Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1911-01-26

After everybody was aboard the
transpor Tit was novelty to most of
us as we had never been aboard ship
before) we were soon assigned to our
berths and as night began to hover ov-
or the bay, the men began to quiet
down for the night Nothing Of much
importance happened, only every few
minutes a man would lose his hat over
board. It seemed the boat would new
or gef underway next day, and did not
weigh anchor until 3 p. M, June
Goth, to carry the 3rd Expedition to
the Philippine Islands. As the anchor
was being hauled up, the old trans
port began to move along SO easily, it
seemed that every man was busy with
his own thoughts for few minutes
until the people ashore, who had come
back to see the boats leave, opened
up their lungs in yelling to us to cheer
us, and it seemed that every engine in
California was blowing all its steam
away, and from every church tower
came the peals of the church bells. all
bidding us Gods love and happy re-
turn. The men aboard were waving
hats, handkerchiefs and any old thing
they could get hold Of that was not
fastened down to to the boat, to their
friends ashore. And as the "Ohio'
glided. .along thru the "Golden Gate, "
out onto the bosom of the great Pacific
Ocean, the people, then the town, and
at last the shore receeded from view.
About sundown the soldier boys be-
gan running to the side of the ship,
looking down into the clear, blue
deep. When some one would ask if
they we're hungry look, and oh such
look, would only be the answer, and
with an awful heave from the very
bottom of their stomach, they would
begin to feed the fishes. Seasickness
was the thought of all for several days.
The U. S. Army transport, "New-
port with Gen. Merritt, steamed
ahead and at day light next morning
it was not to be seen. She reached
Honolulu twenty-four hours ahead of
the other boats, the "Valencia, SIN
DIANA and "Ohio." Two batteries
of the 3rd Artillery went on the New
port" "H" and 'K' and "L" and
"A' batteries were on the "Ohio."
We arrived in Honolulu July 9th
and on the 9th all went ashore for a
drill, and we all dined with the Queen
at her Capitol. On the 8th we again
got under way, except the New
port, I" which did not leave until the
9th. On the 18th the Newport
passed us and arrived in Manila 48
hours ahead of us. AS we passed the
Ladrone Islands we came close to an
active volcano, and it was between
sundown and dark, and it showed up
very beautifully after dark. The
burning lava and flames were ascend
ing from 90 to 30 feet as best we could
judge from the deck of the boat. The
transport was crowded and the warm
weather was oppressive. The measles
broke out on our boats, and one man
from Wyoming and volunteer in a
Wyoming regiment died. The flag
was lowered to half mast, and next
morning as the boat began to slow
down the corpse was brought to the
side of the ship, everything being
cleared away, was placed on wide
board, sewed up in heavy canvas
bag, with weights in the bag at his
feet. The chaplain read the burial
ceremony and consigned. his body to
the mighty deep. The end of the
board was raised and he slipped off,
feet foremost, out from under the
American flag that covered his body,
into the Pacific, his last resting place.
A lieutenant was also buried at sea
from the "Indiana" few days later.
On the evening of July 31st, we drop
ped anchor in Manila Bay. with Man
lila on one side of us and Cavete on the {
other. About II clock that night we
heard terrific cannonading. The men
who had preceded us and who then
were guarding Manila, had been fired
into by the Spaniards, and of course l
the fire. This is one of the
times that the ''Native Sons of Cali
fornia, 1st California Volunteers, fired
into "K'' and ''H" Batteries of the
3rd Artillery
The next morning we were landed
into Cavete, and on the 9th of August
we crossed the bay under trying cir