Philippine-American War New Articles
Philippine-American War Veterans
ALTON BOYS AT MANILA, PHILIPPINES
Helped Capture Guam Island
Source: Alton Telegraph, August 18, 1898
Mrs. Henry Hancock has received an interesting letter from her son,
Frank Hancock, who is now onboard the cruiser Charleston, of Admiral
Dewey’s fleet in Manila Bay. Frank’s whereabouts was a mystery to
his family until the letter arrived from the far away Philippine
Islands. He was known to be in the navy, but he had not written for
a long time. When last heard from, he was on the Texas and
subsequently was transferred to the Charleston, when it was selected
to make the long cruise to re-enforce Admiral Dewey. The letter was
written June 01, and was mailed at Yokohama. Frank says he was of
the party that captured the fortress and arsenal on Guam Island, one
of the Ladrones, after the Charleston arrived. Only thirteen shots
were fired, and then a boat load of men put off to demand the
surrender of the place. When a few boat lengths from shore, the
governor of the place was seen coming down to surrender. Frank was
present, and saw the stirring events of last Saturday when Admiral
Dewey bombarded Manila and the place surrendered. It is a noticeable
fact that at every scene of action since the outbreak of the war,
Alton boys have been there and contributed their help in prosecuting
the war.
SAILING FOR MANILA
Source: Alton Telegraph, September 22, 1898
Louis Utt, one of the Alton Naval Militia Reserves, has been one of
the seamen on the collier Aberenda. The vessel has sailed for Manila
from Fortress Monroe, and will meet the Oregon and Iowa somewhere
before leaving American Shores, to accompany the battleships to the
Pacific Ocean. They will not reach Manila before January 01 next.
NURSE HEADED FOR MANILA
Source: Alton Telegraph, December 15, 1898
Miss Mary E. Sloper, formerly of Upper Alton, was among the nurses
the government sent to Manila on the steamer St. Paul, which sailed
from San Francisco a few days ago.
MONROE BELL ENLISTS IN ARMY
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, January 17, 1899
Monroe Bell, a well-known colored young man, has enlisted in a
regiment of colored U.S. regulars.
TWENTY-TWO AMERICANS KILLED
Battle at Manila, Philippines
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, February 06, 1899
February 05, Manila – The Americans are now engaged in solving the
Philippine problem with the utmost expedition possible. The
long-expected clash came yesterday evening, when three daring
Filipinos darted past the Nebraska regiment’s pickets at Santa Mesa,
but retired when challenged. They repeated the experiment without
drawing the sentry’s fire. But the third time, Corporal Greely
challenged the Filipinos, and then fired, killed one of them and
wounded another. Almost immediately afterward, the Filipinos line,
from Calvocan to Santa Mesa, commenced a fusillade, which was
ineffectual. The Nebraska, Montana, and North Dakota outposts
replied vigorously, and held their ground until re-enforcements
arrive. The Filipinos, in the meantime, concentrated at three
points, Calvocan, Gagalengrin, and Santa Mesa. At about 1 o’clock,
the Filipinos opened a hot fire from all three places
simultaneously. This was supplemented by the fire of two siege guns
at Balik-Balik, and by advancing their skirmishers from Paco and
Pandscan. The Americans responded with a terrific fire, but owing to
the darkness, they were unable to determine its effect. The Utah
Light Artillery finally succeeded in silencing the native battery.
The Third Artillery also did good work on the extreme left. The
engagement lasted over an hour.
The U.S. cruiser, Charleston, and the gunboat, Concord, stationed
off Malabona, opened fire from their secondary batteries on the
Filipinos’’ position at Calvocan and kept it up vigorously. At 2:45,
there was another fusillade along the entire line, and the U.S.
monitor, Monadnock, opened fire on the enemy from off Malate. With
daylight, the Americans advanced. The California and Washington
regiments made a splendid charge, and drove the Filipines from the
villages of Paco and Santa Mesa. The Nebraska regiment also
distinguished itself, capturing several prisoners and one Howitzer,
and a very strong position at the reservoir, which is connected with
the water works. The Kansas and Dakota regiments compelled the
enemy’s right flank to retire to Calvocan. There was intermittent
fighting at various points all day long.
