Submitted by Barbara Winge (a letter sent by her grandfather, Samuel West Walker to his sister, Stella Walker. He was stationed in the Philippines during the Spanish American War)

THE WEEKLY MADISONIAN
Madison, Georgia
July 6, 1900
FROM SAM WALKER IN PHILIPPINES MALABON, P.I., MARY 19. '00

My Dear Stella:

I promised that the next would be a long letter to you, I now fill my promise. We are now in Malabon, Barrox. We have lived in tents and without tents and from place to place until a real house is most like a home. The barrox is a fine sonte house. It has a mahogany floor and much hand work that is courious and must have taken much time to accomplish. We have to bring water four miles in a buffalo cart for drinking and cooking. All of this is boiled before used. Our buffalo is a peculiar lookng specimen of the bovine species. His horns are four feet each, making eight feet. These cattle or brutes stay in the water much of the time, and you can see only the long horns and nose. It is now the rainy season and it just pours down every day, and we are much in it as we have guard duty on average three times each week. It is business over here ever since I came; sure there is no play in this. So you be sure to see my girl and have it understood that on the "same sweet day" when I return, that she will meet me at the train and we will get married, and I guess then I shall stay at home. It is about two months between mails, so you see how lonely we get sometimes. I do not get homesick, I take Papa's advise and never allow myself to brood over thoughts that lead me to think so much of friends and home. We have a scrap occasionally with the insurgents. I am yet all o.k. Some of them shoot straight, but we beat them. I found Charlie Newton here. He is in the regulars and is assigned to the hospital corps. He is well and all right. Has been sent back to Manilla. All the Morgan County boys are well except Vanderford. He is in the hospital with fever, but is not seriously ill, and we hope for his return to duty in a short while. My health is perfect, weigh 175 pounds, and I know that I look well for while in Manila two months ago I looked at myself in a mirror Tell Percy that I have a mok for him, and I hope to be able to bring it to him, also one of the Philippine dogs for Jeff. Tell the boys that I will write them next time. With my love to all and kisses all reound, especially to my girl.

I am lovingly your brother,

 Sam Barbara Walker Winge

Don McHugh

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