Malolos, Luzon Island – Entry made in parlor of No. 2 Calle Manila
Hot day, a clammy wet heat at Manila, but a drier heat at Malolos.
Up early & the usual rush. Read on chapter in Numbers, prayed & cooked breakfast. Walked down to the Port Captain’s office & caught the 8.30 a.m. train on the Dagupan R.R. The guard did not ask to see my pass; knows me now.
Got thro’ to Malolos without mishap. Crossed over to the encampment of Battery K, 3d U.S. Heavy Artillery, about 400 yards from the depot. Are lying on the ground generally, the men on mats, with bamboo & nipa roofs overheard. I found Private (Bro.) M. L. Devine (Landon) without trouble. Is unwell. Stomach troubling him. Devine took me to the shelter of Bros. F.O. Harris & Wm Heffelstine (church Christians) They provided dinner for me & later a supper of fried egg tea & bread. Dinner – hash, coffee, bread, mangoes and bananas. Filipino men and boys are winding in & out of the soldiers shacks all day, selling fruit, eggs etc.
Bro. Wm Heffelstine, counted out to me in greenbacks $200.00
Five ten dollar gold pieces 50.00
Total $250.00
To keep for the soldiers. This money belongs to different soldiers, but I receipted to him for it.
Bro. M. L. Devine also gave me in Greenback – – $10.00. From this $5 goes to the Tenth Leauge paym’t, some for a box of crackers, & the remainder I am to keep. Settlement may be made later as I advanced him $3 U.S. coin.
Following dinner, Devine returned to his shack, sick. Heffelstine fell asleep & Harris & I knelt & prayed. A Filipino man (peddler of eggs) watched us wonderingly. I tried to explain “Jesus Christ” to him. After prayer Harris & I struck out down the railroad & walked abut me mile to the abandoned Filipino trench now called Camp Grainbow after one of the 3d Officer. Here is camped part of the H. Battery of the 3d Heavy Artillery.
Private (Bro.) Frank Amie espied us & was the first to greet the 2 visitors. The boys appeared glad to see us. We lay down by an old machine (sugar crusher) in the shade and had a lengthy conversation not forgetting to bring the all important matter of salvation to the attention of the unsaved soldier present. Knelt on the grass & prayed. Harris Amie & myself. The unconverted men removed their hats reverentially.
Amie is troubled with dysentery & looks bad, & very rough. Took a Kodak picture of him.
Met Capt. O’ Hara. The captain is a devout Catholic but treats me very kind.
Walked back to K. battery. Took back more or less things for the boys to town.
Frank Amie turned over to me $3.10 U.S. coin Tenth League Paym’t. Mrs. Owens gave me a gold watch to take out to Bro. Lloyd Hummer. I turned the same over to him personally. Private Edward E. Pollock of K. Battery wants all the War Crys containing the write-up of the Philippine expedition by me. I am to write San Francisco H.Q. to take them to Mrs. Wm D. Pollock 3649, 17th St. near Church St. S. F. He wrote a letter instructing her to pay for the Crys.
About train time I went over to the depot. Heffelstine, Devine & Hummer kept me company. An extra train came down from the Bagbag river bringing the 1st Nebraska Vol. Inf. who returned from San Fernando. I called Private (Bro.) V. Heron, out & introduced him to Devine.
The regular train followed close behind the extra. It also carried Nebraskans. In my section were same 20th Kansas men who are recovering from wounds, also Harper ex-Serg’t Harper. The crowd was quite sociable. The Lord enabled me to take advantage of opportunities in the car & afterwards privately with Harper to bring before their minds Christ and salvation.
The Nebraska men got off at Caloocan. Looked queer to see Filipino prisoners following the command to do chores. Can hardly be shaken off. They like the “chow”.
No train slowed up at the depot before finishing the run to the river. Harper & I alighted.
When I arrived at home found my reading room lighted up. Four sailors of the transport “Pennsylvania,” who have been in the lock up 14 days were there. One was taking supper at Mrs. Owens table, I put an empty room at their disposal & told them to use my tent for a bed. This they were glad to do. Also gave Mrs. Owens 50 cents Mex. to buy eggs for them in the morning & will give bacon. She will cook the same for them. Names of the sailors. August Hagerlund, Victor Peterson, Mac Tagget and Peter Weigner. I prayed with the latter an old San Francisco acquaintance of mine, before retiring. He claims to be a Christian.