The losses of the Filipinos cannot be estimated at present, but they
are known to be considerable. The American losses are estimated at
20 killed and 125 wounded. The Ygorates, armed with bows and arrows,
made a very determined stand in the face of a hot artillery fire,
and left many dead on the field. Several attempts were made in
Manila yesterday to assassinate American officers.
JERSEY COUNTY SOLDIER KILLED
Philippine War
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, February 09, 1899
Private Frank W. Isringhausen of Company M, 14th Infantry, who was
killed in the Battle of Manila, was born and reared at Otterville,
Jersey County. Isringhausen enlisted at St. Louis last May.
WESTERN MILITARY CADET LEAVES FOR MANILA
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, March 27, 1899
Lieutenant Louis F. Aloe, formerly a cadet at the Western Military
Academy, left San Francisco Saturday with a company of 90 recruits
for the U.S. Army, bound for Manila.
TROOPS WELL PROVIDED FOR IN PHILIPPINES
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, May 19, 1899
Officials of the quartermaster’s department say that no troops were
ever better provided for in the matter of personal apparel than the
regulars now serving in the Philippines. The selection of garments
has been made after a careful study of the clothing requirements for
troops of other nations in tropical service, particularly the
British troops. For every enlisted man of the regular service now in
the Philippines, there has been provided: An unlined blouse, two
khaki suits, two pairs of Berlin gloves for parade duty, a campaign
hat, a cork helmet, a pair of leggings, a poncho blanket, two
lightweight shirts, a pair of barrack shoes, a pair of russet shoes,
three pairs of lightweight cotton stockings, two white duck suits, a
pair of trousers of 16 ounce jersey, two cotton undershirts, two
wool undershirts, two outer shirts of gingham or chambray, two pairs
of jean drawers, two nankeen shirts, two abdominal bandages, one
mosquito bar and one mosquito bead net.
This complete outfit may be obtained by the soldier for $28.35, if
he is an infantry man of $1.40 more if mounted. It is not required
that the soldier shall draw all these articles and have them charged
against his clothing allowance, but everything enumerated will be on
hand if required. Some of the articles the soldier is obliged to
have.
LEE D. FISHER PROMOTED TO 2ND LIEUTENANT
Served in Spanish-American and Philippine War
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, July 14, 1899
Lee D. Fisher, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Fisher of Clifton Terrace,
has been granted a commission as Second Lieutenant of volunteers.
The young man has not been assigned to a regiment, but will be
placed in one of the volunteer regiments that are to be sent to
Manilla for service against Againside and his Filipinos. Lee served
through the war with Spain, and rose to the position of Assistant
Engineer of the cruiser, Buffalo, with rank as ensign. After his
discharge from the service was granted, he came home to visit his
parents at the Tavern, and while here accepted the offer of a
position in the shipbuilding yards at Norfolk. He went there one
month ago to take his position. When it was determined by the
government to issue a call for volunteers, Lee applied for an
appointment, and was favorably considered when the list of
appointments was made up.
DR. PETER BECKMAN AT MANILA (PHILIPPINES)
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, July 17, 1899
Peter Beckman, the Alton boy who enlisted as a private in the 16th
Regular Infantry, fought at San Juan hill as a private, and was
promoted to the rank of Assistant Surgeon, has had another rise. He
is now surgeon of the 13th Regiment stationed in the Philippines,
and now engaged in the hot task of keeping Agunaldo and his
Fillipinos on the move. Dr. L. M. Bowman, who has taken an interest
in his protégé that is almost fatherly, has received a letter from
Beckman under date of June 09, at Manila. The young surgeon arrived
there in good health, and so did the men under his care. He was
placed in charge of the health department of the 13th, and when he
wrote was getting along finely. Beckman’s rise in rank from contract
surgeon to surgeon is gratifying news to his friends who remember
him as prescription clerk at Wyss’ Drugstore.
