The state herald., 1900-01-12
GILLMoRE's STORY.
SUFFERiN0S OF HIS MEN WHILE
PRISONERS.
Guard Was Ordered to Shoot Them, But
Turned Them Loose to starve-Narrow
Escape From Death.

Guard Was Ordered to Shoot Them, But
Turned Them Loose to starvo-Narrow
Escape From Death,
Manila, Jan. S.-Lieutenant ]. G.
6illmore, Of the United States gun
boat Yorktown, who was captured by
the insurgents last April near Baler,
on the const of LuzOn, and rescued
few days ago by Colonel Luther II.
Hare of the Thirty-thlrd volunteer in
fantry, sat to-day In the apartments
of his sister, Mrs. Major Price, at the
Hotel Orlente In Manila and told re-
markable story of his eight months
captivity, ending with his dramatic
deliverancc from death that seemed in
| evituble
The steamer Venus came into the
harbor last evening from the Vigan
province of South Ilocos with Lieu
tenant Gilmore and nineteen other
American prisoners, including seven of
his sailors from the Yorktown. Lieu
tenant Gilmore, after reporting. came
ashore and hobblcd along, with the aid
of II cane, to the Hotel Oriente, where
American officers and ladies' We're
waltzing through the halls to the
strains of "Aguinaldo's March,"
Although tanned and ruddy from eX-
posure. he Is weak and nervous, show
Ing the results of long hardships. He
speaks warmly of AguinaldO and very
bitterly against General Tino, declar-
ing that while In the formers jurisdic-
tion he was treated splendidly, but
after he fell into Tino's hands he suf-
fered everything.
Colonel Hare and Lieutenant Colo
mel Howse, the latter of the Thirty
fourth volunteer infantry, rescued
Gillmorc's party on December 18th,
near the headwaters of the Abalut
river, after they had been abandoned
by the Filiph.5s and We're expecting
death from the savage tribes around
them. When the rcscuing force
! reached them they were nearly
starved, but We're building RATS in
! the hope of getting down the river to
the coast.
Lieutenant Gilmore made the fol
lowing statement:
''The Filipinos abandoned us on the
night of December 10th. We had reach
ed the Abalut river near its source that
morning and the Filipinos RATED us
over. We then went down the stream
along a rough trail. guarded by com
pany of Filipinos. That night we We're
separated from this guard and another
, company. armed with Mausers, was
| put In charge of us. | suspected some
thing, and questioned the lieutenant
| in command. He said: i have orders
from General Tino TO shoot you all.
but my conscience forbids. shall
leave you here
Il begged him for two rifles to pro-
tect lis from savages, adding that
would give him letters to the Amcri-
cans who would pay him well and keep
him from all harm. He refused this.
however, saying he would not dare to
comply. Soon aftcrward he left with
| his company.
I'VE had seen some savages in war
paint around MS and we prepared to
! fight them with cobhlestones. the only
weapons that were available to us
The next morning we followed the trail
of the Filipino soldiers feeling that 1t
was better TO stick TO them than he
murdered by savagcs. but we could not
catch up with them. Then | ordered
the men to build RATS in the hope of
! floating down the river. II was n for
lorn hope. but l knew the river must
empty Into the sea somewhere l was
80 weak myself that did not expect
to get out. but l thought some of the
men could.
"On the morning OF December 18th
while we We're working on the RATS
the Americans came toward up yelling.
One OF my men shouted: They are on
u.s. He was lashlng n raft OF bam-
bo0s. J.. however. knew II was not the
yell OF savages. hut the yell of Amcri-
cans. The rescuing troops thought we
Ind Filipino guards and called to us
In English to lie down, so that they
could shoot the Filiplnos. That was
the finest body OF officers and men |
ever saw"
Lieutenant Gilmore could not speak
enthusiastically enough about the 40
picked men who had rescued him and
his party.
The command spent the day In max.
Ing RATS. Colonel Hare thought Lieu.
tenant Gilmore too weak TO live
through the trip, but there was no al
\ Tentative. They shot many rapids. the
men losing all their effects, and Lieu
tenant Gilmore some valuable papers.
Only fourteen out OF thirty-scven RATS
survidcd the first experience and
eighty men We're practically unable to
walk when Nigan was reached.
| Describing the flight from Bcnguet
| when the Americans approached. Lieu
tenant Gilmore said:
"rhe Fillpinos. completely terrified.
| left Bcnguet on December 1th. They
hurried the prisoners from town
TO town. often rctracing the
trail. not knowing where the
Americans would attack. After
being almost without food for three
days. they killed several horses and
we lived on horse flesh for several
, days lid not have n full meal from
December Itb until reached Nignn.
Indeed, the rescnlne party lived large.
ly upon rice. without salt. There was
one dny when I wns reduced To chew.
Ing grass and bark"