The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-08-07
FIGHTING IN THE
WILDERNESS.
Lie ut. Philip Yost Writes of His
Experiences In LuzOn.
MARCHES OVER THE MOUNTAINS
And Risky Brushes with Filipiuos Life at
Donsoi, south Of Manila, Is Far From
Being Dresry--About
Canton Boys.

Being Dreary--About
Canton Boys.
Charles G. Book, of the Dueber Watch
Case Manufacturing company, has re-
ceived most interesting letter from
Lieutenant Philip Yost of this city, for
merly Captain of Company 1, Eighth o.
". l.. and now first lieutenant of Com
pany D, 47th infantry, in the Philip
pines. The letter is dated at Donsol, in
southern Luzon, where Lieutenant
Yosts company has been located for
several months. Captain Yost says:
Donsol, Luzon, June IL. 1900.
Friend Book: Much has happened
down in this out-of-the way portion OF
the globe since last wrote you, just be-
fore landing at Manila. After voyage
of 40 days from New York, having stop
ped at Gibraltar, Malta, Suez, Column
bo and Singapore, we arrived at Manila
on the afternoon of December %.
Steaming through the broad entrance
to the bay we were upon the scene of
the memorable battle that Dewey
fought. Far across the bay could be
seen White Manila, and beyond arose
the hills in which we were soon to fight.
Before dark we were crowded into
cascos Ga boat similar to, and used for
same purpose as our canal boats) and
towed by a steam launch up the Pasig
river landing at San Pedro Macati
about IL o'clock. We only landed after
much difficulty, for the Pasig Is swift
flowing stream. We slept, for the first
time in almost two months, on bare
mother earth. San Pedro Macati Is
where the Washington and Oregon boys
and the Utah battery fought and made
for themselves a name.
My company was stationed in the
town, of which only the stone house is
left, and the other three companies of
our battalion were in the trenches to the
north.
IT WAS CHRISTMAS NIGHT,
and I was officer of the guard. Several
of the officers had gathered at head
quarters and some one had just men
toned Christmas at home-when bang!
bang! went two Remingtons; crack!
crack! went two Krags, from the out
posts across the river, and "call to
arms" sounded all along the hills. The
sergeant of the guard came in slightly
wounded in the leg. He had been pa
trolling and had been fired on. 1t was
not with the safest feeling in the world
that We secuted through the under
brush and old ruins, when your hand
could not be seen before your face and
where fifty Filipinos might be within
fifty feet of you. We found nothing,
and concluded that they had "vam-
oused." At midnight we all drank
toast to Home, Friends and Sweet
hearts," and / started on my round of
the guard.
During the rest of our stay at San
Pedro Macati nothing worthy of spe-
oial note occurred, except when General
Schwan's column was formed here for
the expedition to the Morong peninsula.
OF course, the country, the old ruins,
their habits and customs were all very
interesting, but they soon grew old.
January 16 we left for Manila and
boarded the Hancock, bound for the
south-where, we did not know. The
regiment has since been scattered over
miles of Southern Luzon and the ada
cent islands and do not expect to see
the boys together again until we are
assembled to go home.
On January 20 the battalion to which
Houser and the other Canton boys be-
long, took the town of Sorsogon. Early
the next morning companies A and d
were sent in the gunboat Helena to
the scene arriving off the coast Of Don
sent ashore and the surrender Of the
town was demanded.
TOMORROW" ALWAYS.
1t was the same old Spanish story,
"Manana." But we didn't wait. The
troops were put in small boats, the same
as when the old Eighth Ohio landed at
Sibony The boats were run aground,
the men jumping into the water and the
line forming on the beach, at the shore
line. We expected a fight right there,
for all along the front of the town was
q line of trenches and breastworks; but
we were not molested. / was sent with
16 men to reconnoiter through the town
and along the river. On the hills about
500 yards from the town / saw lot OF
natives. They were a suspicious look
ing set. They were in trenches, so my
little detachment advanced on them
in line of skirmishers, so as to draw
their fire and locate their trenches. We
had advanced about 20 yards when the
"niggers" had opened up. Captain Hart
in the meantime had forwarded the rest
Of Company d on my left. The two
lines effected junction and advanced,
firing. On getting within about 2OO
yards of the hill the "niggers' firing
ceased. We continued the advance, OF
course, cutting and tearing our way
through the thick briars and under
brush that covered the base Of the steer
ascent. Reaching the trench, we found
that the enemy had fled back into the
hills. / heard the lead sing pretty close
--and 1t isn't the mast pleasa1 1t muse
In the world. either.
The village of Donsol is located or
the southwest coast of Luzon, at about
the thirteenth parallel north. 1t lies or
a low strip of land between the ocear
and range of foothills at the mouth
of the Donsol river. 1t is a typical ma
tive town. The houses, with the ex'
ception Of few built Of stone by the
Spaniards. are all of nepa and bamboo
They are set up on poles, the floors be
ing from to ~ feet above the ground
The largest of the houses have beer