NEPHEW IN THE PHILIPPINES
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, July 18, 1899
Mrs. Will Gratian has received a letter from her nephew, Robert L.
Dailey of the 51st Iowa, now in the Philippines. The young man was
wounded in the dorsal region while on duty as permanent mounted
orderly for General Hale in the field. The letter was written
onboard the hospital ship, Relief, whither he was sent by General
Hale. The letter says:
“We have been through a great many experiences and seen a great many
things since we left the States. This fighting Filipinos is pretty
hard work, and we have to stand a good many real hardships, of which
sleeping on the ground in the rain is the least. A fellow begins to
think twice when he has been fighting all day and lays down at
night, knowing there will be a fight the next day, and the next, and
not knowing when his turn may come. It is not so much the fighting
itself that unnerves a fellow, or the fear of being hit, but when
you have stopped fighting and go back and pass an emergency hospital
under some tree, and see your own men lying there with a poncho
thrown over them, with their rough shoes sticking out and their toes
turned up, one commences, and I said, to wonder what he came into
this world for. The fact that we are so far from our home country,
and that we have no home except the little ditch we are lying in
makes one feel the utter loneliness of his position. You are in
danger of losing even that small home, and have to fight continually
to keep it, as it is. We hardly ever sleep in the same place two
nights in succession. However, do not think that we are disheartened
by any means, for we are not. Even in the middle of a fight, we
sometimes have to lay down and roll for laughing. For instance, if a
Filipino is hit when he is running, he takes such a particularly
funny tumble.
The boys are getting to be quite old soldiers, and take deliberate
aim as if shooting at rabbits; in fact, we sometimes get shots at a
crowd of them that have been dislodged from their trenches and have
to cross an open space as they are going to the rear “pronto,” and
every time Mister Filipino shows his head above the tall grass he
gets about seven holes through it.
We have a joke on one of our boys who is a particularly good
swimmer. He was sent into a river to find out if it could be forded,
and about the time he got in the middle of the stream, a Filipino
appeared on the other bank of it and commenced to empty his magazine
at poor Jack. After the first shot, we thought poor Jack a “gonner,”
for he could not be seen. His hat staid on top of the water, and
floated off downstream, and was lost, but no Jack could we see for a
long time, until finally his head did appear for an instant above
the water, and then disappeared again. He just came up at intervals
to get air, and then went down to lay on the bottom again.
After we had routed the enemy, we began twitting Jack and asked him
how he managed to stay down so long at a time, to which he solemnly
answered that it was not the keeping down that bothered him – the
greatest difficulty arose when he found it necessary to come up
after air.
It is funny to see how quickly the fellows flop down behind a rice
dike when a volley comes over us; how they will crawl up behind a
banana tree for cover, when they know well enough it would no more
stop a “mauser” than so much paper. Two or three may be trying to
get behind the same tree, and I have seen a man reach around and get
a big clod of dirt and place in front of him as he is lying down,
and then, to all appearances, feel as safe as if he were behind a
well-constructed trench. Oh, there are so many funny things that one
almost forgets his danger.
Really, you don’t know how much they have the advantage of us. They
lay behind the finest trenches imaginable, with port holes and a
roof to protect them from our shrapnel, and pump away at us, when
our guns will not reach them by 600 to 800 yards, and we have to
advance on them over an open field. They tear up the roads and
railway, and make roofs for their trenches with the rails, and then
we have to starve for about three days until they can get rations up
to us, and then we have hard tack and bacon until they get the road
through. The bridges are all down, and we always have to ford the
stream, swimming the pack horses and carrying over their packs.
One day, when we were on the march, a boy in our company caught a
calf and hitched it up to a “carrenoe” (carriage) and we had not
proceeded far when the “gugus” opened up on us. We had formed our
line of battle, and were pouring the lead into them, when Hayworth’s
calf got scared and ran away, out between the two firing lines,
bumpety-bump over the rice fields, and Hayworth after it, with the
bullets flying thicker than hail. It was too funny to see them going
over the rice ridges, and the fellows simply roared; well, he
finally caught the runaway and took it back and tied it to a tree
until after the fight, and came upon the line and took his place and
commenced shouting as unconcerned as if nothing had happened. We had
the calf for supper that night, and that is all we did have too, and
you just bet we were thankful for it.
