Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Hesperian / (Lincoln, Neb.) 1885-1899 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 1898)
mmugebu v4 TRE HESPERIAN fc a. I 'V XI & P V Maniala P. I., Sept. 23, 1898. Hesperian Readers: Yon no doubt are interested in hearing from the Philippine campaign, and especially of the University boys who are here, so I will take the liberty of penning you a few lines concerning the campaign and the University boys in it. The first Philippine expedition left for San Francisco, May 25th. Our regiment was the first to arrive at Camp Merritt, so we were part of the second expedition which left there June 12th, on the U. S. "Senator." We stopped at Honolulu a short time and were treated even better here than at any place where we had been in the states. We sighted Wake Island July 4th which our fleet took possess ion of. We passed quite close to several of the Ladrones. July 20th we arrived in Manila Bay. Dewey's famous fleet saluted us as we came up. The "Senator" was brought to anchor on the spot which had been made famous May 1, by our Asiatic Squadron. The Spanish wrecks could be plainly seen from our decks. Fort Cavite lay about two miles lo our south while Manila could be faintly seen six miles or more north of us. Three days after arriving in the Bay we were taken ashore in scows. We called the camp, where we pitched our shelter tents, Camp Dewey. It was about three miles from the Spanish firing line. During the day we could see great num bers of insurgents, while at night we could hear the firing which they and the Spaniards were doing. Our forces began occupying the insurgents' trenches the latter part of Jul'. The last day of July our troops in the trenches were attacked by the Spaniards and quite a battle ensued. Our regiment had just been relieved from out post duty that morning, so it happened to be in camp. August 2d the 1st Nebraskans and some of the 23rd regulars and Utah artillery occupied the trenches. About 10 p. m. the Spanish troops were seen advancing, by our pickets, and the alarm was given. For forty minutes a heavy fire was kept up by us and the enemy. Only one Nebraska boy was killed and a few slightly wounded. Our regiment was on out post several other times and each time they were under fire although they were never given another opportunity of tiring in return. Some of our boys were on out post the day before we captured Manila. Our whole regiment participated in its capture. The enemy fled so quickly from the fire of our fleet and artillery, that few of our infantrymen had an opportunity of firing a shot. During the siege and capture of Manila our forces lost less than 100 men in killed and wounded while the enemy have probably lost 1,000 or more, from what we can learn. Since coming into the city we have had plenty to cat and time to look over the city, I have been agreeably surprised to find University boys in several of the regiments here, and I will give as many of their names as I am able. Name Co. Reg. Hank Baker, Milan D F ist Neb Private uSrron, Jas .F. D ist Neb Corporal Broady, Bracton B ist Neb Private Burr ist Colo Private Blancbard, Geo Hospital ist Neb Private Clapp, Hugb E D ist Neb Corporal Comstock, Walter M B ist Neb Private Corey, Chas. H F ist Neb Private Cook, Earnest B D ist Neb Private Curtin, Eugene W D ist Neb Private Dohrman, Henry D F ist Neb Private Dungan, Win D ist Neb Corporal Eager, Frank D H ist Neb Captain Falkner Horace L F ist Neb Private Fingado, Henry K ist Neb Private Friel, Walter M E ist Neb Private Garringer, Albert B ist Neb Corporal Gilbert, Alvin W F ist Neb Private Glaze, Albert A D ist Neb Private Gretzer, John D ist Neb Private Gere, Frank G ist Wyo Sergeant Hall, Daniel C F ist Neb Private Hanlon, Don W F ist Neb Private Hisey. Albert S B ist Neb Private Hull, Annidel M H ist Neb Corporal Hunting. Walter J F ist N l Corporal Hyatt, Walter R K ist Neb Private Hessley, Earl C D ist Neb Sergeant Hollingsworth C ist Neb Captain Hassley, Guy W L ist Mont Sergeant James, Richard C D ist Neb Private Jewett, Perry W B ist Neb Corporal Kellogy, Ira A B ist Neb Private Kennedy, S. E Band ist Neb Private Knapp, C. T D ist Neb ..." Corporal Lampert, David D ist Neb.....'. Private Lien,; Jonas ist S. EJak ist Lieut Larrabe ist S. Dak McConnell, Robert B H ist Neb Sergeant Meier, Otto W H ist Neb Private Miner, Hal V H 1st Neb Corporal Montgomery, Robert D H ist Neb Sergeant Oury, Wm H B 23rd Reg 2d Lieut Payne. Robert B D ist Neb Private Pillsbury, Ed A B ist Neb Corporal Price, Eugene H D ist Neb Private Placek, Eniel G ist Neb Private Pugsley, Ralph H K ist Neb Private Rebmann, Jeremiah B ist Neb Private Robbins, Chas. H B ist Neb ist Serg Robbins, Rese H ist Neb Private Robertson, Wm J F ist Neb Private Robertson. Chas. R D 1st Neb Private Rocbon, Clarence G B ist Neb Private Russell, Philip W D ist Neb. .ist Lieutand adj't Ryon, Lewis H 1st Neb Sgt. Major Sinn, Arthur C F ist Neb Private Slaughter, Guy F I ist Neb Private Snider, Geo. W B ist Neb Corporol Stearns, Myron O B ist Neb Sergeant Steen, Rufus K 1st Neb Private Stortz, J. A B ist Neb 2d Lieut Smith. A. J B ist Neb Private Shaffer, Wm D ist Neb Sergeant Scott 6th Artillery 2nd Lieut Telleson, Chas. C E ist Neb Corporal Towl, Gerinaine E H ist Neb Private Tucker, John Martin H ist Neb Private Wavnr' August K 1st Neb Private Wessel R. J F ist Neb Private Westover, John D ist Neb Private Weber, Ernest O K ist Neb 2nd Lieut Whedon. Bert D C ist Neb. 2nd Lieut. White, Sherman, A E ist Neb 2nd Lieut Wright. Clarence E E ist Neb Private Wood, Biereton J D 1st Neb Private Corporal C. P. Ames and corporal George W. Bates got as far as Frisco with our regiment. The former left for homo in order to take the West Point examination; the latter left to obtain recruits, but has not yet returned to his company. The University boys are quite prominent in the Literary So ciety which we have organized and which meets Saturday after noons. Many of us are learning Spanish. We are in hopes of getting home in time to attend the second semester of school. Several other boys in our regiment are expecting to attend the University when we return home. Very truly yours, R. H. Wessel, Co. F 1st Reg. Neb. GET YOUR MONEY'S WORTH UNI, SHOES, 83.00, 1030 O ST. fi