Alaska sentinel., 1908-08-13

prepare to meve on Manila, excite ment was rife in all parts of the barracks. Three days field ration was issued to each man, consisting of three one-pound cartons of hard bread, one can of tomatoes and one can of roast beef (after writing beef I always look the other way when passing 6 horse) and these were slowed away in the haversacks just before the call to quarters remind cd us that the days activities were almost ended. Taps" and out vent the lights, but there was little sleeping among the men.
 The morning broke gray and foggy, snd the men were early astir, adjusting pack straps, filling canteens and making other prepar- ations for what they thought was to be long, hard march. About s o'clock came the order to fall in, and within a few minutes Hours rightR swung the ranks into col umn, and of they marched toward the expected baptism of fire. But the Oregon regiment was pleasantly disappointed, for it had been writ ten that We were so be g body guard for Gen. Merritt, and instead of marching toward the landward (Cavite is built on the extreme end Of psninsula) we moved to the wharf and went aboard an old side wheeled steamer, Kwong Hoi, that was to convey the general across the bay to Manila.
 The regiment uncomfortably on board the steamer moved out to where the fleet of warships were just heaving anchor for the trip across the bay. The fog prevented a view of the ships until the troop steamer was within stones throw. The first ship was saw out of the sombre monochrome of the misty morning was the monitor Monterey looming dull, gray, terrible, her great guns protruding significantly from their turre.s, her only redeem ing feature being a little piece of bunting which hung from her mast head. Next came the flagship Olympia, scared by battle, next the big Baltimore, then the Con- cord, and soon the KEong-Hoi hove up in the center of that mass of fighting strength, The warships moved of first, leaving the old side-wheeler to follow as best she could, all steering toward the old Fort Malate.
 The Filipino troops having es- tablished a line entirely around the city, the Spaniards could not escape by land, and it would have been very ungraceful for them to have attempted escape by water, and their only resistance was made near Fort Malate, where several regiments of our troops had been holding position for three weeks. It was but the work of few min utes for our cruisers to quiet the fort, when Gen. Augustin, seeing the utility of further resistance, despatched a German launch with the word that he would surrender.
 We then steamed of for Manila, and Gen. Merritt, with his body guard, entered the city and pro- ceeded to the palace, in which the Spanish Governor-General handed over his sword.
 During the time occupied by this ceremony, Company A was detailed as color-guard, and marched to the summit of the city wall, where an enormous Spanish fog hung  Imply around the flagstaff. Adml. Dewey had sent in a large Ameri- can flag, which WAS substituted for the Spanish flag, and hauled 10 the top of the pole. No sooner had it reached the top of the staff than a stiff breeze, sent from Heaven, sprang up and stretched it out to