January 7 in diaries
Diary in focus:
John Henry Asendorf (1863-1953). Pennsylvania volunteer who served as a Private in the Spanish-American and Filipino-American War. He was a German immigrant. On January 7, 1898 he recorded growing excitement over an expected showdown with Filipinos:
This is another fine day. We are having regular inspection of arms and dress. Although it was very strict, all passed a good examination. In the evening we have no drill and all of us spent a good day but we are sorry to hear that Frank Brain is worse and has black small pox which is regarded as hopeless. I wrote a letter to his wife stating the facts. This day Aguinaldo issues a proclamation of his own in which he expressed, in strong language, that he does not recognize our General Otis nor the proclamation and will fight to the bitter end for the independence of the Filipino people. This of course creates more excitement than ever and it almost looks as if a scrap was only a matter of a few hours. We again have orders to be in readiness but we all went and slept as sound as ever. It seems now we are getting used to it. We have eleven men on the sick list. Lieutenant [Robert] Woods has also been off duty four days with neuralgia.
That showdown would come, soon enough. See: 120 years ago: Diaries describe the start of the Filipino-American War, February 4, 1899
Today in history:
1973: Dante Vizmanos, officer-activist.
Ferdinand E. Marcos, 1970, 1971 and 1972.
1945: Gen. Basilio Valdes, Tomas Confesor, Leyte; Raymond Leyerly, Carl Rice in UST; Herman Beaber in Los Baños; Warren Wilson in Bilibid; Leon Ma. Guerrero in Tokyo; Charles Statler on USS Essex.
1944: Natalie Crouter in Baguio.
1942: See today’s diary entries, documents, timeline and picture in January 1942: WW2PH 80 Years After.
1940: Gen. Fidel Segundo in Manila.
1936: Francis Burton Harrison, adviser to Pres. Quezon.
1932: Marcial Lichauco with OsRox Mission.
1904: Levi Case, Constabulary officer in Ifugao.
1899: Alfred Welch in Malate, John Milsaps in Tondo.