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}IRk;Think of EaseBut Work Oru99Jf your Uood is impure you cannot even think of ease/9 The blood is the greatest sustainet of the body and when you make it pure by taking Hood's Sarsaparilla you have the perfect health in which even hard work becomes easy•Sever DisappointsLEBANON PATRIOT.Thursday, September 21, 1899.raiLIITIXE LETTER.S. B. Sherra Contributes Another Interest-tag Letter oa Itis Experiences.Imus, Philippine Islands, (July 25th, 1899. fdear Father and Mother —Vour letter written May 28th received July 13th, this is an unuaelly long time for mail to be on the road. I have had letters to reach me on the lines in one month. But I suppose the late arrival of the last mail is due partly to our position out here. The roads are'very muddy and it is difficult to get anything to the front. I wrote you a few lines on the last skirmish with the insurgents and as I have more time now, I will write a fuller account.We had but one night’s rest in our old camp north of Manila after coming back from the mountain trip. The next morning, June 9th. our battallion marched up the lines three miles to hoid the 21st infantry’s in-trenchmente while they went out to jump over the rice ridges southwest of Manila. The 21st boys had notbeen on the isl?nd long. They spent their first night on the lines shooting at homeless dogs which they thought were Philipinos, They had the picture of health,kept themr-elves shaved and had nice clean clothes. They were altogether too sporty for the lines and we had the laugh on themcalled out, for we would have to con-when they were knew what they tend with.Our duty herewas very hard, as one battallion had to do the guard of a regiment. Every morning as many as one hundred women and girls came through the lines with fruit for the Manila market. They carried their big baskets of fruit carefully balanced on their heads. It was the duty of the sentinels to 6earcb these baskets especially when they came back in the evening to see that nothing was smuggled through the lines. We generally took a mango, pineapple or nice bunch of bananas for toll.On June 12th we read about a hard fight southeast of Manila and how our boys drove the insurgents out of Parauque and Las Pinas. On June loth one battallion of the 13th infantry, which had been in the engagement just mentioned, came out to relieve us so that we could go over and try our fighting abilities. The other battallion of the Fourth was also relieved. Battallion No 3 was already over there and bad been in the fight. We inarched into Manila and boarded Cascoes at 11:30. At 12:oo o’clock we started in tow down the Pasig river to the bay. We sailed across the bay in a southwestern direction and at 2:3d p. m. landed at Las Pinas where a few davs before our bows fought and lost so many men. We went into camp at this place and stayed there until June 18th. The people were very friendly and glad to have us. They denounced Aguinaldo is strong terms. The insurgent army had eaten all their food and plundered the town. The people were on the verge of starvation. One gray-haired old man said that he had *e\eral small children and hadn’t a bite for for them to eat. At meal times the people came to our camp by the hundreds to get any scraps that we may have for them. The government had commenced to feed them before we left.where *? halted and orders. The i(A» of «nr ly visible here. The big itoac ehdrgfc was shelled by the warships la thebay and literally torn to pieces. When forced to retreat the iasur* gents always make a last stand io their churches. A dozen sharpshoot* era in a church tower can make it very uncomfortable for a whole regiment, especially the officers.We received our orders at 12 o’clock and proceeded south. We soon met the victorious brigade that had driven the enemy so far. Worn out from tramping through mud and water, and lack of sleep they were on their way back, some to Manila and others to the lines. They were the 21st boys, muddy from bead to foot. They were taking that long military step, which proved that they were anxious to get back to their old home on the north lines, camp for the night at an early hour along t^e banks of a river. This gave us a chance to take a bath. We broke camp early the next morning and reached Imus at 7 o'clock. There were no soldiers left here except one batallion of the Foutth Infantry and one troop of Nevada Cavalry. As the insurgents had been driven only to the outskirts of the town, a batallion was sent out to scout around ad learn what they could concerning the enemy's location. Along in the evening an order came for another battallion to move to the front on the double quick. This duty fell to our battallion and in five minutes we were off taking the direction the first battallion Lad taken in the morning. It was very warm and we walked as last as we could, sometimes increasing our pace to a run. Word was passed along to give away to the right of the road and pretty soon three pieces of artillery dashed by.We knew now that the boys to the front were ambushed. After going about four miles we began to bear the rattle of musketry. Another mile brought us up with the boys and we lound them completely ambushed and tlanked and getting severe punishment. Company D was away off to the left entirely separated from the other companies. Our company* was ent to their rescue. Wepluoged out across a plain rice field through mud and water half way to our knees. We reached them and deployed on their light. They were almost out of amunition but no excitement seemed to prevail. The company’ commander was standing straight up smoaking a cigarette arid watching