Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-05
LIEUT.. GILMORE'S CAPTURE
Story of the Affair Written by a Naval
Officer.
A Court of Inquiry Likely to Clear
Up Some of the
Mystery.

An account of the capture of Lieut.. Gill
more and party at Baler, Luzon. is contain
ed in letter just received here from a
naval officer of high rank the Asiatic
station. While it throws considerable light
on the affair, it fails to clear it up entirely
to the satisfaction of the naval officials. 1t
is possible that court of inquiry will be
appointed to investigate the conduct of
Capt. Sperry, Commanding the Yorktown,
and his associate officer. The letter is dat
ed May l and tells the story of the capture,
as follows:
"A imiral Dewey sent Sperry in command
of the Yorktown up on the northeast coast
of LuZon to a place named Baler. 1t
supposed that there was a small garrison
of Spaniards holding out there besleged.
Sperry was to get them if he could.
Sperry is energetic and had been up on
the west side of LuZon at Lingayan gulf,
where he had been successful losing no one,
and Dewey was pleased with his manage
ment. When Sperry reached Baler he tried
to communicate with the insurgents under
a flag of truce, and succeeded on the open
beach, but he got no information regarding
the Spaniards The insurgents wanted the
boat to come into the creek, but it was low
water and she did not go.
"Sperry was anxious to find out some
thing of what he sent for, so,
after talking it over thoroughly with the
executive officer CThomas), Gilmore (navi-
gator and Standby (ensign), it was agreed
that Standby should be landed to the lett
before day by Gilmore, and that then Gill
more should loaf along off the mouth of the
creek, taking soundings the same as he had
been doing the day before without interrupt
tons. 1t was Standby who went in under
the flag of truce the first day.
In discussing the affair Standley said
he would go up the creek If ordered, but
that he regarded such trip an invita-
ton to the insurgents to pot the whole lot.
n
and AROUND the inSurgent camp was bog.
Gilmore agreed that to enter TIE creek would
be bad judgment, and it was decided that
Gilmore should simply land STANDBY to the
left before dawn, and that then Gilmore
was to sound along, but keep an eye out
for Standby and take him off when he
came down to the beach; that in case Gill
more saw natives crossing the creek he
should open on them, so as to keep Stand
ley safe; but he (Gilmore) was not to enter
the creek. All agreed to that including
Gilmore.
Standby was successfully landed with
one man. and made his way up through the
forest and brush to a high place, where he
climbed a tree and sketched in the lay of
the land While up the tree he and his
man heard firing for about three-quarters
of an hour. and, looking up the river, he
men spIashing in the water and ap
parently a boat there. and he could even
hear them say in Spanish, See that mani
Singularly enough, Standley thought the
natives were in bathing and conducting
themselves in a savage fashion, 50 he took
little account of ii and finished his sketch.
Then he and his man returned to the beach,
and, there being no boat there, the York
town sent in a whale boat and brought
them off. STANDBY had secured precisely
the Information that was sought: but where
was Gilmore and his boat with fourteen
men?
1T seems that It was not until then that
any apprehension for their safety was en-
tertained. The boat did not return and is
there yet. 1t had a Colt gun in the bow
but STANDBY says he did not hear the Colt
gun speak at all during the firing. Had he
heard it he would have known that the ma
uves were having a brush with Gilmore.
He now suppOses that the men in the water
with the boat were Gilmore and his men.
But how did Gilmore happen to enter the
river when 1t was 50 distinctly understood
that to do that would be fatal? No one
knows this yet and here Is where all hands
are guessing. Why did Sperry let the boat
enter the river, the whole layout being in
do not know, but 1 think Sperry has in
trusted the job to Thomas, the first lieu
tenant, who had the deck. 1 am of the
opinion that 1t was not done under Sper-
Sperry would have known nothing of what
was going on until about o'clock, when
Standey returned and Gilmore did not. 1t
seems that in the early dawn Gilmore got
in around the rocks and they never saw
him again. Perhaps he tried to sneak
along shore and they spotted him when he
got Well up the creek ana cut loose on him.
Once fire opened, nothing could stop
the natives The water in the creek being
shoal, have hopes that some escaped, and
some day we may some of them.
'Sperry, fearful Of killing his own people
refrained from opening on the camp. He
did, however, drop a half dozen six-inch
shrapnel into the camp at another time.
AT dark that night he had three boats pa
troll the beach all night, and signaied with
a searchlght every half hour, Boats patrol
off beach and bar He lay there three
days, and tried to communicate by flag of
truce. but could not. 50 he came back
Sparry is very unhappy, and his ship is
much distressed. All wanted to land in the
jungle and clean out the camp, but thew
would have been cut to pieces and could
not have secured their men, for if any were
made prisoners they We're well into the
bush long ago. 1t is certain we shall have
a court of inquiry, not for the purpose of
condemning any one, but to clear up the
mystery of the boats entrance to the
creek