Manila, Luzon Island –Entry made in parlor of No. 2 Calle Santa Elena, Tondo.
Cloudy, gloomy, weather with slight showers. A battle started early this morning. American right wing swung around upon Guadeloupe [Guadalupe] on towards Pasig.
Up quite early. Read Scripture, prayed & cooked breakfast. In the forenoon called at the post office. No mail. Also at the Anglo-Australasian bank & with $20. U.S. gold purchased $40.80 Mexican silver dollars. Preparing for paying my rent.
Last night extra guards were put on. An uprising of Filipinos was expected in Quiapo & Santa Cruz Districts but it did not connect. It is now (while I write these lines) about 8.30 p.n. The sky towards Santa Cruz District is alight with the glare of a fire. Half a dozen Filipinos and Spaniards are now in this room. They usually come upstairs from our basement or ground floor when there is trouble. Six or eight mules were brought around this afternoon to the Utah Battery warehouse across from No. 2 Calle Santa Elena to be rigged out in harness. They are to draw cannon & caisons. Preparations are making to advance upon the enemy. Rumor speaks of a general attack tomorrow.
Bishop Thoburn and his private secretary took dinner with Rev. & Mrs. Owens today at No. 2. The Bishop is to leave for India tomorrow.
This afternoon about 3 p.m. I took street car & went out to the General Hospital near the Suspension Bridge to see ex-Corporal A. Scott, in Ward 10. He was not present. Spoke to several men personally about religious matters, one of them on the street car. Met Bro. Jackson at the Christian Commission at the Hospital. Detailed some of the difficulties he is laboring under to do spiritual work among the patients, also at the front. Says himself & Bro. Glunz expects to return to the United States next June. Recommended a local Y.M.C.A. work for Manila. While in conversation Chaplain Stephen Wood of the 23d came up. When returning we three walked back together to vicinity of Bridge of Spain.
Seventeen wounded Americans were brought in from the front today.
Returned home & cooked supper.
Isaac Russell told me last night, that a party of newspaper correspondents were going over a field the other day where “scrapping” had been done. They found a wounded Filipino officer. One of the party approached him to give him a drink of water out of a canteen. Reaching under his body the officer pulled out a knife and made a vicious attempt to cut his would-be friend. Incensed at the man’s ingratitude and treachery, the newspaper correspondents made a target of the officer’s body with their pistols, & left him there dead.