The Winslow mail., 1899-06-22
FIGHT LIKE APACHLS
Filipino War Methods Employed
Against Americans.
Troops Shot Down I:y Natives Under
Cover who Attack Even the
s0l0iers Caring for the
wounded.

In their fighting tactics the Filipino
insurgents closely resemble the blood
thirsty APaches Of this country. Iney
rarely give open battle. unless cor-
nered, preferring o stalk their hut
man game and shoot it down from un-
der cover. American picllets are ired
upon in the dusk CT evening or early
morning from clumps Of shrutbery
into which the Insurgents steaithily
crawl and lie concealed for hours wait
ing fer Pct shot. They hide them
selves behind tree trunks and in the
tall grass, and Hriggle abcut like eels.
firing at scne straggler, and then slid
ing roiSeleSs!y off TO new shelter
before a return shot can be made. Hes
pitaI parties sent cut from the Ameri-
can camps to look after the wounded
are r0t safe from attack. and when
allowed under fiag-of-truee pact. to
pick up their own dead and, wounded,
the insurgents frequently take advan-
tage Of the opportunity to open fire
cn the Americans.
The constant skirmishing in which
they have taken part throughout he
period Of active operations has brought
some Of them to a high degree Of per
fection as naTksmen, while others.
again, are una bic to handle rife. and
are better acquainted with hcws and
arrows. Tie Filipino much prefers an
intermittent and desuitory cor0ict. in
which the Americans necess& rily come
out into the open, while the natives re-
main in ambusc2de in the thicI, bush
The American narESEcen have to be
satisfied if they can lie three-parts HID
den in the long grass. creeping W to
the fringe of the weeds frcn which
Tie natives are GislCdged. only . take
refuge under more remote cover. Even
the parks and pToCenades of Manila
are not safe frcn the fire Of stray
Filipinos, and repeated attempts have
been made il such places as the now
Genuded Botanical gardens to assassi-
nate American officers. Here the
trees have been stripped Of their TO-
liaCe. which lies abcut in heaps, and
affords capital shelter fer these I'M
tutored natives on murder intent.
1t was this condition Of affairs,
coupled with the persistency OF the
insurgents in refusing to respect mill
tary control by the Americans, that
led to TIE first battle at Manila. After
the natives had been repeatedly
warned against passing the American
rickets, ard after they lad ignored
the challenges Of the sentrieS. che c!
he latter fired upcn some natives who
persisted in crossing the forbidden
! line. The natives replied with heavy
fusilade. causing the American troops
TO turn ont in force. Thus began the
battle Of Manila, on the night Of Sat
urday February 4. II was resumed
at daybreak on Sunday morning, ard
by lie time it ended ever 3Ge0 FiIipincs
lay dead on the field. The American
losses amounted to between 50 and 60
killed ard 2c0 wounded.
During the Spanish regime tons
upon tons of sandbags had been accu-
mu!ated and lodged at various spots
around Manila 5C00,oCO bags in all
with the object Of throwing lines
round the city. Much of tl2is material
has been carried IF by he irsurs5e $
and adapted to their cvvn T5ur rposes
DC D cpOGoEfCrtp0 tDDPIodOND PDiIQ
as a shelter for the trmbledown build
ings occupied by them as barracks.