Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-04-20
CAPTURED By FIuPINl)S.
Fifteen Of the Yorktown's Grew in
the Hands Of the Rebels.
WENT TO RESCUE sPANIARDs

And Were Ambushed by the Insur-
gents-The Fate Of the Prisoners I'm
known, as the Captors Refuse TO
Communicate With Our Officers.
Washington, April 19.-The navy de-
partment has given out the following
dispatch from Admiral Dewey:
.eThe Yorktown visited Baler, Luzon,
east coast of Luzon, P l., April IL for
the purpose of rescuing and bringing
away the Spanish forces, consisting of
so soldiers, three officers and two
priests, which were surrounded by 400
insurgents. Some of the insurgents
armed with Mauser rifles, asreported by
natives. Lieutenant ]. c. Gilmore,
while making an examination of the
mouth of the river in an armed boat,
was ambushed, fired upon and cap
tured Fate unknown, as insur-
gents refused to communicate af-
terward. The following are missing
Lieutenant Gilmore. Chief Quartermas-
ter w. Walton, Coxswain ]. Ellsworth.
Gunner's Mate H. J. Hygard, Sail
makers Mate Yengit, Seamen w. H.
Rynders and C. w. Woodbury. APP
prentices D. w. A. venville and A. J..
Peterson, Ordinary Seamen F. Briso-
lese and o. B. Mcdonald, Landsmen
L. T. Edwards, F. Andersen, J. Dillon
and C. A. Morrissey.'
The dispatch from Admiral Dewey
caused much excitement in naval cir
cIes as soon as its contents became
known 1t was received late in the
day, and considerable delay was occa-
stoned by the blindness of some of the
cipher words. 1t was impossible to
completely decipher it, and the aster-
isks indicate the unintelliglble words.
Lieutenant J. C. Gilmore, the officer
referred to as captured. is well known
in Washington, having been stationed
here for some time and his wife and
family living here. He was born in
Philadelphia July 10, 1854, and was APP
pointed a naval cadet from Arizona in
September, 1871. He reached his
present grade of lieutenant in the
year 1891. His main service has been
on the Monongahela, Marion. Bancroft,
Vesuvius, and Machias. besides con-
siderable service on boards. Just a
year ago he reported to the st. Paul,
then commissioned as an auxiliary
cruiser. and served on that vessel,
under CAPTAIN Sigsbee, throughout the
war. On Jan. IA last he was or
dered to the hospital ship Solace,
which was about to sail for Manila,
and on arrival there was assigned by
Admiral Dewey to the Yorktown.
The capture of the Yorktown's men
was discussed with much feeling in
naval circles. The misfortune was
felt with added keenness, as the navy
has prided itself thus far on immunity
from reverses. The admirafs dispatch
was the first knowledge the depart
ment had that the Yorktown had gone
on this special mission to relieve the
Spanish garrison at Baler. That the
capture should have been effected
while the American forces were on a
mission of mercy toward the Spaniards,
rather than in the prosecution of the
campaign, led to the belief that Spain
would have no further ground for
questioning the good faith with which
the Americans were seeking to relieve
the condition of the Spanish prisoners.
Although the dispatch gave no in
dication that Lieutenant Gilmore and
his men had lost their lives, yet great
anxiety was aroused by the mystery
surrounding their fate while in the
hands of an uncivilized enemy. This
is the first capture of any Americans,
military or naval, SO that it is un-
known how the insurgents will treat
our men. If civilized methods were
pursued an exchange could be quickly
effected, as General Otis has a large
number of Filipino prisoners, but the
insurgents have been averse thus far
to exchanging Spanish prisoners, and
this raises a question as to what they
will do with the Yorktown's men. The
purpose of officials here is to spare no
effort to secure the speedy release of
our men.