We have taken up headquarters for the present at San Fernando, and I
expect to join my company there tomorrow. I was out there two weeks
ago, but they sent me back, so I have had to stay here ever since.
San Fernando is the best town we have taken yet, outside of Manila,
and was, I think, the headquarters of the insurgents. Many of the
underlings are fine, and General Hale’s headquarters are grand. They
were once the headquarters of General Luna, and are the most
beautiful I have seen on the island. In San Fernando is a graveyard,
which I visited and about which I shall tell you. The graveyard is
characteristic of all the graveyards in this country. There is a
great thick wall enclosing a rectangular space, which one may enter
through a great arched gate. This wall is six or eight feet thick,
and has three rows of vaults, each vault being large enough to admit
a coffin. Into these vaults the coffins are placed, and then the
vault is sealed up with brick and mortar, and a slab of marble, with
the epitaph written thereon, is fitted in. Formerly, it was the
custom for thechurch to let out these vaults. They were leased for
five years before anyone could be interred in them. If at the end of
that time the relatives or friends did not lease it again, the
remains would be taken out and thrown into a large pile of bones of
others, whose rent had not been paid. Thus you see a long line of
ancestors in a detriment to one in this country, as one has to pay
rent on his ancestors’ bones.
But to proceed – in this particular graveyard the vaults were nearly
all filled, and recently too, judging from the appearances of the
lime. In some of the lower vaults the remains had evidently been
buried, or interred I should say, very hurriedly, for they had
simply shoveled dirt into the openings and only partially filled
them, for I could look into several and see the decaying remains of
some Filipino soldiers. The rectangular space was simply covered
with newly dug graves, while in one corner was a vault a little more
artistic than the others, and on the fresh lime with which it had
been plastered up was daubed in black paint, “N. Luna, 15-3-99,”
which means March 15, 1899. The Iowa regiment and Fourth Cavalry
made the attack in which he was shot, but he got away, and as I
looked at the tomb, I did not blame the father, General Luna, for
declaring himself an outlaw.” Company L, 51st Iowa, Manila,
Philippine Islands.
PAUL SCHAEFER IN MANILA
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, July 21, 1899
Will Schaefer has received a letter from his brother, Paul Schaefer,
who is now at Manila with Battery L, 6th Artillery. The young man is
well and satisfied.
LIEUTENANT HUDSON HEARD FROM
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, July 22, 1899
Lieutenant Hudson has been heard from. He is now in charge of the
construction work on the Spanish vessels captured by Admiral Dewey
at Manila. His report recommends that refrigerator plants be placed
on three of the vessels, which has been approved by the Secretary of
the Navy.
PAUL SCHAEFER, 22ND U.S. INFANTRY
Philippines
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, July 27, 1899
From Fosterburg – Mr. Paul Schaefer of Fosterburg is a private in
the 22nd U.S. Infantry, now in the Philippines. The company in which
he belongs is now doing police duty in Manila. He writes while all
is not a holiday, yet his health is good and is fairing quite well.
His rations, while not of a great variety, are good and wholesome.
His hardest service since the arrival there has been fighting
mosquitos, which assemble in companies, and their music is equal to
a brass band – but not quite as entertaining. His report is the same
as others concerning the Filipinos’ distress. Paul’s letter is very
interesting throughout. His friends here hope he may return with
much honor and glory when the Filipinos have been subdued and order
is restored in the Philippines.
DR. PETER BECKMAN RETURNS FROM PHILIPPINES
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, December 14, 1899
Dr. L. M. bowman received a letter today from Dr. Peter Beckman of
the U.S. Army. Dr. Beckman, who has the rank of Lieutenant, arrived
home from the Philippine Islands a few days ago, having been
returned to this country after having had a great sufficiency of
foreign service. He is at Holt, Iowa, visiting relatives, and will
be here in a few days. Dr. Beckman will remain in the service, and
will return to duty after a short furlough, but he will be assigned
for duty in this country. He is well, and has had a rich experience,
but he is satisfied it is all over. He served through the campaign
at Santiago in Cuba [Spanish-American War], and has since seen
active service in the war in the Philippines.
