The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-29
WHAT WAR is LIKE
an n. r. CORNELL TELLS OF BIS
SERVICE IN THE PHILIPPINES.
POOR FOOD AND EXPOSURE
ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MORE
DEATHS THAN ARE THE Bull
LETS OF THE ENEMY.

onds-WouIdn't Take $4,000 for
the Experience, but wouldn't Go
through 1t Again for Any sum.
rive Days in the Mountains OF
Panay, Weak From Exposure, and
Two Days without Regular Ra-
tions-More Than Third of the
Men Afterward Sent TO the Hos
pitaI.
Mr.. T. P. Cornell, who only recent
~ returned to this country after eight
cen months service in the United
states Army in the Philippines, tells
an interesting story of his experiences
in that country. He says that he
wouldn't take $4,000 for what he did
90 through, but wouldn't go through
II again for any sum.
Mr.. Cornell enlisted in Kentucky,
Sept. Is, 1899, was assigned to the For
ty-fourth Infantry, United States Vol
unteers, and after spending some time
in various camps. finally sailed from
San Francisco for the Philippines
aboard the Hancock, Nov. rs. A stop
Of seven days was made at Honolulu,
and then the trip was continued,
Manila bay being reached Dec. 10.
Here five days were spent and then
the Hancock sailed for Iloilo.. Panay
Island, which was reached the day
after Christmas.
Here the regiment was disembarked
and marched to Jaro, afterward it's
headquarters, where it relieved the
Twenty-sixth Regiment, which left for
a more advanced position. The new
corners were at Jaro but three days
when they were taken to Pototan,
where the friendly natives complained
that the "Insurrectos" had threatened
many men, killed some, and stolen
much cattle. The enemy, about 200
strong, were reported at the village of
Padagay and there eighty-five of the
Americans were sent to drive them out.
The village was reached about day
break, and the enemy found all right,
but they became alarmed at
two shots fired by the Amer
leans at an outpost and got out
of the village before they could be
brought to an engagement. They were
fanked on both sides, however, and
in the skirmish that ensued five of
them were killed and five wounded.
None of the Americans was hurt at
ALL In fact during the entire time of
service, Mr. Cornell said, only one man
in his company was wounded by the
enemy; he was shot in the leg.
On Jan. Is was begun what proved
one of the most terrible experiences
that any part of the American army
has had in the Philippines. The object
of the expedition was to capture or
rout a band of 300 insurgents stationed
at Celebo a town not far from the
coast of Panay. To do this it was
planned to have the American forces
separated into three bodies, two of
them to march on the insurgent posi-
ton from opposite sides of the coast.
and the third, in which was Mr. Cor
nell, to cross the mountains to the rear
of the village in order to check any re-
treat that might be attempted by that
route
The trouble with this part of the
forces began as soon as the trip was
begun. The guide that conducted the
soldiers, when first approached to Sc
cure his services, said the trip was an
impossible one; that the Spaniards had
found it so and that no army, or part
of one, would be able successfully to
make it. The American officer, perse-
vering, however, ii was finally begun.
So soon as the climbing was begun
it was found that the pack mules were
unable to get up the rocks, and so they
were sent back to camp after each man
of the command had been given five
days rations, in addition to his cloth
ing, blanket, rifle and 200 rounds of am
munition, load that would have been
deemed heavy under the most favorable
conditions. This load, the exposure and
the fierce sun, and at night so weakened
the men that they found themselves
unable to get along, and so practically
the whole command of three compan-
les threw away everything except their
guns, ammunition and rations. They
were five days in the mountains, and
TO add to the misery of the trip the
rations gave out two days before Ce-
lebo was reached, and they had to live
on rice and an occasional chicken,
when one could be found and safely
stolen.
1t did not add to their comfort either
that the trip so replete with fatigue
and danger was nugatory in its re-
suits. the insurgents having been
frightened away from Celebo by the
sight of a gunboat that had carried a
part of one of the other columns up
the coast.
After being detained at Celebo two
days, because of the rough weather
mat prevailed, embarking on the
eunboat the expedition returned to
Jaro, stopping for some time at differ
ent towns along the coast. After Jaro
was reached the tremendous strain and
fatigue that the men had I'M
oergone put nearly half of them
IN the hospital: in one company of
ninety men, thirty-five were sent to
the hospital, and the proportion was
aoout the same in the other companies.
while this was the worst trip in his
experience. Mr.. Cornell had a number
OF others, all interesting. One of the
most peculiar was at Colossi, a village
mat the natives deserted so soon as
tney say the soldiers approaching. One
Oh the men was got hold of and made
70 understand that no harm was in
ehded to anybody but insur-
gents, and this news having been
disseminated the majority of the ma
yves returned.
from them ii was learned that their
terror of the soldiers arose from the
stories of the Spaniards who had told
ohem that the Americans were the
iIercest of barbarians and would not
hesitate even to eat them. That these
stories were told was instanced by the
Idct that when some of the colored
ssoidlers visited the town mothers stood
~ al, the doorways of their huts and
oiIered their young children to the ne
sroes, hoping by this means to save
thelr own lives