BARRACK LIFE.
Like all the other organizations which had taken part in the capturing
of Manila, the Utah batteries were without a home when they first
entered the city. Battery A found temporary quarters in a spacious nipa
hut in the Malate district, while Battery B went into barracks in the
Odministracion de Hacienda. Several days later Major Young secured the
Cuartel de Meisic, formerly occupied by a Spanish engineer regiment, and
Battery A was stationed there August 18th. Some days following Battery B
moved into the same building. The Third Artillery occupied the south
half of the Cuartel, and the batteries were domiciled in the east and
west wings of the north half. The Cuartel was a large and stalwart
structure located in the most picturesque part of Manila. South of it
lay the business portion of Manila, with its Escolta, its Plaza de
Cervantes, and its Hotel de Oriente; to the west was the Marcadero
teeming with rustic Filipino maids and redolent with its Oriental odors;
stretching away to the north were the broad rice fields and forests of
bamboo, with the mountains in the distance forming a background. It was
a pleasant home and one which the men appreciated.
During the first few weeks of barrack life the men settled down serene
in the thought that they would soon be speeding homeward. Their duty had
been done and they felt that they were now entitled to the happier
pleasures of Utah. But days passed, and were lengthened into weeks,
weeks passed and were lengthened into months, and still they remained in
the tropics with less hope of returning home than they had at first
entertained. The novelty of their surroundings began to wear off and
everything which the Philippines could afford became decidedly
commonplace. Unable, therefore, to find other entertainments when off
duty, as a pastime the men exchanged reminiscent fairy tales about
their late combat. Wearying of these occupations they often sauntered
out of the Cuartel in bodies in quest of what little mirth they could
get out of the passive and inexplicable natives.
Of course, there were drills and everybody liked them, as they produced
such an excellent opportunity for one to give vent to his feelings after
the drills were over with. Those were happy hours which the men spent in
sweltering under the genial warmth of the southern sun, and learning
with a bitter vengeance the tactics of "dismounted drill." And "double
time," too, was always a pleasant innovation as it generated a bodily
heat to correspond with mental feelings and external influences. Then
there was always an appreciative audience of gaping nut-brown maids and
matrons who took delight in watching the "soldado" go through his
ever-changing evolutions. Yes, those were days which the veteran will
always look back upon with rapture.
At first some trouble was occasioned over the inadequate food supply;
but that difficulty was soon obliterated. The then acting commissary
sergeant was removed and A.L. Williams, familiarly known among his
admirers in the battalion by the euphonious prefixes of "Dad" and
"Judge," was elevated to this position. Under the judicious management
of the Judge a revolution was made in the department and the men waxed
fat from the overflowing cornucopia of the commissary.
In those murky days of Manila were other things which served to offset
the oppressive blazonry of the tropic sun. In order to make the attire
of the soldiers harmonize as much as possible with the requirements of
the climate, light shirts and trousers were provided by the
quartermaster's department. Every week occurred a general inspection, to
which the men were expected to appear housed in this startling white
with polished shoes and flaming brass buckles. A very imposing
appearance they made when lined up on these occasions.
The advent of the soldier vastly accelerated the trade of the native
fruit venders in the vicinity of the Cuartel, and as time wore on this
peculiar product of the Orient increased his sales by the addition of
the deadly "vino," sometimes with rather disastrous results to the
imbiber. That wondrous monument of human ingenuity commonly known as
"army hardtack" formed the standard medium of exchange between the
industrious fruit dealer and his overworked customer. The barred windows
of the Cuartel became the market ground for all the products of Luzon,
and through them many a luscious mango was exchanged for an adamantine
biscuit upon which the soldier had vainly expended all his dental
energy. The natives had full access to the barracks at this time, and
the native washerwoman made the blanco trousers shine iridescently for
inspection by beating them against the sunny side of a boulder and
afterwards pressing them with a fearfully and wonderfully made flatiron.
Hard by the Cuartel were a number of "tiendas," widely known among the
soldiers as "vino stands." The presiding spirit over one of these
establishments was generally a pretty "mestiza," who, in addition to her
natural charms, was blessed with a high-sounding Castilian name. There
were four shops run on the plan, which held pre-eminence both for the
character of the "vino" which they supplied and the bewitching charms of
their owners. The returned volunteer will remember with keen enjoyment
"Juanita," "Juaquina," "Victoriana," and above all "Isabella," the
saintly and virtuous, who was equally as skillful in obtaining the
nimble sixpence as in raising a brood of mestiza children. There was
also "Madre," withered and antiquated, but a born dictator, and through
her superior management she came to be known as the top-sergeant.
