Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1901-03-28
Letter From the Philippines.
CERT. p. l.. January 90, 100

DEAR EDITOR-hS Joudy 10 Sunuoy
and | have nothing to do, | thought L
would drop a few lines to the old REG
IsTER, which always find a great pleas
ure in reading in this far-off island. l
love to read the news of the ancient
town and community in which l was
raised.
guess by the time return | won't
know the old town, there has been so
much improvement made. But guess
| will know where to stop off at. The
time is drawing near when l Will BID
farewell to these islands to set sail for
Gods country once more, and | think
when | land there once it will be some
time before think of sailing again. II
ever do it will be to country where l
can see white girl once iI while.
Just think of it-eighteen long months
since | last talked to white girl. 1t is
enough to make one go crazy. NO won
der there were three hundred and sew
enty soldiers went loco Crazy last year
over here. We have had two TO 90 crazy
in our company so far, and l thlnk II
they don't soon land us in Gods coun-
try there will be few more, for cam
hold out much longer.
Well, all is quiet here now. several
of our boys went out scouting the other
night with blood in their eyes, bound TO
capture an insurgent general by the
name of Lugar before they returned to
camp They hid themselves along
trail in some bushes where they thought
Lugar was bound TO travel and where
guide had indicated he had Travelled.
Well, they were sitting along the trail
waiting patiently for the general to ar
rive, and the first thing they knew Hell
ferstay, who was a member OF the gang,
rose up to take view of the surround
ings, and the sight that met his eyes
changed the tune. About twenty yards
from where they were hiding was gang
of twenty or thirty bolo men preparing
to make charge on our scouts. Hell
ferstay quickly notified the boys of the
situation, and they all raised on their
knees and opened up on the insurgents
who started to scatter. They killed sew
en- and wounded couple more. don I
know which were surprised the worst,
the googoes or the scouts But, anyhow,
they came home and haven't been out
any since. One of the wounded insur-
gents said there were twenty more in
surgents in another place. When our
brave scouts opened up on them they
took to their heels and ran for their
lives. Helferstay said he never did shoot
so fast in his life before.
On the night of December 3lSt, new
years eve, at II o'clock, was on guard
and on post at the time. Our bugler
blew taps on the old year as she died out
and then blew reveille as the new year
came in, the big guns in Cebu fired
salute and the whistles on all the boats
in the harbor were blowing. | looked
up on the mountains and just as did
| saw big flash and then heard the re-
port of a cannon. Well, | didn't think
much of it, and when | came off of post
| told some of the boys what had heard
and seen. They laughed and jeered at
me, but | told them they didn't have to
believe me. The next morning when
we woke up | went out TO look at the
mountain, which was about three thous-
and yards from camp. Our campls sit
uated about two miles from the city Of
Cebu. When | looked up there, behold
there on the highest peak was a large
Filipino flag flying oil tall bamboo pole
and large tent. | went up to the first
lieutenant and reported to him. The
whole camp was out looking at it. The
lieutenant went into Cebu and reported
it to the commanding officer of the island
and he sent part of company from
Cebu, and half of .our company took
small! field gun and lit out after them
bound to have that flag. They had gone
about half mile towards the inSur-
gents camp on the hill where the flag
was. We were watching them from
camp through pair of field glasses. |
guess the insurgents were doing the
same, for when our boys left camp they
fired their cannon off, pulled their flag
half way down the pole and then ran it
up again, and repeated this three times,
threw down their tents and vamooSed
over the hill. Our boys were out three
days hunting them, but gave it up and
came back to camp, cuSsing the insur-
gents for making them hike.
Well, | will close for this time, as
news is scarce. By the time this reach
es its destination will be thinking of
getting ready to leave these islands and
shaking the mud Of the same from my
feet forever and sail the dark blue sea,
and if ever hit old West Virginia alive
| will thank my stars and call myself
lucky boy. guess it will hold me for
a while. Adios, c. W. S.