Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1900-07-06
Highland Boy m The Philippines;
An Interesting Letter, Especial
ly for the Recorder;
PAI1T1

| WI pId' C .AHiCf lCdu uONo are SUI.
fering the hardships and privations
! incident to a foreign war, might he
of interest to your readers, | will
give you a short account of the
work of the 10Th Infantry and par
ticalarly of the End Battalion.
After the 10Th returned from
Porto Rico it went into camp tenn
porally at Camp Meade Pa. to re-
cruit up before starting to the
Philippines. When it left it was
the largest regiment that had ever
left the States at that time, having
1913 men to the. company. We left
Meade in the latter part of July
and proceeded to Frisco by way of
Chicago, Omaha, Denver and Salt
Lake, ARRIVING in the evening CT
the sixth and much to our disap-
pointment marched at once Oh
board of waiting transports. The
second Battalion Co.'s A. E. c.
and l. J went OIL the Newport"
We sailed at one o'clock the same
night and had stormy, rainy wealth
err the first few days which caused
the majority of "Ye bold sojer
boys" to pay the usual land lubbers
tribute to NentNne. But as all
things have a habit IF coming to
an end, the bad weather was no ex-
ception and in couple of days we
were sailing unaer skies as soft and
blue rs ever smiled down on my
native land of "Old Virginny,"
which was leaying so far behind.
After an uneventful voyage we
arrived at the beautiful city of
Honolulu and stayed several days
to take coal and water.
IL there is such thing as all
eaythly paradise Honolulu, is GER
tainlY the place. The residence
streets are the most beautiful of |
any in the world.
The houses, all stand well back
from the street and tue lawns in
front are gorgeous mass of tropi-
cal flowers and shrubs. 1t was
with feeling of sadness that we
finally saw our ship slowly slip
ping from the wharf while the ma
tive band on shore played The Star
Spangle banner" 1t was then orr
began in earnest, with
nothing to break the monotony.
On the second day one of our men
died OH board, but With this excep.
hon no unusual incidents occurred
until we reached the China Sea
where We encountered a typhoon
Of snch violence that all men had |
to go below decks, and the matches
were all battened down to keep out
the seas that at intervals washed
oyer the vessel.
TO make matters worse the en- |.
gines broke down under the strain
and we tossed with the roll Of the
sea unable to hold the vessel to her
proper course for twelve long hours
until the repairs were made and we
-esumed our course.
A few nights afterward we
heard a commotion on deck and
going up | beheld a sight which ] |
lad often longed to see when a
school boy. 1t was a volcano in
1t was in sight for the
greater part of the night and one :
Who never saw any thing of the :
ind it was certainly a weird, grand !
light which will never be forgotten.
On the twenty-eight day after
raving Honolulu we steamed slow
y by Corregidor and into far famed z
lanila Bay and right glad we were !
o set foot on terra Grma once z
lore.
We were quartered in what is
nrwn as the "Nipa Barracks" and
nd the mud was from one to three
,et deep and the rain pouring al
ne time. 1t certainly was gloomy
production to The fairest islands
The seas"
Soon after landing we were made
a visit from the paYmas- o,
n who gave us two months pay
shining American gold. Then
le 10Th began to celebrate by
all the new and vile CON
'ctions that the crafty natives
ave been able to invent for the
'freshment (?) of the American =.
'ldier. | have seen all manner of co
lord liquor" from the variety that &c
sold in the "Pig's-ear" in the .
mber regions Of Potter Go. Pa. ev
the Mexican Mescal Of the south &c .,
est, but some of the compounds {
Id here are not to be compared to {
~ thing less mild than nitric ar
id. A sight which looked strange "a EI
US when we first came, but 1 1I
hich attracts no comment now 2
as the women smoking cirgars nc
ID cigarettes. Everybody smokes, tn
Ell, women and children. o.
1t is no unusual sight to see Ok Ok
estizo lady driving on the Luneta ia
her private carriage leaning sa