The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-20
THE TOWN OF BALER.
Place That Was Defended by Span
iards for Many Months.


iards for Many Months.
Correspondence of the Associated Press.
MANILA, March 15.--There are hundreds
Of miles of the Pacific coast of this island
unknown to our army, hundreds of miles
where We have no garrisons, long stretch
of coast familiar only to such naval off,
GERS whose duty has led them to patrol
or sound the eastern side of Luzon. There
are very few towns or villages on this
coast. and one can cruise along 1t for days
seeing no sign of human occupation. Down
south in the Camarines and Albay prov
inces, there are few ports the Pacific
side, such as Legaspi, Tobado and Daet,
and these we have lately occupied and
garrisoped; but with these exceptions and
that of Baler, the Pacific coast of Luzon
island is practically unknown to our army
of occupation.
General Funston last month led an
expedition into Baler on the Pacific
side. and a little north of Manila.
and left there a garrison of the
Thirty-fourth Volunteer Infantry
Spaniard in Spain or in Manila would
never think of calling this little hamlet
simply Baler;. with him it would be Balero.
so heroically defended by the Spanish
soldiers. ''or glorious Baler." and to-day if
soldier of Spain can truthfully say, 81
was at Baler." he at once becomes great
and envied in the eyes of his companions,
he is the subject of a hero worship of
distinctly commercial and gratifying char
acter-it is considered an honor to drink
with "a hero of Baler"
During the summer of 1898 the Spanish
forces at 'Baler were having their custom
airy trouble with the Filpinos in that vi
cinity. Some of this Spanish garrison was
withdrawn: others were killed. until,
finally, about fifty Spaniards commanded
by captain, withdrew with a years pro-
visions. into the now historic church of
Baler. and there they were besieged by the
rebels for eleven months. This garrison,
reduced to thirty-three souls, surrendered
TO the Filipinos with all the honors of war,
July 2, 1899
In the summer of 1899 the head of the
Spanish army in the Philippines realized
that the resistance of this Baler garrison
was needless and rather out of place. in
asmuch as the United States had van
pushed Spain, declared her sovereignty
over the Filipino people, and was engaged
in queling their revolt, it was consequent
ly decided to communicate with this gar
rison, explain to them these facts, and
order them to quit. With this end in
view Lieutenant Colonel Aguilar arrived
off the town OF Baler May 30. and ex-
planning his mission to the Filipino officer
commanding that district. received the
latter's permission to land and communi-
cate with the beseged Spaniards.
Early morning Colonel Aguilar ap-
preached the church with a white and
Spanish flag, only to be told by the guards
to come back that same afternoon at 8
o'clock, as the commanding officer, Lieu
tenant Saturnino Martinez. had been up
all night then sleeping and could
not be disturbed. At 3 o'clock the colonel
was accorded the privilege of speaking to
the lieutenant and handed him a letter
from the lieutenants commanding officer.
directing him TO place himself under Colo
mel Aguilar's orders. The lieutenant re-
fused to follow these orders, and even after
he had been shown the newspapers which
proved that his resistance needless
and inopportune, he still declined to sur
render or leave the church he had so long
defended. II have provisions enough to
last my garrison until Aug. Is; not until
these are exhausted will | surrender" he
said
Colonel Aguilar returned to Manila with
out accomplishing the object of his trip
Later. in July, Spanish commission
from Manila went to the Filipino lines to
try to bring about the release of the $500
Spanish prisoners still held by the rebels.
Their efforts were unsuccessful except in
the case of the defenders of the Baler gar
rison. numbering thirty-three all told. This
band had surrendered July 2, their am
munition and food being exhausted, and
their captors had conveyed them with ''the
most kind and considerable treatment TO
wonderfully brave and determined men"
to the town of Cabanatuan. Captain Las
Morenas, Lieutenant Alonzo and thirteen
privates had either died or been killed dur
ing the siege. The survivors returned
from CANADIAN Tuan to Manila with the
Spanish commissioner, and here they be-
came the heroes of the hour among the
Spanish residents
General Funston, in whose territory
Baler is situated, decided to occupy the
town, and inasmuch rebels i'm strong
force were reported in that vicinity and 1t
was known the church was well adapted
to a strong resistance he took with him
three companies of the Thirty-fourth In
fantry and a Hotchkiss gun. all under
the command OF Col. l.. w. V. kennon, of
the Thirty-fourth Regiment. Information
was obtained as to trails and passes. The
expedition had sixty pack mules to carry
stores and supplies. and General Funston
himself had a personal escort OF fourteen
picked and mounted men. The expedition
started from San Isidro proceeded to Bon
gabong and from this latter point struck
into new country then traversed for the
first time by American soldiers. Five days
later the deserted town of Baler was en-
tered and occupied. Deserted with the ex-
ception of two native families who. under
the protection Of white fags. explained
ity and had had nothing to do with the
revolution.
The church was the object of immediate
interest. It's walls are four feet thick at
the base and taper to two feet at the top.
The outside of the walls was found to
be pitted all over with bullet marks and
the zinc roof of the building was actually
like a sieve. The walls also bore evidences
OF projectiles from cannon, and few
hundred yards away five old smooth-bore
guns were found. The church was loop
hoied for rifles and its doors were heavily
barricaded with stones. A line of intrench-
ments surrounded the building a dis
lance of about seventy-five yards and from
their position and construction they were
evidently built by the Spaniards. The rebels
had trenches facing those of the besieged
garrison. but IL Is said that during the
latter part OF the siege the rebels occupied
the Spaniards' trenches and the latter were
confined TO the church itself
chartered transport from Manila with
supplies for the troops met the expedition
at Baler and to unload this vessel the ma
tive stevedores were paid 10 cents In gold
a day. They were SO glad to get work at
this wage that as soon as the news OF the
chance to earn peseta got abroad
throughout the country side there appeared
enough applicants for work to have UNI
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