The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-01
FIGHT WITH CEBU REBELS.
bl6D or BRIG1NDS sTROE0LY EN-
TRENCHED ~ THE HILLS.

Col. Bnyless Drives Them from Our Line of
Trenches, hut Could II OF Entirely Dis
lodge Tbcm-Eent and the Hilly Country
Makes Fighting Observation-Disclosures
msnta May be Sent to Finish the work.
.Sperini csbis Dsspstch 10 THx suN.
MANILA Aug 3L-Preparatons are being
made to inilict severe punishment upon the
briEands who have been causing trouble In the
Island OF .Cebu- Heretofore, Gen Otis has been
inclined to.leave the island in the lower part OF
the archipelago alone until the insurgents In
the Island OF Jmzon were conquered. The
brigands. taking advantage OF this plan, have
jntinidattu many Of the peacefully inclined
Inhabitants by threatening, to assassnats
them. and have thus gained mnny recruits to
their banda. They have practically succeeded
in paralpzinC the business OF the entire island
Non-intorference with their lawless proceed
ings made them bold. and recently they have
attacked several small recommending parties-
In this fighting two American officers Ihays
been wounded.
Last Friday morning band OF the natives
wnylaid four men who were going to Cebu
from Ell Pnrdo- and killed three Of them. Their
bodies werp mutilated. Tho fourth man &C.
eaped and reported tho affair to tho COM
mandsr mt Cepu.
Orders were at once given to hunt down the
brtgands. and Col Bayless. Of the Tennessee
Regiment. with a company Of that command
and a co1npany7of the Twenty-third Regular
Infantry. started from Cebu. while Capt AL
1aire. with n company of the Twenty-third In
fantry, started from FL Pardo to attack the
natives. Coz Bay1ess moved ND tho valley,
while Capt. A1ure moved down. hoping to
catch the enemy In the centre. They succeeded
in clearing the valley. but the enemy took to
the hills During the advance Capt Allaire
Baw ona OF the briGands about to shoot an Am
srioan officer. Capt. Allaire took . rifio from
one OF his m en- and shot the rebel. who subse-
<[nentyproved to he an lnsurgent General
1t was decided not to pursue the brigands
into the hills until stronger force was gath
cred On Sunday two companies Of the Sixth
Regulars arrived from NeEros Island On the
following day Col. Bayless. with the reinforce
ments. started out again against the rebels.
His command consisted Of parts Of eight in
fautry companies with one 3 2-ineh gun Of the
Sixth ARTILLERY. The command was divided
1uto two parts one of which moved out from
Tl Parto while Col. Bayless took the other
from Gnadeloupe
The briKands had retreated to an en-
trenched position in the hills. within plain
sight Of Cebu. The hills are verT rough and
Bteep and the country ia very bad FOR military
operations. The position occupied BY tho
brieands was protected by three lines Of
was Mt an elevation Of over \ thousand feet
The day was fearfully hot. After desperate
work fhe Americans got to tho top Of the
Pardo hills. but w1,en they reached this point
they wero exhausted
Tho rebels. howeysr. had been driven to
hixber ground and rnaan1ime Col Bayless WIS
advancing with hisnornmand from Guadcioupe
The rebels pneged . BtrpnE resistance to his
advance They had siK cannon which they
81. t~.rf4 1,.air oorkr, nah
was bad and their Ere had no effect. Tho Am
, orleans had exhnunttnE work in traverslnE the
country They killed eight buffaloes or car
avaoso in trying 10 draG their gun into position.
and finally tho nsn had to haul 1t themselves
for four miles over about as bad a country as
can be tmaztned
The enemy were stationed high above tho
Americana. and the iatter were unable to re-
spond to their fire owing to their elevation.
As the day wore on the extreme heat and the
sxertion Of campaigning IN such a wilderness
exhausted the Americana. eighty Of whom
were unable to keep up with the advance Col
Bayless. however. was determined to teach the
enemy a lesson, and he finally got in q position
part way-up the hills whore he had tho rebels
in range. Then he opened = hot fire, and In 4
short time drove them from their lower
trenches and a considerable distance up tho
heights The Americans made no attempt to
hold the captured position. put returned 70
Cebu that night
During the absence Of the troops the town
was guarded BY a detachment OF sailors and
marines who were landed from tho gunboat
bennington.
The Americans sustained no losses. though
many Of them were exhausted by the arduous
work 1t Is impossible to estimate tho loss Of
the enemy.
1t 10 reported that tho brigands recently re-
ceiysd $50 rifles IN addition to those already
owned by them. 1t il believed that they now
possess 500 rifles.
Tho destruction OF the rebel stronghold
woulS probably result In ending tho trouble In
Cebu but tho work will be most dflcult owing
to the hilly nature OF the country.
The cruiser Charleston recently drove the
brignnds out OF their position She delivered
twerty-eiGht SIneh shells at a range OF $500
yards Her work would have been far moro
effective had 1t not been for tho fact that
neither she nor tho other warships have any
shrapneL They arc only supplied with per-
cussion shells. which do not answer the pur-
pose for which shells are needed here. Shells
with time fuses needed for effective work.
Col. Bayiess's experience with the enemy
indicates that tho rebeis will not hesitate to
stand M and mako fight. This Is what the
Americans want, for in that case 1t will be
possible to surround and completely destroy
them. In view OF recent events It may be
that Gen. Otis will conclude that this would be
result worth accomplishing without waiting
for tho end OF the Lugon campaign.