Finally there was Ysabel, with a gentle smile upon her pleasant brunette
face, and Estepania, brown-eyed and plump, most beautiful among all the
mestiza belles. Isabella's casa was the place to which the eyes of the
weary soldier turned after a long and fatiguing drill; afterwards it was
the point to which his footsteps inevitably led when he was able to rush
in for a few days from the firing line. The house was large and
spacious, with polished ebony floors and wide windows through which the
balmy zephyrs blew and kissed the heated brow of the tired fighter.
Beautiful creepers twisted their way up the wall and stole in at the
extensive balcony to catch a taste of the pleasures within; the
broadleafed banana palm surrounded the casa and broke the power of the
blazing tropic sun. It was, indeed, the one spot in all the East which
made the home-loving Utahns feel at home. When away all his secret
longings were centered upon that place and its attractions, and his
mouth yearned for a renewed acquaintance with the delicate omelets
fashioned by the dainty fingers of Pania and the crab brought from the
bay by the ubiquitous Peek-a-boo. His mind reverted with gratitude to
the anxious solicitations of "Madre" when she learned that he was
suffering from a headache and he acutely remembered the healing balm
which she applied to his fevered brow. He knew, too, that should he be
struck down in death by the bullet of the enemy, what tears of sympathy
would be shed at the news of his misfortune.
[Illustration: A FAMILIAR SCENE.]
The one source of worriment about the Isabella mansion was the fact that
the thirsty soldiers were frequently given an over supply of the deadly
vino. Such an occurrence was attended with dire results; but as the
motherly "Madre" was blessed with an abundant store of remedies, under
her care the victim was soon restored to his mental equilibrium. All
soldiers seem gifted with special powers to spend money and as a
consequence few of them could command the attention of a penny bootblack
twenty-four hours after being paid, but this weakness had no weight with
the kindly old dame who carried a large credit roll and could refuse
nothing to a Utah soldado. So Isabella's mansion forms a part of the war
history of the Utah batteries; and it must be remembered with other and
more stirring scenes; for when the thoughts of the Utah soldier stray to
the domicile of the Isabella family they are mingled with happy
reminiscences and strange memories and tragic sights.
* * * * *
One hundred and four weary and footsore recruits arrived in the Cuartel
on the 28th of August and deposited their blankets and all other
portable property on the greensward. They had been waiting out in the
bay four days and had finally reached the Cuartel after having made a
complete circuit of the city. Sergeant Arthur W. Brown piloted the new
batch of volunteers to their home, and ever since the redoubtable
Sergeant has borne a reputation, as a file leader, which would make a
Mexican burro grow green-eyed with envy.
Here it might be stated that after watching the fleet of transports,
which conveyed the Utah batteries, sail out of the rugged Golden Gate
into the broad Pacific, Lieutenant E.A. Wedgewood and Sergeants Arthur
W. Brown and L.N. Fehr turned toward Utah bent on the mission of
securing 104 recruits, which would give each battery its full quota of
173. Volunteers were numerous but the work of enlisting covered a period
of nine days. Recruits were obtained from all points in the State but
the majority came from Salt Lake City. On the 28th of June the full
number had been enrolled and the following day the small body of men
left for San Francisco, after being accorded a warm demonstration at the
depot. At Oakland they remained all night of the 30th and the following
morning they marched to Camp Merritt, from which place they were removed
to the Presidio two days later.
Late in June Lieutenant Wedgewood was taken ill with typhoid fever but
remained with the men until July 6th, when he was taken to the Lane
hospital and Lieutenant Diss of the California Heavy Artillery was
placed temporarily in charge of the recruits. Orders were for the Utah
contingent to sail on the transport "Rio de Janeiro," and as the South
Dakota Infantry was the only organization on the vessel Lieutenant
Foster of that regiment was given command of the men.
The voyage was uneventful save that the soldiers were ill-treated by
Lieutenant Foster, who succeeded in gaining for himself the eternal
hatred of the men under his charge. As the recruits were then
unacquainted with military practices, many expressions of disgust being
made in an unguarded way, reached the ears of the worthy Lieutenant, who
heaped still greater indignities upon the men by way of retaliation.
At Honolulu W.A. Kinney, the large plantation owner, entertained the
Utahns during their brief stay in that city.
The "Rio de Janeiro" arrived in Manila Bay on the 24th of August, but it
was four days later before the recruits set foot on the soil of Luzon
and made their phenomenal march up the streets of Manila to Plaza de
Felipe II, where they greeted their comrades.
