The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-03-31
Seen by Sentry, He Entered the
River to Save Them.
THEN COME A RAIN OF IRON FROM SHOaE
A Terrible Scene of Carnage Followed. When
Gilmore Surrendered, They Would Have
Been Shot Had a Not an Of
hcers Prevented.
hcers Prevented.
(By the Associated P~ess.)


partment has just received from Admiral
Watson a copy of the report made to him
by Lieut.. Gilmore of the circumstances
attending the ambuscade and capture of
the Yorktowns second cutter and crew
at Baler, April 18th, last. The report is
a concise, plain, yet thrilling account of
the strategy at the mouth of the river,
which resulted in the loss OF the lives
Of several sailors and the taking into an
eight months captivity of the remainder
CT the little crew. 1t appears for the
first .time from this report that Lieut..
Gilmore did not violate his orders III en-
tering the river, but did so for the sole
purpose of protecting two Of the York
towns officers whom he had been directed
to land.
The report dated on the flagship Brook
lyn, January Sth, 1900. says:
ION the evening Of April 11th the COM
manding officer of the Yorktown sent
tor me and said he wished me the follow
ing morning TO take charge of boat TO
land Ensign w. H. Standley, and a quar-
termaster who were to make a reconnais
sance to discover the whereabouts of the
church defended by the Spanish prisoners
in Baler.
About APO a. IN. OF April 18th | left
the ship with the second cutter, Ensign
STANDBY and a quaftermaster as passen~
gers
1--WE pulled in under mufhed oars and
landed Mr.. Standley and the quartermas-
ter. AS We returned and nesred the
Of hn
numerous stations 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, pulled for it, sounded the bar as
\certained 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 l had land
ed nobody but was simply surveying the
river AS we Deared the end of the
river AS was about to give orders
to return when we rounded a bend, and
came full on an outpost On solid ground.
He hailed us and fired rifle as sig
nal. Before | could answer the hail, a
volley was fired into us at close range
80 and 60 yards. The effect of this vol
ley was terrible, Morrissey was killed in
stantly, his brains being scattered over
the boat and crew, and Dillon was NOR
tally wounded, never recovering con-
sciousness and dying shortly afterward in
the boat. Seaman Ryndors had his fin
gers cut off the hand. but kept bravely to
his starbCard stroke oar, the starboard
cars were riddled and most of them shat
tered; beside the boat was pierced by
the Remington balls and made water fast.
"As socn as possible after recovering
the first shock, we opened fire with Colt
and rifles. The ambush was so complete
that we could not see at what to fire. not
even the smoke The Colt was thrown
out of action before the second voliey,
shattering the ammunition box and cut
ting the loading tape. The order was
given to back oars, but as only few
could be used--the others being shattered.
the tide drfted us on q sandbank. ELS
worth, Edwards, and Woodbury. tried to
swim the boat out but did not succeed.
The cries Of the mOrtaliy wounded in the
stern ct the beat, asking me to shoot
them and not allow them to fall into
the hands of the savages, were heart
rending. At the same time could be seen.
coming down the right bank of the river.
q band Of men armed with Remington s
bows and arrows, bolos and spears
gave the order to hoist the white flag
which was done by Rynders, who received
a shot in the right wrist and dropped the
fog | thought the enemy intended to
massacre all of Us. sc continued to fire,
the fire of the enemy coming faster We
were now hailed from the left bank in
Spanish. the officer saying that if we did
not cease firing and surrender he would
kill us | then surrendered. Before the
officer on the left bank could get across
the savages on the right bank came up,
took us off the boat, robbed us of rings
watches, hats. caps, clothes, in fact
everything that they could get at short
notice tied our arms behind us with BAN
boo thongs and lined us up ON the beach
to be shot. Those who had rifles loaded
them and had them already cooked when
an officer came cut Of the bush and or
dered otherwise. We were then sent on
board the boat. and after plugging up the
holes made by rifle balls pulled up the
river.
Il regret TO say that | now found the
following casualties:
'Morrissey and Dillon, landsmen. dead: !:
Nygard, G. NJ. 3rd C, and Mcdonald. or
binary seaman, mortally wounded; Van
vile, App. 1st c. Rynders, seaman. and
Woodbury., seaman seriously wounded :
,Cn npA n,