The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-28
Wholesale Slaughter of Filipin0s
By the American Forces.
THE WORST OF THEiwAR
ENGAGEMENT IN WHICH MAJOR
LOGAN WAS KILLED,
Insurgents Discovered Up II, Trees
Picking Of Officers and Wete Shot
Down By Sharpshooterst Like
Squirrels : Troops Foughtt While
Waist Deep In Mud. /,

Washington. Dec. 21.-Mail advices
have reached the war department in
regard to the crushing defeat adininis-
tered by Wheaton's brigade to tle in
surgents near San Jacinto. early tn No
vember in which engagement Major
John A Logan, jr., lost his life.
According to the correspondent pr the
Manila American, the Thirty-tnffd IN
fantry, under Colonel Hare, eHcoun-
tered a force of the enemy between san
Fabian and San Jacinto, and brbught
on one of the sharpest engagements of
the war, resulting in the death gilmore
insurgents than in any other fightsince
the beginning OF the insurrection The
battle ragged for two hours, and at its
conclusion seventy-seven dead Fil.pinos
were found in the trenches. a1any
wounded were found hidden in the. high
grass and creek bottoms. 1t is-iesti-
mated that over 100 insurgents were
killed in the fight. from twenty to.thir
t. being found dead together in several
places. Twenty-nine prisoners ami 100
rifles were captured
The Americans lost one officer killed
and six men wounded. The officer killed
was Major John A. Logan, jr., who was
shot through the head during the first
few minutes of the engagement while
at the head of his battalion, which
formed an advance guard. He was in
the act of assisting a wounded soldier
and was hit by a Mauser bullet, fired
by a sharpShooter concealed in the top
of a cocoanut tree. He died few
hours later.
Rebels Begin to Assemble.
A reconnaissance on the Tuesday pre-
ceding, made by Major Bucks battal-
ion of the Thirteenth infantry in the
vicinity of San Jacinto, developed
nothing of Importance, but afterwards
General Wheaton received information
that the enemy was assembling in
strong force there for the purpose of
preventing our control of the road from
Dagupan north through San Jacinto
by which it was considered probable
that Aguinaldo's Tarlac army would
attempt to retreat. The Thirty-third
was ordered out, accompanied by a
Calling gun with a detachment of the
Thirteenth, under the command of
Captain Rowland of General Wheaton's
staff
The troops encountered five miles of
the worst road ever found in LuZon,
being succession of creeks and mirey
bitches. into which the men sank TO
Their waists in mud and water. Every
bridge was unserviceable and had to
be repaired where possible. but in most
cases the men with horses and guns
plunged into the quagmire and strug-
gled through as best they could
Nothing but the indomitable energy
of Captain Rowland enabled the Cat
ling TO set into action. A score of
times il was necessary TO unhitch the
horses and lead them around through
rice fields while 100 soldiers dragged
the gun over the bitches or broken
bridges.
FOUGHT In the Mud
The fight was opened by the insur-
gents two miles from San Jacinto,
while the leading battalion was pass
ing a clump of native houses surround
ed by a grove of cOcoanut trees and the
men We're knee deep in mud. The first
fire came from sharpshooters in trees
and houses and from a small trench
across the road, all at close range.
There was also q heavy fire from thick
cts more distant TO the right and left. :
The aim of the sharpshOoters was
deadly and was directed at the officers,
for the first five men that fell wore
either chevrons or shoulder straps. The
officer hit besides Major Logan was
Captain Green. He was also shot from
a tree, but his injury was light.
The regiment never wavered a mo-
ment. The crack nlarksmen it con-
tanned soon located the natives and be-
gan knocking them out of the
trees like squirrels. The men
rushed at the trench. through
the soft mud, waist deep, and passed
over il, leaving four dead FilipinoS
within. The same time the regiment
6epioyed as skirmishers, Major Logan's
battalion in the center. Major Cronins
on the right and Major Marsl1's on the
left. Colonel Hare and Lieutenant Colo
mel Brereton directed the general move
ment
The skirmish line. which was nearly
two miles long, rushed forward rapidly
through water soaked rice fields
bitches, creeks and thickets, firing all
the time and doing deadly execution.
The FilipinOs MADE the best stand for
a long time, several cases being re-
ported Of the rebels remaining in po-
sition behind cover until the Ameri-
cans were within twenty feet of them.
Killed Nearly All In Trench.
Major Marsh's battalion surprised a
trench full of insurgents by coming up
on their flank. They poured terrible
fire along the trench, slaughtering
nearly all in it. Just before entering
the town the Calling did good eXecu-
ton by killing five of y party that was
guarding a broken bridge, and after
wards swept the country beyond the
town, driving $50 rebels into the hills.
Major Marsh's battalion entered the
town first and captured large battle
flag that was floating over a convent.
Not native was left in the town when
the troops arrived except a blind boy
and one woman. Most of the survivors
of the insurgent force are supposed TO
have escaped toward Magaldon or
Dagupan.
It was impossible to pursue them
further, as the troops were exhausted.
the ammunition was low and the troops
only had two days rations with them
and no possibility of getting further
supplies from San Fabian, owing to
the condition of the road. The column
camped for the night at San Jacinto.
Five more rebels were killed during
the night by the outposts. Among the
bodies found was that of a lieutenant
colonel supposed to be in command of
the rebels at that point