| Show FROM PEARSON the news to is enabled today to publish a letter briten from manila bay on may ath three days after the great american victory over the spanish fleet the writer is ensign pearson of draper utah who tt fa about to be presented by the people of this state with a sold gold and silver mounted sword for the gallant manner in which he be acquitted himself in the memorable contest while the letter does not contain very much that me has not already been published publish edit to is full of interest coming as it does direct from the scene of conflict and having ben written by butah officer perhaps the most interesting feature to is that the haaro the transport which admiral dewey purchased from the english and which was under ensign pearsons command cut the cable over whish so touch much apprehension was felt for a time jime that alone was no small distinction the letter was to ensign pearsons parents brothers and sisters rm and was is as follows s 8 zafiro manila bay may 4 1898 pear dear family I 1 bellve believe I 1 last wrote y you from Rong kong about april war all having been declared the governor of an english port gave us usual time of forty eight hours to leave we went on april to taa bay a small bay in china about two tyle ty le flye miles from hongtong Hong kong AV aerts the jhb fleet bf nine vessels manila the capital of the islands on the pe eve of E we were about az sixty miles ea fr atre entrance ge to manila 1 13 bay Y ou on he city of manfra an 9 re the etl en trance to the bay was known to have forts on both sides and to have mines laid to explode when we went in that i evening the admiral informed the fleet that he was going into manila bay that night about midnight all lights were to be put out and officers and men were to stand by their guns ready for the forts or any of the spanish ships that might be met we steamed along and about midnight the head ship passed the forts unseen and some of the others passed unobserved but the forts finally saw that a fleet had come in and at once opened fire I 1 was on the last ship some of the last ships returned the fire our ships sped along as fast as po possible isible the forts firing and our ships returning it this was between 12 and 1 am on may none of our ships were hurt and probably the fort was it was dark night about a dozen 12 shots were fired luckily only one tort fort fired at us and no torpedoes were exploded we a all 11 got through the ent entrance Yance safely and then steamed up the bay toward manila about daylight way may the fleet had arrived off cavite the spanish naval station near manila city we were soon observed and soon the forts there as well as those at manila opened fire on our ships the two ships of ours the zafiro and the Na nshan which were loaded with coal and supplies got out of the fire the other ships turned slowly around toward cavite where the forts continued the fire soon our ships got the distance of the forts and opened fire on them our ships steamed staged past the forts one ship behind another firing for all they were worth the forts doing the same when they had passed the forts they turned around and steamed back firing again by this time the spanish fleet ot of about ten ships came out of a small bay at the back of the forts and with t the forts fired vigorously at our ships ch returned a similar fire when our ships had passed the forts they turned and steamed by again and then again and again in all they steamed by the forts and spanish ships and back three times it was a terrible fire when all were firing at once after two and a halt half hours hard fighting our chips withdrew to rest and for breakfast one spanish ship had been sunk one was on fire and another one had been struck and was sinking to save her crew she was run on an the ground the others had withdrawn to the bay back of the forts while at breakfast our ships were fired at by the manila forts about 1120 a m breakfast bel bei finished and the men being rested rented the ewt went over to cavite again and gave the spanish forts borts and ships a very heavy fire for one and a halt half hours finally the white flat flag was run ran up over cavite and it was airs every spanish ars frs I 1 the fight was waa now burned by us when cavite had given up the fleet started for manila to take it but found the white flag up there on the governors house so no fighting took place there we have tak en all spanish ships which were not burned have blown up all their forts and arse arsenals naAs except at manila and all is ours there was not a man killed on our ships and none hurt beyond bad scratches from pieces of bursting shells and they are few in numbers it is the most marvelous marve loua thing you can think of the spanish were killed and wounded on ship and forts bv hundreds I 1 have visited the he spanish hospitals on shore hor and seen many of the wounded all kinds of af wounds legs arms fingers and toes oes cut off and all sorts you can t of all spaniards ads have left cavite aap the rebels rebels that is the natives of these islands have plundered their houses taking everything the zafiro to is now at cavite at the spanish dock yard taking on board a supply of spanish coal the vicinity of cavite is a maw mass of ruins demolished forts phin plundered dered houses and the ruins of all the spanish ships which were burned in shallow water our orders were to destroy the spanish fleet here and it was most thoroughly done in about four hours fighting the spaniards have not realized that the americans were a strong people as you will see by reading a copy of the proclamation made by the governor of these islands to the people when war was declared I 1 enclose a copy which please do not lose we do not known how long we will remain here but the place is ours no one has been hurt in the fighting and there will probably be no more fighting here the spanish governor would not allow us to use the telegraph so the zafiro zafero was ordered to find the cable which was laid in the bay and cut it which we did regards to all yours etc H A PEARSON all business here is stopped most white people except spaniards have left we have no communication with the outside world so tomorrow one of our ships goes to hongtong Hong kong to take malls and telegrams etc H A P this proclamation was read to all the sailors and marines on the american amet ships a day or two before the balt bai tle extraordinary by the governor genital Gene Genf iral tal of the philippines Span spaniards tards between and the united states of at north america hostilities tili ties have broken out the moment has arrived to prove to the world that we possess the spirit to conquer r those who pretending to be loyal friends take bake advantage of at our misfortunes and abuse our hoop hospitality using means which civilized na nations M count unworthy yand and disreputable the north american people constituted of all the social excrescences nom have exhausted our put pai tience lence and provoked war with their perfidious with their am acta of tre treachery lachery with their outrages a against S the law of nations and Intern international conventions the ot struggle ruggle will be short and decisive the god of victories win give us one as brilliant and corn complete as aa the righteousness and justice of our caubo demand spain which counts upon the sympathies of all the nations will emerge triumphantly from this now new test and blasting the te adventurers from those wates states th that without cohesion and without a history otty offer to humana humanity ty only infamous traditions and the ungrateful spectacle speet acle ot of dh chambers ambers in which appear united insolence solen ee and defamation def deta amayon mation cowardice and A squadron manned by fored foreigners gueft possessing neither instruction nor discipline dieci ci to is prepa preparing jing to come to this archipelago with the ruf flanly intention of robbing us of an all that meana life honor and liberty pretending to be inspired of a courage of which are incapable the north american seamen undertake an an enterprise capable of realization the substitution of protestantism for the catholic religion you profess to treat you as aa tribes refractory to civilization to take bake possession of your riches as if they were unacquainted with the rights of property and to kidnap those whom they consider useful to in their ships or to be ex exploited plotted in agn ka cultural or industrial labor am v vain designs aart ingo your b atte 2 t aalf W 1 1 lice flee to td frustrate the attempt vt to f them into realization you will not allow the falth faith you profess to be made a mock of impious hands to be placed on the temple ot of the true god the images you adore to be thrown down by unbelief the aggressors shall not mot profane the tombs of your fathers they shall not gratify their passions att alt the cost of your wives and daughters honor or appropriate the property that your industry has accumulated as a vision for your old age no they thet shall not perpetrate any of the crimes inspired by their wickedness and aad covetous nees because your valor and patriotism will suffice to and abase the people that claiming to be civilized and cultivated have exterminated the natives of north america instead of bringing to them the life of civilization and of progress philippines prepare tw for the struggle and united under the glorious flag let us fight with conviction that victory will crown our efforts and to the calls of our enemies let us oppose with the decision of the christian and the patriot the cry of viva your Gen general erial BASILIO AUGUSTIN DAVILA manila april 98 |
