The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-02-21

Sergt. Joseph Beacham, the Brooklyn
boy who distinguished himself by sXcep-
/ tional bravery and unusual efficiency
while serving with the Aston Battery at
Manila, throws some interesting and illu-
minating side lights on the recent conflicts
I there in which the natives have been so
| badly beaten by the American troops As
I TO the merits Of the campaign itself; that
/ is. whether the conflict was justinable
I from the standpoint OF the American,
( Sergt. Beacham declined 10 express any
( opinion, saying that he could not with
propriety pronounce upon such matters.
He did remark, however, during the con-
versation with the Eagle reporter. that,
while the Aston Battery was yet in Ma
Mia it was apparent that the Filipinos
were making preparations for at least de
I feIsive operations. As 10 the character of
+ the enga gements between the two forces
Sergt. Beacham said:
Everybody who knows anything about
the FilipinOs would he perfectly certain
about the result of a conflict between
them and the Americans. In the first
place. our experience with the natives
taught US that for the most part they are
rank towards When the American forces
moved on Manila the Astor Battery was
supposed to have the support Of some of
the native troops. But just so soon as
the firing actually began. those fellows
disappeared, and our little party had TO
90 il alone. At one point where we came
into actual conflict with the Spaniards,
and where we were supposed to have the
help of the Filipinos, they had deserted
US, and we were greatly Outnumbered. If
the SpaniardS had made the most of that
opportunity, they could have cut us 20
pieces. We needed the native troops bad
Iy al that point, and they were under or
ders to support US, but they made them
selves scarce, and it was largely our good
luck that carried US through.
AS to the general cOwardice of the ma
tives ! need tell you now they fight. They
rarely expose themselves in any way
while under fire. | have seen a native in
a rifle pit hold his gun far over his head,
rest the barrel OF it on the top of the
earth works, and bang away into space
without anything more than a very gen
eral idea as to what way his shots might
be going. And after he had fired all of
the shots out of his rifle he would lay
down his gun, sit himself down in the
bottom of the pit. and calmly light
cigarette. After he had had his smoke,
if he was not too badly frightened by his
previous effort, he would get up load his
gun, hold it up over the top of the trench,
and bang away into space some more.
That may be all well enough If you have
plenty Of ammunition and are fighting
people who pursue the same tactics. but
it won't do when you are dealing with
American soldiers.
Moreover, the Fillpinos have little or
no organiza ton. Squads of them would
I Id
much as though they were going TO d
high tea or political meeting. They did
not seem to nave the faintest idea OF
discipline or Of what ii means TO be SOL
der. l have said that they are mostly
towards; that is that they certainly
won't come out into the open and expose
themselves to fire. Now. it is quite pain
that their attack upon our troops Was
made in accordance win this general
policy You notice that they began TIE
attack in the night tine. That's the time
when the Filipinos do their best fighting
| because they can bang away TO their
hearts content under the cover OF the
darkness. They don't seem to care in
the least whether they hit anybody so
long as they stand a good show Of not
getting hit themselves. But you will no.
tice that the fight assumed a different
character as soon as daylight came. Inen
our men got out Of the trenches and 10
outcome was inevitable. As soon as those
chaps found that somebody was shooting
straight al them they JOoN TO the woods.
for il didn't take them long to discover
that they can't tight Americans by shoot
ing holes in space and smoking cigarettes
when they get tired of pulling triggers
Sergt. Beacham says that Agulnaldo,
according to the estimates Of him furnish
cd by Americans who met him. is a Curl
Gus character. Nobody seems to be able
to understand how he has managed 10
get such a strong hold upon the natives
lie is a very snail man physically, and
his face expresses no force OF character
One Of the correspondents who heard him
address the native Congress says that he
simply stood up and read a prepared
speech. speaking in a monotone and iHdl-
eating very little interest in what he was
saying. His appearance at this time was
little short Of pathetic.
Sergt. Beachan says that although il Is
probable that the native army as i body
viii make little more resistance to the
American troops, IL IS likely that the oper-
alton of reducing the country to actual
peace, so that Il will be safe TO undertake
TO develop its resources, Will be long
and difficult one. He thinks that the
armed natives will scatter throughout the
country as soon as the army has ostensi-
bly, surrendered and that they will make
IL exceedingly dangerous for foreigners 10
90 away from the cities and villages This
kind of warfare. he thinks. IL NAV take
q long time TO utterly SUPPRESS