Aug. 17, 1898, Frank to Cressida - Manila

Return address:
F. B. Hamlin
1st Lt. Co. B
Manila P.I.

Addressed to:
Mrs. F. B. Hamlin
Roseburg
Douglas Co. Oregon
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Manila, P.I.
Aug. 17, 1898

My Dear Wife,

I wrote you a few lines yesterday. Don't know whether it was mailed in time to get off on the Co. ? or not. We are told the mail goes again in a few days but such things are so uncertain that about the only way to do is just to write when you have time, mail at once and let the postal department do the rest. All our troops have been worked pretty hard. Most of the officers and men have been on guard duty of one kind and another nearly all the time since we landed on the afternoon of Aug. 13 to the present time.

Things are getting somewhat settled now, and we will undoubtedly have less to do from now on. Our whole Co. was on duty guarding the arsenal and magazine yesterday and last night. I had charge of a magazine in which was said to be stored 80 tons of powder and 5 tons of gun cotton.

The sentinels all attended strictly to business. I slept about 3 hrs. during the 24, but am feeling first rate now. May take a nap this afternoon. If not will go to bed early tonight and get a good rest. it rains a great deal here now and is quite cool especially at night. Think I am pretty well acclimated.

Our Co. L.M. Sgt. F. S. Godfrey has gone over to Cavite to day for the Co. Property that we left behind. We brought no blankets -- in fact nothing but guns, ammunition and hard-tack and canned meat for 48 hrs rations. We have rec'd since arrival hard-tack, coffee, canned salmon, can-beef, and rice. This for the Co. - in addition to which I have been able to purchase in Manila for our officers mess some peaches and jelly in glass jars at the rate of about 50c per pint jar.

We the officers of Co. B. have our food cooked by the Company cook, and in addition purchase fruit [?] from the commissary Dept. at very reasonable rates, almost as cheap as same can be bought in Roseburg.

We are guaranteed in Cuartel de Espania, the barracks in which the 6th Batallion de Infanteria Spanish troops were quartered. The Water of the City Water Works has been turned on, but we are using cistern water at present, from the galvanized iron roofs of our barracks.

There are thousands of rifles still stacked in the plaza taking the rain. They are being moved to shelter and cared for, but very slowly.

We are told that our [?] is to be armed with Mouser rifles captured here. There are said to be about 2000 brand new guns that have never been unpacked, and many of the guns turned in are practically new. Many of the captured cannon are new and of the latest patterns. Immense stores of ammunition of all kinds have also been captured. Flour and meat in Manila was very scarce but they seem to have had plenty of everything else.--We hear today that peace negotiations are progressing and that the Pres. has ordered hostilities to cease. That being so, it may not be very long till the volunteer troops return to the U.S.-- possibly by Christmas as I guessed some time ago.

Honolulu is a nice place, and so is Manila, what I have seen of it, but I don't think they would either one be a good place in which to raise such boys as ours.-- Too much Latin blood here, and influences not good.

Nearly everybody here is said to be affected more or less with syphalus [sic]. This refers to all those both men and women-- who are not strictly virtuous. Many even of the small children and babies are covered with sores and scabs, the results of tainted blood of parents till I am almost afraid to handle anything they touch. Their "Margaritas" -- loose women-- are on the streets and everywhere both day and night. They are not allowed in any of our camps and most of the boys are as "fraid as pisen" of them. One variety of the Asiatic Syph-- is said to show upon the unfortunate victim within one hour.-- But I don't know that this will interest you at all. --or that it would be worth my while to assure you that I shall return unscathed, however trusting that you have by this time some little confidence in me, I will say that I expect to return to you as I left, and that I expect you to put the same confidence in me that you would have me place in you. -----------------

I sent you a week or so ago Registered Letter containing Check for $40, and $5.00 bill. Sent also at same time to Emmett. P.O. Money order for $7.25 money collected for goods sold members of Co. B before we went to Portland. Sent also 3 pgs. of sea shells. One to you one to Emmett, for sale, and one to Jim.

Will send you another in a few days and one to mother. Have some very pretty ones. Will likely be able to start? [send?] you some more money about the first of next month, likely $80, or more.

Harry Slocum, F. S. Godfrey, D. R. Shambrook [?], Geo. Day, Hubert Knight, and in fact all our Roseburg & vicinity boys are well, except Geo. Starmer, and he is getting much better. Able to be up and around.

Hope you got that basket of things I sent by Wm. Wann. Expect to use the mail mostly from this time on.

But I must close for this time.

Write often and let me know everything just as it is. I shall do the same.

As ever Your Affectionate Husband
F. B. Hamlin.

I enclose small token of remembrance in shape of a handkerchief,
FBH