Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1902-02-03
FILIPINO LEADER WHO Is CAUS-
ING SUCH TROUBLE.
FIGHTING TO BITTER END
Terrible Vengeance Being Taken on
Natives of Samar-American
Schoolma'ams Having Wholesome
influence in Isands-Are Compare
lively Same Among insurgents.

Arland writes his aunt, Mrs. Matt.
Anderson of Mt. Horeb, a great many
interesting things about the city Of
Manila, saying in part:
my military career is fast drawing
TO a close and before this letter
reaches you I will be a plain civilian.
In looking back many years over my
soldier experiences I have nothing 10
complain of. and in great many
things 1 am very grateful. In fact
am lucky to be alive and well at the
present time. Do you remember,
Aunt, my old company? 1t was A Co.,
LIST Infantry, and when we left Presi-
do, April 20, 1898, there were just six
ty-one of u.s. How many of those six
ty-one do you think there are living
now? Well, there are just fourteen, and
| am one of them. Just think, nearly
three-fourths in three years and a few
months. 1t is the steady drain that
counts, for most of those men have
been killed or died of disease here on
the island of Samar, one or two at a
time. They have been on Samar now
over a year, and have lost a good
many men there. But | am very
lucky, for I will be discharged here
now in a few weeks and | am just as
healthy and strong as I ever was in
the United States and | weigh as much
as I ever did. Of course last summer
when we were in the Batangas prov
'nce had a good many close calls, but
gou know miss is as good as a mile
way
FBatangas province is the worst
spot in the islands today, and they
have just sent a new general there to
see what he can do. There are sew
eral regiments operating there and all
ports are blockaded Old Malvar is
the insurgent general that is holding
out there and he Ms a good one. He
has been fighting the Americans since
The first outbreak Of the insurrection,
Feb. 5, 1899, here in Manila, and he is
still at it, and several prominent Amer
lean officers have lost their regulations
and a great many soldiers and several
officers have been killed in trying TO
defeat or capture him. When you
read, Aunt, of Malvar surrendering, or
being killed or captured, you may
truthfully say, The war is over in the
Philippines Till then, however, there
will always be trouble.
-Four of our infantry regiments are
slated to go home as fast as trans
ports are available, for they have been
here three years, and that is consid-
cred long enough tour Of duty in the
tropics. They are not the same men
though, that left the United States
like all others here have had their de-
pleted ranks filed up a couple of times
by receiving fresh men from America.
Those regiments to go now are the
4th, 18th. goth and ed
Zone OF them. the 4th, is one that l
hal the honor of serving under it's
banners a few years ago, and you re-
member it was getting ready to leave
Fort Sheridan when I was visiting you
three years ago. 1t is the first to go,
and it will return on the Grant, which
is expected here the 18th. There are
five new regiments coming out to take
their places, and they are composed of
young men, and are all enthusiastic
and will want to look for fighting and
glory at once. After they are here
during a hot season and have been
down with the fever, and have been
touched up by the prickly heat, and a
few viler things, they will not be near
ly SO ambitious.
you have heard and read a good
dear of Samar, and the trouble there
but let me tell you that Samar will be
very good island in the future. 1t
has been treated to a fire-and-sword
policy, and war of determination
that the natives will never forget.
There are lots of troops at work there,
and they are going over that island
like a scourge and killing everything
In sight, and burning towns and vii
lagos as they come to them. 1t was
an unlucky day for the insurgents
when they massacred G. Co., 9th infan-
try, for vengeance has been swift and
it is hard to say the number of Fill
pinos that have been killed. The
Americans there take no prisoners,
and of course you understand what
that means. Samar is very fertile
island, and it is one of the great hemp
producing provinces. After we get it
cleared off and new class of people
we will have splendid results from
there.
Il am enjoying life here in Manila
and expect to get along very nicely
after leaving the service and taking
up some civil pursuit Of course Ma
Mia is not to be compared to an Amer
lean city, and it. is as much different
from an American city as day is from
night, The best city in the United
States to enjoy life in is San Francis
CO. and have heard a good many men
that knew say it is the best in the