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, December 22, 1899
Dr. Peter Beckman arrived in Alton Friday night from Sheldon, Iowa,
where he has been visiting relatives, from the Philippine Islands.
He is visiting Dr. L. M. bowman, and will remain here until he goes
to take “a post graduate course in medicine at John Hopkins
University at Baltimore.” Dr. Beckman wears the shoulder straps with
the two silver bars, indicating his rank of Second Lieutenant as a
surgeon in the United States Army. He is looking very well, and has
suffered no ill effects from the hardships incident to army life in
a country swarming with savage Filipinos. He was at the front much
of the time, and tells interesting incidents of his life in the
army. Dr. Beckman has had quite enough of foreign service, and was
very glad to be ordered home for service.
Dr. Beckman was seen by a Telegraph reporter this afternoon, but was
reticent to grant an interview because of his desire to avoid any
newspaper prominence. He said, however, that he considered the
trouble about over in the Philippines, and that a very short time
will wind it up. The rebels are so hopelessly divided that they can
offer little determined resistance, and keep up only a desultory
warefare. Some fine day soon, he predicts, the army will round up
what is left of the insurgent forces, but he fears that few arms
will be surrendered. The treacherous natives will probably hide
them, in anticipation of another uprising. Regarding the future
peaceful condition of the islands, he has grave doubts, and says
that for his own safety, he would prefer to not be stationed with a
small garrison in the interior of the islands, even in time of
peace.
Of General Otis, he speaks in the highest terms of praise, and
thinks he has done all any officer could do, first in attempting
pacification and then, at failing in that, in crushing the
rebellious Tagals. Dr. Beckman was a surgeon of the Fourth infantry
at Imns, and has had some exciting experiences with the skulking,
treacherous insurgents who were in the bushes.
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, December 30, 1899
Dr. Beckman and Church Looting
Lieut. Peter W. Beckman, who returned recently from the Philippine
Islands, where he has been stationed at Imus as surgeon of the
Fourth U.S. Infantry, was interviewed today with reference to Bishop
Byan’s printed charges against our soldiers. Lieutenant Beckman
expressed the deepest indignation at the charges of the Bishop, and
made the statement appended. The Lieutenant will leave for Baltimore
Sunday evening to enter Johns Hopkins University for a post-graduate
course, having resigned his commissionas surgeon in the army.
Lieutenant Beckman says: “Our boys slept in the open air many a
night when churches were in the immediate vicinity, and the soldiers
could have taken refuge in them from the pouring rain. The churches
were always shown the greatest respect, and while incidents are
many, when during the Civil War, churches were used as hospitals and
barracks for the soldiers, there are no instances of where the
sanctity of the Filipino churches was violated by our soldiers. The
troops endured all the hardships of tropical rainy seasons, often
sleeping on the ground in pouring rains, but never did they use a
church for barracks. Often our soldiers attended services in the
Roman Catholic churches, and they were always most respectful in
their conduct.
As to the looting which Bishop Ryan charges, there was none. At
first the volunteers were somewhat unruly, but for only a few weeks,
and they were soon controlled by orders from headquarters,
commanding that all church property must be respected.
The Filipinos are a treacherous lot and without principle. They
troubled our officers by claiming the horses the officers rode, and
in most cases investigation showed they had never owned the property
they claimed. The mayor of Imus, where I was stationed, made the
most strenuous protestation of friendship for the Americans, and
named us ‘Amigo’ and ‘nice Americano.’ One day he started,
ostensibly, on a business trip to the country. A few days later,
word was received that the mayor had been taken by the insurgents.
We were informed, however, he had received a commission as Brigadier
General in the insurgent army.
It is very discouraging to our boys in the far east to have such
scandalous misstatements made of them as have been made by Bishop
Ryan and his ilk.”