The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-03-30
CILMORE'S TALE.
How the Yorktown's Boat
Crew Was Cap
tured.
LIEUTENANT DISOBEYED ORDERS
Story of the American S Cap
tivity Among Fill
pinos.

WASHINGTON, Marcn 5U l9UU.-Ine
Navy Department has just received from
Admiral Watson a copy of the report
made to him by Lieut.. Gilmore of the cir
cumstances attending the ambuscade and
capture of the Yorktown's boat COM
manded by him at Baler, April 13 last.
The report is a concise, plain, yet thrill
ing account of the strategy at the mouth
of the river which resulted in the loss of
the lives of several sailors, and the TAX
ing into an eight months captivity of the
remainder of the little crew.
1t appears for the first time from this
report that Lieutenant Gilmore did not
violate his orders in entering the river,
but did so for the sole purpose of pro-
tecting two of the Yorktowns officers
whom he had been directed to land The
Yorktown at the time was trying to re-
lieve small Spanish garrison which was
beset by the Filipinos in a church at
Baler, and the two officers referred to had
undertaken to make reconnaissance.
Lieutenant Gilmores account of the
tragedy which followed the attempt to
execute his orders is given in the report
as follows
United States Navy Force on Asiatic Sta
n, Il
MANILA, P. l., January 5, 1900.
Sir-1. l have the honor to report the
following in regard to the capture OF the
second cutter and crew Of the Yorktown,
iBaler, April II, 1S99 My diary and Off
cial correspondence with the Filipino Off
cials were lost in the rapids of the Ar
boluque River.
3. On the evening of April II, the COM
manding officer of the yorktown sent for
me and said he wished me, the following
morning, to take charge of boat, to
land Ensign w. H. Standley and a quar-
termaster, who were to make a reconnois-
sance to discover the whereabout of the
church defended by the Spanish prisoners
in Baler. Mr. Standley and the quarter
master were to be landed at the small
cove to the eastward of the river running
past he town of Baler, province of Pr1n-
cipe The commanding officer said he
would not hamper me by orders, but
directed me not to land, but to sound at
the mouth of the river and ascertain the
distance of the the ship from the mouth.
If necessary, I was to make q demonstra-
tion to call the enemy's attention from
the people landed.
3-About 4:s0 A. NJ of April IL, left the
ship with the second cutter, Ensign Stand
ley and a quartermaster as passengers
The boat was armed with a Colt auto
matte gun in the bow, and the crew with
Lee rifles and belts filled with ammunl-
ton.
ton, Sailmaker's mate Voudoit, Coxswain
Ellsworth, Gunners mate, third G., NY
gard seamen RyndeTsR ssamsn W9Gd rg}d
ary Seaman Mcdonald Landsman Dillon,
Landsman Morrisey, Landsman Edwards,
Landsman Anderson, Apprentice, hrst c.,
Vanvlle, Apprentice, second c.. Peterson.
5. We pulled in under muffled oars and
landed Mr. Standley and the Quarter
master. 1t was just early daylight when
we pulled out of the cove for the rivers
On arif riX w
sentry one one of the numerous sta
tions on the beach had seen US. thought
probably that he also had seen us land
Mr.. Standley, so to let him think that /
had been searching for the river, l pulled
for It. sounded the bar, ascertained the
distance of the ship from the rivers $
mouth and continued in for about 1000
yards, sounding slowly and making a
rough sketch This thought would make
them believe that I had landed nobody
but was simply surveying the river.
knew that we would nave to sustain the
fire of the enemy as we came out. but
I trusted to the colt to disarrange their
aim which at best is not good I was
quite sure that this would serve to put
them off the idea OF anyone landing IN
the cove and I have every reason to SO
believe now The left bank the side to-
ward the enemy, was covered by high
grass and swamp land and | knew that
no outposts could be there; the right bank
was steep. too. and covered with a dense
growth. and from observations judge the
enemy had only their station on the left
side Of the river. As, we neared the end
OF the swamp land, l was about to give
orders to return when we rounded the
bend, and came full on an outpost on
solid ground, He hailed us and fired q
rifle as a signal Before ! could answer
the hail. a yolley was fred into US at
close range so to 60 yards. The effect of
| this volley was terrible. Morrissey was
killed instantly, his brains bef>g seat ter
ed over the boat and crew. lion
wa In0rtallF wounded, never recovering