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137 Chapter Seven September 1899 “Every letter here is a goldmine” For a young man obsessed with his salary, Carter was very optimistic about saving for his scheme to settle on a ranch in western Canada. He is clearly a young man conflicted. On the one hand he is emphatic that he’ll stick to the assignment, while on the other, he emphasizes his iffy health and uncertain prospects.When he started having dental problems, he tells his sister that he is “going to pieces in chunks.”From his comments, it would appear that his days of going into the field are over, although he does make reference to another short trip to Las Piñas, where Mrs. Lawton had to assist him back to Manila due to an undisclosed health problem.1 Health in the tropics was a relative thing. According to Carter, everyone, even Mrs. Lawton, was afflicted with something, most commonly malaria or the “Itch,” or both. Diarrhea and other ailments were prevalent, and the trick was to keep everything under control, or you might die. Carter’s litany of ailments are a preview of the same or similar conditions that later generations of American soldiers would experience in the Pacific Theater in World War II and in Vietnam. Previously, he had told his sister that he had had it, but not to tell that to their father and mother. However, as his health improved, so did his mood. In addition, he is becoming, by choice, increasingly isolated from many of his co-workers, some of whom he describes as the “dregs,” and he remains very selective with his choice of companions. Like all soldiers he looks forward to the mail, so he was particularly upset when the steamship Morgan City sank, thereby losing the bulk of the letters and packages she was carrying. The turnaround between correspondences could be as much as three months, so one can just imagine the disappointment. However, when mail did come, 138 | A Civilian in Lawton’s 1899 Philippine Campaign it often came in batches, bringing with it packages and magazines. The Ladies Home Journal, with its scenes of home, particularly food, was very popular. On the bright side, Carter was able to get an article published in the Philippine Magazine, where he had been hired to write and to draw. “I’ll make any heroes” Carter also gives us a further insight into Lawton’s strained relationship with Otis and with some members of the press. Mamie Lawton is clearly in her husband’s corner. Otis comes across as stuffy and full of hubris when he states, “I’ll make any heroes that are made out here!” For all the bad blood between Otis and Lawton, there is surprisingly little apparent animosity between Lawton and MacArthur. Carter is also skeptical about whether the cautious Otis will impede an upcoming offensive into Central and Northern Luzon to, once again, try to seize the elusive Aguinaldo. This operation, although similar to the spring offensive, would be more complicated, with Lawton and MacArthur driving north on a parallel course in an attempt to push Aguinaldo into the arms of Loyd Wheaton, who would land a force from the Lingayan Gulf well to the north and drive inland. Carter would not accompany Howard into the field, and since the chief clerk, Stedman , was gravely ill, it is likely that another permanent clerk did so. This time, the Chief Quartermaster was ordered by General Lawton to establish a headquarters at San Fernando de Pampanga some forty miles north of Manila in order to support the offensive. At the start of the campaign, Major Howard had developed a plan whereby supplies would be sent by rail and water to Calumpit on the Rio Grande de Pampanga. Lighter supplies would be loaded on cascos and towed upriver, while the heavy or bulky items would continue by rail to San Fernando, where they would be loaded on wagons and carts and transported overland to Arayat . By the end of October, General Lawton had reached the end of his supply line, and he was holding his position near San Isidro. Supply was still a problem , in particular, a shortage of pack animals and carts, which was impeding the progress of the division. Prior to the offensive, Howard had repeatedly pestered Otis, who relented and finally forwarded a request for 3,000 mules. Not wishing to lose their quarry, Lawton sent Brig. Gen. Samuel S. B.Young ahead with a...

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