Lieutenant Wedgewood, having recovered from his fever, arrived October
4th on the "Scandia," which left San Francisco on August 27th.
During the long dreary days following the arrival of the recruits their
life was not entirely joyous. From sunrise to sunset they were forced to
listen to the blood-curdling tales which their companions told of the
late conflict with the "Dons." At first they hearkened to them with
respectful attention. They never doubted the truth of these glowing
fairy stories. They revered these self-lauding heroes as a species of
immortal beings. In return for this tributary deference they were
treated with contempt. The veteran called them "rookies," and whenever
one of them attempted to soar he was promptly and sternly reminded of
his inferiority and kindly invited to get off the pedestal upon which he
had so unwittingly placed himself while one of his superiors proceeded
to relate a harrowing tale of blood and thunder and rain down in the
trenches. Every bit of rainy weather or glorious sunset reminded the
Malate hero of something he had seen in the trenches and at once he
began to dilate upon it with great attention to details and a lofty air
of his own importance.
So it went on. The recruits vainly sought for relief. He tried to stem
the tide of persecution by relating stories of his own. But as soon as
he made such an attempt he was immediately "bawled out" and his
tormentors proceeded with a fresh tirade. Finally one of the groaning
victims hit upon a happy plan, and after it was carried out it
effectually stopped the torture. When in the future the mendacious
veteran essayed to array himself in a cloud of glory by narrating
legends of personal prowess, he was unceremoniously suppressed by the
rookies, who sang:
It may be so; I do not know,
But it sounds to me like a lie.
Instantly upon the starting of this little hymn it was taken up by every
soldier in the barracks and the unlucky veteran, crestfallen and beaten,
was only too glad to retire into seclusion.
* * * * *
During those five months in which the soldier was learning the
peculiarities of Oriental life and sweltering under the rays of the
Southern sun, he adopted any means of causing the speedy destruction of
time. After the singularities of his new surroundings had ceased to be
uncommon he began to look about himself in search of other amusement.
Naturally a person who adapts himself easily to his environments, he
took up with the games of the Filipinos, and, as a consequence, soon
after the appearance of the American as a prominent figure on the
streets of Manila, it was no unusual occurrence to behold the huge,
good-natured Yankee engaged in friendly sport with the diminutive and
fiery Tagalan.
As cock-fighting is the national game of the native the soldier seized
upon this diversion with an enthusiasm that was truly remarkable. The
slender and wiry game cock was in great demand. The feathered pugilist
became the hero of the hour. The price of "pollos" jumped above par two
or three times over. On the shady side of every street could be seen
little knots of men eagerly awaiting the outcome of a battle in which
these kings among all the fowl tribe were engaged. And the victory was
not decided without great loss, for frequently the champion proclaimed
himself conqueror by mounting the gory body of his late enemy and
crowing with great vigor. Men bet on their favorites with as much fervor
as an ardent proselyte of Mohammed utters praises to his Maker from the
housetop at sunrise.
But even this pastime was too tame for the restless nature which
constantly pined for the more exciting fun of America. So the chicken
stock suddenly declined in value, and that of the swine took a
corresponding rise, when there was talk of organizing a football
association. This plan, however, lost its popularity after several
practices on the "Gridiron"--the climate of Luzon had its drawbacks when
it came to punting the pigskin. The requirements for a good football
game are a temperature of 6 degrees below zero, and a field covered with
a four-inch layer of snow and a corresponding thickness of soft mud
underneath. As the Philippines are sadly deficient in the first two
articles, it was decided to drop "Rugby" in favor of baseball.
Throughout the Eighth Army Corps this proposition was received with
great warmth. Every organization had its team. Some influential men of
Manila offered inducements to the winning nine; the American Commercial
Company agreed to present a silver cup to the team which could score the
most points. Arrangements were made for matches, and rival teams soon
met on the diamond at the Lunetta. Utah was not to be outdone even in
baseball; any man who had ever played ball or looked at a diamond was
invited to join the team, and after this liberal request, it took no
great time for the battalion to put a pretty good organization into the
field. Soon the husky farmers from Utah were pitted against the powerful
"pumpkin rollers" from Nebraska, and the sturdy Pennsylvanians fought
for honors with the Wyoming cowboys.
