Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 March 1900 — Phillippine Letter. [ARTICLE]

Phillippine Letter.

Following is a letter from Bates Tucker, well known here, to Ernest Lamson, who is now teaching in Gillam tp. The letter is copied from the Medaryville Advertiser of last week: City of Zamroanga, Mindano, P. 1.. Jan. 9, 1900. My Old Stand-by:— So you did make up your mind to write again! I was glad—yes delighted to hear from you and I should have answered sooner, but the same mail which brought your letter brought seventeen others for me, so you have been left until now. \ Wish I had the time and ability to describe our voyage. We were 43 days on the transport and encountered one real storm during which we saw and aided ships in distress. We visited the following cities: Honolulu, Manila, Iloilo and Jolo before we got here. But I will tell you all about the trip when I am home. Think that would be best, for were I to tell it one half as good as it realy was, am sure you would be disgusted with yourself for not coming. But really, the past six months have been the best of my life. Yes, ’tie a better school than either Danville or Terre Haute. As you say, it is a hard life. A fellow can’t really know the value of the “gentler sex” until he is obliged to live without them. But this life is worth all it costs. You see I am not in the least homesick, and am sure I can stand one year and a half more of soldiering. We have an ideal place here. The city is small, hardly as as its name. It was almost entirely destroyed by the Moros, the inhabitants of the interior of the island, last summer, when the Spanish were leaving. We are in barracks, with the most beautiful trees and flowers all about us, while the ocean is but about a hundred yards away. But presume you wonder how many battles we have had. We don’t believe in fighting when it can be avoided.

Fear I cannot explain the very peculiar state of affairs here in the short time I have, for it is almost time for taps. If you will excuse hasty writing will try. The interior of this island has always been held and ruled by the Moros. The Spaniards never invaded it. So we know but very little of what we find back there. As the Spanish troops withdrew the Moros entered the towns and tried to get possession of everything. It was at that time this city was burned. The Phili pinos hate the Moros, so are kind to us and are even soldiering for us —in fact they are doing nearly all outpost duty. It is sure —unless we can convince these people that we are “good fellows” —the war has just

begun. We are planning an invasion, so will soon know what is before us. Every now and then we capture a spy sent in from the interior. The greatest catch of the season was made two days before the new year. He was an ex-chief of the island and the one who led the forces when this place was destroyed. He was trying to persuade the president of the island to join him in an attempt to massacre the U. S. troops. The friendly natives claimed him as their prisoner and he w’as executed by them. Wish you could have seen our Xmas decorations. They were the finest I have ever seen and besides we had a table in here and a, dinner the like of which a soldier seldom enjoys. Roast pig, chicken soup, green corn on cob, sweet potatoes, rice pudding, cranberries, peaches with cream on them, bread and coffee is what we had. Sounds almost good enough to eat it? Our Thanksgiving dinner was eaten on board the transport in. Manila Bay and oonsisted of the following: Hard tack, corn beef, coffee, potatoes in heavy inarching order-- that is, cooked with the hide on them. Now what do you think of that? We had field sports Xmas day between the gunboat Yorktown and our regiment. Of course the regiment took nearly everything, and not only that but my Co. took more than .any other and I took more than any other fellow. They were money prizes and mine amounted to $9. Presume this is all very interesting to you. But there is taps — Bates Tucker.