Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1901-02-15
FROM THE PHILIPPINES
A Letter From That Far Aw
Land-Interesting Expert
enccs Of One of Our Boys
Who is Now OH the
Way to the Con-
itnent.

COtaCfs Nv
in what we fondly refer to as
1.-The States" as regards soldier
and native life in these ISLANDS, ME
so wide of the mark that |, both as
a soldier and an %old, citizen of
Highland, feel it to be my duty to
correct these mistaken ideas in as
many minds as lies within my
feeble, yet we'll intended efforts.
Possibly, more probably, ut the
beginning of this present unpieas-
antness with these dusky Malavs.
taking into consideration the con-
ditions under which the American
soldier found the Islands, the re
ports of the hardShips and nrlya-
tions which he underwent, were
not exaggerated. But between
those times and the present there
is as much difference as there is be-
tween a sweet pea blossom and a
sunhower. Then it was hike
from sunrise to sunset through
mud to our hips. fight in the rice
paddles" aud mountains; rustic for
what little we had to eat for our
selves and horses; out post guard
every two or three nights, aud
when we did get achance to sleep.
a wet horse blanket for It bed and
a saddle for a pillow.
The story of Gen. Young's cam
paign from San Fernando de Pam,
pangq, 45 miles moth of Manila
through the mountains of North
ern Luzon to Vigan, and in which
my troop, d. of the 3rd. acted as
the advance and body guard to the
Gen: how we chased Aguinaldo and
his barefooted cohorts, from one
CAPITAL, so called, to another, until
we reached and fought our way m
to San Fernando de la Union, is too
we'll known to bear repetition
Old Young, who was at one time
our honored Colonel, here showed
the metal of which be is made.
Riding up the road in the face OF
heavy rifle fire, a living example
of fearlesness, h. turned in hh
saddle and cried to the sergeant
carrying the colors, "unfurl tha'
flag, want them to see it," They
saw l., and that night we campec
in the Plazade Pueblo, and the har
dest of the campaign was over
But now it is different. We arr
comfortably housed in Bacuotan
in good frame and bamboo quarters
and what is more to be Thankful
for. an unexcelled locality TO
healthfulness. Lying about I o
n mile from the China Sea, we &c
for nothing. the whole year, tina
which people of means spend thou
sands to enjoy daring the summe
months-a cool sea breeze and fin
surf bathing. Our work i'll th
line of duty could not be any easie
if we were stationedin the States
We are at this time spending six o
seven nights in bed. (off guard
which is remarkable considering tn
fact that other troops statlonp
around us are only getting in
two or three nights. Possibly tn
reason why we do not mount s
large a guard as other troops is tn
fact that our troop Commander
one of these kind vino believes i
Lifting the enemy in and then max
ing him feel at home, Instead OF &c
ing into his fastness and permit
ting him to enact the role OF hos
To give good description AL
fur conception Of native life i
these far eastern possessions OF oul
would take pen Far mightier tina
mine, because they are so dlffercr
from other people, so unique an
characteristic in their way. How
ever. | shall endeavor to tell you M
impressions of the Filipinos, wlic
have been formed from persona
contract with them in their ever
day life, and from observation.
Tn the first place. he is a liar,
traitor and coward. This ma
seem like broad statement to MAX
but I'm firmly convinced that it
40. because events which have haT
rened and experiences which, NJ
o ly myself but others, have unde
gone. prove it. The average "bon