Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-01-23
Bert Rhoades, an Ottumwa Boy, in
the Philippines.
TAKES TRIP UNDER DIFFICULTIES
Was a Member of a Small Detachment
on Long March Through Rough
Country in Bad Weather-Ottum-
vans All Well.

A letter was received at the Cour-
Ter Office yesterday from Bert Rhoades,
member of Troop G, Fifteenth United
| States cavalry, which is seeing SER
vice in the Philippines. This is the
regiment to which several Ottumwa
boys among them Thomas Curran and
Rhoades, belong, having been muster
ed into the service in this city several
months ago. They are now, or rather
were at the time the letter was writ
| ten to the Courier in November, in the
island of Mindanao, among the more
savage of the Filipinos, and according
to Rhoades' letter the trouble is not yet
over with the natives in that part OF
the country.
The major portion of the letter con-
tains an account of hard march tax
en- by a few of the soldiers, Rhoades
being the only Ottumwa boy among
them, and it is interesting to all, more
especially, of course. to those who
know the writer. To quote from the
letter, which was delayed in transit:
+" Davao, Mindanao, P. l.,
November 80. 1901.
''The Ottumwa Courier:
Il will write short letter today in
order that the people in Ottumwa who
know some of the boys of G troop may
learn that all from Ottumwa are well
and getting along nicely.
A Hard Trip.
Il was one of party which has re-
Gently returned from hard trip
through the Philippine country, and
will relate few of the experiences
through which We passed. was the
only one in the party from Ottumwa,
and though We saw hard service am
glad that l was included. On October
9 detachment of seventeen cavalry
men and four engineers, under COM
mand of Lieutenant Lear of G troop,
left Davao for Cottobala, across the
mountains, taking seventeen days ra-
lions. Ours was the eighth detach-
ment TIC try this trip, seven having
failed in the undertaking The dis
lance about 270 miles, had to be made
on foot through the toughest kind of
country.
Water, Water, Water.
Give days marching from Davao
brought us to the foothills of Mount
Apo, distance of sixty-five miles from
our starting place. On this day i
started to rain, continuing withou
ceasing for fourteen days. River:
. swelled and the ground became almos
| spongy On October IL we arrived a
the Grande Canyon, where the scenery
| is among the finest in the Philippines
The canyon is one mile long, its wall:
. being 500 feet high, with but small
: distance between them. When WI
passed through it. at about 2 o'clock
: darkness had almost settled there
d This canyon is noted for it's minera
: wealth.
). Through a Swamp.
e For the next five days we marche,
). through a great swamp in order t
n reach the banks of Lake Bulwan
d which lay in our path. The groun
e was so thoroughly saturated that w
: had to get into trees at night in orde
e to obtain any rest. When we arrive
It at the lake we were all nearly gone
d AS there were no boats in which W
: could cross the water we had to marc
|, around the lake.
May Be Trouble.
e. During the next day we travele
e through a forest There were rubbe
< trees, l1duOSdly anu oluel Ndiudpi
d woods and quinine trees, worth hug
1t fortunes. Here the rain was still fal
h ing and the mud was waist deep. A
f. ter leaving this forest our rations ra
Ie out and we went hungry until We a
S rived at a settlement where Dat
4 Paing. a rich native ruler lives. TIL
u man is said to have 10000 slaves an
ot 200 wives, and it is also rumored thu
,;4l.
s. runs out, which will be soon, there wi
b. be much trouble in getting him to sic
Dr. another We received some food her
r but had not enough to last until v
is reached Cottobala, the end OF OIL
Dr. march. Hardly man had any clot
n ing and none had ratons.
IS A Thanksgiving.
~ After remaining here five days v
started on the return trip to Dava
&c We had fifteen days rations when v
-. started Six days out the native Sc
- wants refused to work and we had
-. ~ leave some of our food behind. TIL
- made the trip doubly hard and on OF
- arrival at Davao again nearly eyel
~ one in the detachment was sick I
~ hungry We got back, however.
nv NJ time for Thanksgiving dinner, al
IS, such Thanksgiving as we had, 1t
~ one l will never forget, and | kno
, that the others will not We h;
nc something for which to be truly than
~ full After all the trouble, however,
do not regret that was in the part
&c &c A Postscript.
m. Il forgot to say that on the trip +,
is took eight prisoners and killed ty
he who tried to get away.
ri. Yours truly,
alt Bert Rhoades.
,d. sc Troop, 18th U. S. Cav,
re- Davao, Mindano, P. t.