Those were pleasant hours when the sons of America met under the tropic
sky on a foreign soil and exchanged friendly greeting in their national
game. Not a follower of the "Stars and Stripes" was there but felt
happier and prouder after such a day. Home seemed nearer by half than it
ever had before. And the natives, too, came in for a share of the
rejoicing; they liked to see the "Grande Americano" perform his antics
with the ball; they, too, gathered in knots and talked and gesticulated
and laughed and cheered. The irrepressible small boy was everywhere
present, with his sarsaparilla, his peanuts and his slabs of cocoanut
candy. There were those who made his trade profitable and those who
preferred something of a more fiery nature. That also could be obtained
for the asking.
So the games went on by the side of the great swelling sea, and the roll
of the surf mingled with the merry tones of the players. Battles were
fought and fields were won on the diamond and Utah carried the trophy
away to America.
* * * * *
While there were some things which excited the curiosity, others which
aroused the attention, and still others which seemed to rivet men's
minds for a short time on certain subjects, yet they all paled into
insignificance before the magic of that one word "Mail!"
On a quiet sultry day, when all nature except the sun seemed to be
taking a rest and when nothing but the bugle call for dinner could prove
that a spark of life remained in the barracks, the announcement that
mail had arrived would transform that peaceful quiet building into an
Eastern bazar, with all of its accessions. At the mention of that word
the stolid sentry, pacing his beat with languid steps, instantly
quickened into life; the motionless somnolent forms lying on the canvas
cots sprang from their recumbent positions, strangely wide awake; the
groups of men engaged in a social game of cards, instantly scattered
for that new field of interest. The First Sergeant's office became a
scene of the greatest activity. An eager, excited crowd gathered around;
cheeks and noses were pressed against the iron grating, while the ear
listened intently for familiar names. Happy was he who received a goodly
supply.
[Illustration: "OLD GUARD FATIGUE" AT THE CUARTEL.]
There were those who turned away crestfallen and disappointed, there
were others who remained behind and hungrily eyed their more fortunate
comrades, as they knew they had no loved ones to write to them. When the
mail had been distributed the barracks again relapsed into silence, but
it was a wide awake silence, not a sultry, oppressive one. Then was
reading of letters which told of love and friendship and hope; then were
familiar scenes brought before the imagination to renew acquaintances
which had begun to grow dim; then were sighs heard for dear home and
mother. Newspapers and magazines were not unpopular. The letters read,
then the papers were devoured. Long articles, short articles,
advertisements and pictures were consumed with equal eagerness, and when
every visible portion had been absorbed they were held up to the light
to see if they contained anything on the inside. Such was mail day in
Manila, and the story proceeds.
In the early days of barrack life, men talked of returning home to
celebrate Thanksgiving, but after October had begun to decline it became
evident that these fond hopes were not to be realized.
Then the inventive Yankee proceeded to devise means to give thanks in
the good old fashioned way in spite of climate and strange country. The
Luzon turkey in all respects does not compare favorably with his
American cousin, yet he is "turkey," and that goes a great way when it
comes to celebrating Thanksgiving.
It was upon this peculiar species of the feathered race that the
batterymen fastened their attentions. Turkeys were secured, and they
served as a nucleus about which all preparations centered. Several weeks
prior to the gala day most elaborate arrangements were made. The
soldiers gathered in knots and discussed the coming event. It had a
particular interest with them as they anticipated something more
palatable than the ordinary "hardtack and slum-gullion." Nor were their
expectations disappointed, for, when the day came in all its glory, the
commissary had proved itself equal to the occasion. All the powers of
the culinary art had been brought to bear upon the leathery tendons of
this turkey of the East. It had been fried and flayed until the very air
of the barracks became aromatic with its savor. Even the hungry natives
scented the perfumed air and gathered at the entrances to inspect the
delicacies more closely.
At length the tables were prepared and the ravenous warriors seated
themselves. Then were the victuals attacked with vigor; the enemy
brought forth all his fighting force; he assaulted the front with deadly
effect; simultaneously he attacked the flank and the rear; he cut, he
hacked, he slashed, he dissected and tore, until there was nothing left
of his victim but the skeleton, and even this he eyed ravenously. Of
course there were pies and cakes and cranberries and fruits and greens
and vegetables, and they, too, suffered. Of the squash family there were
not a few, the favorite pumpkin was wanting, but then the lack of it had
been long since supplied by the desiccated potato, and the consumer felt
no secret pangs at its absence. Thus Thanksgiving passed on and
Christmas came with its bevy of holiday boxes, and its "Peace on earth
good will to men;" but while the American was still thinking of the
light of peace, there came the low rumbling of impending gloom; his ears
were startled by the distant thunder of the voice of war; he knew it to
be the opening peal of the awakening insurrection and his attention
turned to the more serious matter of the imminent conflict. A more
powerful enemy than his late foe menaced him from all sides.