill IL ia a fact thaf
they think Bryan will give them indie.
pendence If elected. They told me 81
and were surprised when | told them il
| was not true Some of the howlers il
the states are responsible for the lives OF
Americans. | don't remember what
| your politics are, hut am sure You are
not of this type, | suppose you hear OF
| the way we treat these poor, innocent
natives" There are at times innocent
natives killed and mistreated, such il
the case everywhere, but those cases are
very few but if an ex ex-soldier or soldier
gets killed you will often hear the st
words: Its good enough for the fooi.
An ex x-soldier stands no show at all they
get worsted on all sides with no show
for Justice
We are having very nice weather for
this time of the year. with occasionally
| hard rain. The natives have their rice
planted and most of them are in town
This place has 1000 inhabitants. 1t ID
| a very rich town. You cannot hire your
washing done They had feast here
Sunday. There was a parade in tn,
morning and evening, with exercises In
the afternoon aud a hop at night haf
an invitation but declined it, de / have
attended two of their dances. Had |
very good supper at ofis. danced sew
eral times. They aee fine dancers and
enjoyed Ii very muoI, but very few o.
the senorites speak Spanish and know
very little Tagalog
/ am enjoying good health; weigl
about 175 or 1870 pounds and am as stronl
as an OK The road is never too long
for me- We have a prize fighter here
corporal He refused to obey orders
while on the march with me, and shool
his finger in my face. pushed his han(
ont of my face and he clenehed me
piled him up and choked him until b
thought he could behave. Since he ha
been obedient / was right and he ha
never said "a word about 1t.