The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-02-16
SLAUGHTER WAS sIckEN,NO.
Bodies of Some Of the Eillpjnos Were
Torn into Shrsds by Shells From
the Warships.

the Warshlps.
The following account of the man
ner in which the Filipinos were
slaughtered and OF other details of
the battle was given in a special
cablegram which appeared in the
New York Sun of Feb. 9th:
There is no denying the fact that
the Filipinos will stand fire. The
ground in every direction bore evil
dence of this. On all sides were
lying dead natives, their bodies, in
some instances, being full of bullet
holes. A majority of the dead were
lying with their heads toward the
line of the American advance, show
ing that they had fallen fighting
desperately.
10 the North and South OF the city.
where the shells OF the Charleston,
Callao and Monadnock reached the
ilanks of the Filipinos. the slaughter
was sickening. l saw number of
bodies which had been literally torn
into shreds by the fire from the war
ships. In some places the shells had
torn great holes in the earth. and
around these were scattered dead
bodies.
On all sides the scene was one of
terrible desolation, and what on
Saturday had been a smiling land
scape was now marked and pitted by
the ravages of war. | went to Santa
Mesa, San Juan del Monte, Santa
Ana, San Pedro Macati, Iona and
other places from which our troops
had driven the enemy, and the scene
in and around each was identical.
The great number of the dead showed
ing in courage, but no courage could
have withstood the terrible scourge
that fell upon the Filipinos as the
Americans approached their posi-
tions.
In the district between Tondo and
Malabon to the North OF the city
great slaughter was done by the gun
boat Callao, Lieut.. benjamin Tappan.
which Admiral Dewey captured from
the Spaniards. This iiitle vessel is a
terror. She mounts more guns pro-
portionally than any other vessel in
the American navy, being full OF one.
two and three-pounders and machine
guns. She duplicated her perform
ance of August Is, when she covered
Gen. Merritt's advance on Manila.
Then she steamed close to the break
ers and moved along the shore as the
troops advanced, pouring q deadly
fire into the Spaniards.
On Sunday she again ran close in
40 the beach, and getting the range
of the enemy she began to spit fire
from her bow guns. Then maneuver-
ing. she brought her star-board bat
terry 80 bear, and the rattle and din
were terrific. Soon she came about
and brought her port battery into
action. and these maneuvers were re-
peated until she was ordered to cease
firing.
The Coneefds siK+inch and the
|, ,Charleston's eight7inch guns did
awful execution. Gen. OTIS brigade
had driven large body Of the enemy
| from their positions and the .Filipinos
ran at top speed for the beach, a dis
organized and panic-strickep mob.
/ When they reached the shore they
/ were met by the devastating fire
from the warships which moved
down score upon score.
The sight was a sickening one; but
this was war.
The Olympia, Admiral Dewey's flag,
ship. took no part in the lombard.
| ment. With the fine strategy FOL
| which the American naval commander
lis noted, he placed his vessel in {
position directly in front OF the city
between the Spanish gunboat Genera
Alava and the German cruiser Iren'
| and the troops ashore. -.
! The significance Of this move will
be readily grasped. This WAS hgh
between Americans and FiliPinos
and no outsiders could be permitted
to cutter the ring. 50 Admiral Dewe..
con stituted himself sort OF referee
to 81. ..hands off, il it became neces
sary.
The enemy were totally unPrepare'
/ for the vigorous punishment that wa
{. administenedto to them. and from whlc
! they will reguire long time to re
fcover. The moral effect OF the drut
bling given 10 them will be great.
The Filipinss apparently though
!! ahey could massacre the American
i'm a night attack. as they easily an
frequently did the Spanish troop
seat against them. making the fats
error OF not weighing the differenc
between the morale and discipline G
the American and Spanish trooP
This difference resulted in thousand
OF them losing their lives in hops
les CAEsc.
j Aguaaldo. SO far As can be Learned
did not risk his precious skin wit
his troops and is still able and wiiiin
to make further trouble.
u: q, n EEaiiGh2