The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-07-24
in THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
EXPERIENCES OF AMERICANS CAP
TURED BY AG UINdLDO,s FORCES.

An Interesting Diary-PrIson House at
san lsidro, the Second Capital OF the
Filipino Republic-K,n dness O. SPAN
ish Comrades la Captivity.
when the Oregon regiment entered
this second capital of the Filipino re-
public it found extensive hospitals and
prisons that had been lately used. There
is a large convent building here, much
dilapidated, where until recently 900
wounded Fillpinos were cared for, af-
ter fashion. They lacked proper med
ical attendance, nursing, and hospital
appliances generally, and / was assured
by Spaniard who lives here that fully
one-half of them would die unless they
received better attention than in the
past. The American advance had rem
dered it necessary to remove the wound
ed several times, and the mortality
among them had been largely increased
in consequence. This is also true of
the Spanish and American prisoners, who
have been gradually moved back, and
have suffered severely in consequence,
btoh in comfort and in deprivation Of
food.
Whilehere the prisoners were confined
in an old brick structure which has evil
IDENTIFY served as a state prison for a
great many years In one room, or cell,
were found the names of fourteen
American prisoners written on the wall
in charcoal also under the floor was
portion Of diary kept by one of
them. The first and last parts are miss
ing, 50 that the circumstances under
which the writer was captured are not
known. However, he mentions the
name of Brown as associated with
him, but the list contains no such name,
leaving the inference that the list of
prisoners is not complete or that the
writer was mistaken in the mans
name.
The dates of capture Of the first five
We're prior to the breaking out of hosti-
tiles, showing that Aguinaldo was cap
turing Americans and holding them
prisoners even while pretending to be
on the most friendly terms with the
Americans. The fact is that a state of
war actually existed on Aguinaldo's
part long before he attacked Manila,
Notwithstanding the repeated cables
from General Otis to Washington that
I have the situation well in hand" Il
do not anticipate any serious trouble"
etc. Americans were not permitted to
pass the Filipinos outposts, though we
let them through ours at will, and all
Americans found within their lines were
arrested. Several confined in this way
were released upon application of the
United States military authorities, but
the men I refer to were not so fortu-
nate. They went out prospecting, with
out permission, except the first, who was
civilian prospector The man from
the Third Artillery was captured on
outpost, while the YorktoW1s boat crew
was captured while making recon-
noisance on the coast.
The room in which the men were con-
fined is lexis feet in size, with badly
dilapidated wooden floor. In it, as well
as in all the other rooms, was found a
set of stocks, the use of which seems
to have been a favorite punishment with
the Spanards. There Is nothing to
show that our men were subjected to
this indignity and torture. The frag-
ment of that manuscript diary is as
follows.
Men, women and children all fleeing
from the advancing Americans cou-
pie Of hours march brought us into
Kungiw (Quingan, town on the Min
uyan river some eight miles from NAL
olos), where all the Spaniards and our
selves stopped for rest in convent.
At four we We're on the march again.
Among the Spaniards was woman,
wife of some Spanish officer, but she
was allowed to ride on an OK cart.
About four hours march brought us to
the bank of a large stream (Minuyan
river, and here we were ferried across
by large canoe. On the other side lay
Balinag, our resting place for the
night. (This place was captured by
Lawton's column May 2d.) We were
taken into a convent and put into a
room about Six by ten, with nothing to
sleep on but the floor and litter COW
cred with blood. The sergeant of the
guard was young Spaniard, and he
tried to make it as easy as possible for |
us. bringing us some rice and fish to
eat. We saw many wounded here from
the front.
Next morning we were woke up by |
the natives throwing stones through the
window at us to see us move Hun |
lreds came to gaze at us through the !
door, including priests. At about
D clock we were started on the march |
again without breakfast. Many of the
Spaniards were so sick that they could |
hardly walk, but the native guards |
struck them with their guns to make |
hem move faster, shouting "sigee" all !
he time. That word I shall never for
ret for it runs continually in my brain, |
'sigee, sigee, sigee' (this is "sige."
meaning to "go on"), like man driv-
ng cattle. We were in better condition
han the Spanards, so they put us
ahead, but every once in while we
lad to stop and wait for the GAIA
lores "a certain class of Spanish SOL
liers.) Eleven months of hunger and
Yard treatment had left them in poor
ondition to march in dusty road in a
rolling hot sun. A three hours march
us to San Rafael Captured by
,utnn,r onl,1ru April 2Stb and again |