the movements of the enemy. When asked how many men he had lost he replied, “Oh! one or two killed and four or five wounded.”As soon as we gained our breath we started out with a determination to turn the tables on “Aggie’s crack regiment” or body guard. We can always tell bis regular soldiers by the red uniform they wear. D company got a left flank on them and as theyhadn't much amunition they chargedand did some terrible yelling. They ran them out through a small gap formed by a creek. Our company was already at this place waiting for them and it was a very nice little reception that they received. From the amount of shooting done by the companies on our right I guess they evened up matters also. A general advance was determined upon and being late in the evening orders were received to halt until morning. During the night the other battallion of the Fourth, the one troop of Nevada cavalry and some artillery came up to reinforce us. Early the next morning the wbole*regiment deployed per action and the advancement was begun. Our battallion deployed between two rivers, which gradually came nearly together forming a V, was soon bunched and ambushed, or amriced rather, for we were in a rice field. We layed behind the rice paddies as best as circumstances would permit and answered theshower of Mauser bullets that flew by. In some way I soon found myself directly behind a piece of mountain artillery. They used black power and.ic ,4that fte vhaie»•*fledTheo confusion.of them was when we halted at a small bagoboo village for the night. An officer climbed to the church tower and with his glasses discovered the “red. pants” rutfning as if for lifetwenty-seven hundred yards away.A piece of artillery was quickly wheeled into pjace and sighted at this distance. Shell after shell was thrown into their ranks, causing great confusion and giving new impetus to their flight. I hope they are still running.The other battallions had considerable trouble all day. I think, however, their trouble was due mostly to the brush which they shot all to pieces before entering. If an old _______native can be believed the insurgentWe went into f casualties were many more than wasexpeoted. At the. town where we halted an old Philippinosaid that one hundred and eighty dead and wounded were carried through by the insurgents on their retreat. I have □ot learned the casualties in our regiment but I think about twenty-five, most of which are slight wounds. No one in our company got a scratchy We are doing garrison duty here now. I understand that Imus has a population of 50,000. Hostilities have ceased until after the rainy season, but I do not believe that we will have any’ more serious trouble. The natives are coming in every day to settle down. The Peace Commissioners meet here about once a week and banquet each other right royally. The Philippino commissioners are able looking men.In try next letter I will write on the habits and customs of the people, rainy season, etc. I will also tell you how we conquered this place or province by kindness instead of the sword. Vour son,Samvel M. Shera.TOWNSHIP LEVIES.Trustees Report the Action of Advisory boards as to Rates of Taxation.The various township advisory boards have made the levies in their respective townships and the same have been filed with the auditor. Seyen of the townships show decreases in the levy over last year, four show increases and one remains the same. .The following are the levies as compared with those of last year:MARION TOWNSHIP.1898. 1899.Township.............5c5cRoad. ..”....... 15c 14cSpecial school........ 5c Poll 25c 5cTuition................10c Poll 25c 10c Poll 28cPoor.................. lc 1cTotal................36c 50c 36cCLINTON TOWNSHIP.5c 7c25cTownship.............looRoad..................10cSpecial school 10c Poll 50c 5c Poll 50cTuition................15c Poll 50c 15c Poll 50cPoor................... 2clcTotal................4?c 11.00 33cWASHINGTON TOWNSHIP*1.00Township.............9c 7cRoad .................isc 3VCSpecial school 12c Poll 50c 10c Poll 50cTuition................16c Foil 50c 16c Poll 50cPoor.................. Ic lcTotal................50c *1.00 51cSUi.AR (’REEK TOWNSHIP.Township............. 7c 5cRoad.................. luc 10cSpecial school ....... PC Poll 50c 13c Poll 50cTuition................16c Poll 25c 15c Poll 25c.Poor.................. 3c Hesof/.*.NR\iC*1.00Total................45c 75c 46c 75cJEFFERSON TOWNSHIP.Township............. 7c 14cRoad.............. .. 28c 40cSpecial school........25c Poll 50c 19c Poll 50cTuition................10c Poll 50c 15c Poll 50cPoor................... Sc 4c■•IITotal.........78c 81 00 92cCENTER TOWNSHIP.S1.0JTownship............. cRoad............... 15cSpecial school ......15c Poll 25cTuition...............10c Poll 25cl’oor.................. 6c5c •18015C8c Poll 25c 3CTotal.............. 51c 50cUNION TOWNSHIP.Township............ 8c49c25IfIfIfIftfIfRoad.................18cSpecial school.......12c Poll 25cTuition...............17c Poll 25cPoor............ — 3c9c14c16c Poll 50c 15c Poll 50c IcTotal..............58c 50cealt;;le township45c11.00Township............ 6cKoad ....... 20cSpecial school 17c Poll 25cTuition...............10c Pull 25cPoor.................. 9c11c20c15c Poll 25c14c Poll 25c 7cTotal...............64c 50cPERRY TOWNSHIP.67 c50cTownship............ 9cRoad.................14c10c16cs■•IA
Newspaper Details
Lebanon Patriot
Lebanon, Indiana, US
Thu, Sep 21, 1899
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Krystle S.
MD, USA 01 Apr 2020
Other Publications Near Lebanon, Indiana
The Boone County Ledger
Lebanon Boone County Pioneer
Lebanon Daily Reporter
Lebanon Daily Herald
Lebanon Patriot
