St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-07-12
Letter from the Philip.
pine Islands.
Manila, T. l., May l6, 1902

Editor St. Tammany Farmer:
write this to tell the people of your
vicinity what . soldier does and how he
is treated In the far OF Philippines.
The % Infantry landed on Dec. Is, in
old Manila Bay, and was landed on
cascos or large fat boats. Company c.,
of which am y member was stationed
at Indau, Cavite Province, very nice
post for two companies, about IS miles
southwest of Manila. There are no
Americans in the post except officers
and soldiers. Our quarters are next to
the Church. which is Catholic. There
is only one church IN each town which
has seven bells, land they chime every
morning and evening. This month is \
month of feast among the natives.
You people in the States that never saw
. Philipano have no idea what kind of
people they are. Their dress is COM
posed of . pair of breaches and shirt
made of rice straw. They live on rice
and fsh. Fish are plentiful in all the
streams. Their language is dialect
taken from Spanish. Indau, our post is
beautiful place, among the cocoanut
and banana groves which are covered
with fruit, nuts and mon keys, the year
round. Every morning we can see the
monkeys chasing one another and
throwing cocoanuts down. Mangoes
Is anot her fruit, only ripe in the months
of May and June. There are also few
pineapples, which are delicious when
almost ripe and are very healthful.
Our company has not had many fights,
as we are stationed in q Province Of
civilized land, but we biked all thro ugh
Ratangr Province There our regiment
captured Gen. Malvar, the last leader
of the Iusurldoes, and now there Is no
more lighting on the Island OF Luzon.
While was on the last bike l was
chasing two lsdrons and burned five
sh acks 40 we call them, and was going
down large mountain, which was 50
steep that had to hold on to the brush
to keep from falling, and l missed my
hold aud fell about 80 feet and sDrained
nv ankle, which could not walk on
for two weeks. I crawled to camp,
about two miles. When got to camp,
Lieutenant sent me to the hospital at
Nosogber, We, that is corporal OF
Company B, and myself road to the bay
on ponies, about two miles from camp,
where three native police and four
Philippines had brought rations to our
company, and we were going to go
hack to Nosagber with them in small
all boat. We got to the bay about six
O'Clock in the evening. All the Philip
pinos left US except one police aud we
had to stay on the boat all night; the
next m orning they got back and wego'
in the hospital about noon, and we
were so hungry, had not had mouth
full to eat for p hours. We got back
| to Indau about five weeks after.
| The weather is getting very warm, II
| is now about lis in the shade.
The rainy season Is Just commencing
which will make it very disagreeablt
until it is over. that will be in Decem-
Der. Every morning after guard rounc
we 20 down to the ehacks and talk tt
the cingeratoes as we call them, that Il
| the same as sweethearts.
The women run the canteens or sa'
looms. They have the native liquor
veano and coribian shell, almost thu
same as whiskey.
AS I have told some of the many
things that Uncle Sans soldiers hay
to do. l will close. hoping to return t.
my own country, l am
Sincerely yours,
| PETER BERLIER.
Company C., 2Sth Infantry.