The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-01
THE MACABEBE SCOUTS
Friends of This Country Who
Were Once LOYAL 10 Spain.
4 Tribe Found Fighting the Tnrnios
When First Met by the American
port OF Their NnIor-t Fine Equip
mcnt of Oriental Rough Riders.

1.-THE Macabebes are a strong race. faith
full and loyal home-loving and quie; il
disposition. natural born soldiers. and III,
ideal fighting men Tor campaigns in thu
Philippines"
First Lieut.. Matthew 4 Batson of tn,
Fourth United States Cavalry, paid tn,
above brief tribute to the race OF native:
OF the Island of Luzon who have rendered
such excellent service as scouts with The
American army in the Philippines. Lieu
tenant Batson is now in Washington in
yalided home ia consequence of ~ wouuj
In his left foot, received while leading his
Fighting Macabebc Scouts" as they are
called, against the insurgents in northern
Luzon.
The Macabebes.'' said Lieutenant Bat
son, are the most intelligent of any OF
the native tribes of the Philippines. They
reside In the southern part of the Province
OF Pampanga, about fifty miles north OF
Manila. Their country is about thirty
miles in area, lying south of the Manila
and Dagupan Railroad. and west OF The
Rio Grande and san Fernando Rivers, and
extending down 10 the northern part OF
Manila Bay
There are about 10000 people in the
tribe. and their alcalde, or governor, is
Pacia Sanches. an intelligent young man
about thirty-tive years of age. He rules
his people kindly but firmly. and they are
devoted to him. The Macabehas were never
in insurrecton against Spain. In fact,
1900 OF them were enlisted in the Spanish
army, and their colonel. Blanco, is now an
officer in the Spanish army, and was about
leaving for Spain when ] left Manila.
The Maeabebes are darker in color than
the Tagalos, being a dark chocolate in
color. with high cheek bones and straight
hair. The men are about five feet four
inches in height, and wiry little fellows,
who can outstrip cavalry horse on the
march. and live off the country as they go
Along.
Enlisted in the Service.
When l accompanied General Lawton
on an expedition into Pampanga Province
last spring. we found the Macabebes fight
ing the Tagalos. who were rowing their
country, plundering the natives and burn
ing the villages. The Macabebes welcomed
our troops. furnished them with what
provisions were TO be had, and swore allie
glance to the United States. They have
remained loyal ever since.
When the campaign into northern
Luzon was being planned in August of
last year. / suggested to General Lawton
that the Macabebes be enlisted as scouts.
He approved of the plan, and General
Otis gave the necessary permission and
issued orders for the arms and clothing
TO be turned over to me.
In September ! raised the first company
OF Macabebe scouts uniforming them in
Khaki trousers, blue Bingham shirt, and
bamboo hats with blue bands. on which
were brass eagles. They were given the
cavalry carbine and a web cartridge belt,
and finer lot of rough and ready fighters
never saw.
In the first campaign they proved of
such great value that / was given orders
to organize more companies. | raised go
men 100 of whom were sent to General
Macarthur and the remainder ! retained
as an advance guard for General La~ton 5
division which started through northern
Luzon In the first days march through
the wilderness these Mscabebes made
thirty three miles in the rain. over the
widest country l have ever seen. They
carried their own provisions In canoes. and
when We left the water coures the rstions
were placed on the backs Of unarmed
who kept up with the armed
scouts In the whole campaign the Macs-
pebes carried their own rations and fought
their way as they went along.
Gen. s. B. NJ Young. with his Third
Cavalry. We're with LaWton, but the Maca-
bebes cutstripped them, and with three
ponies ] was hardly able to keep up with
them.
The Macabebes were not only fighting
for the United States flag. but for their
own country as the insurgents were tax
ing every opportunity TO burn their homes
and murder :heIr families. And how they
did fight,
we acted as an advance guard and also
as lankers for Lawton's column. and
though many ambuscades were laid for US.
the Macabebes never failed TO discover
them and by the time the main column
came up the insurgents position was well
known and the fight was over in very
brief time Besides acting as an advance
and as nankers ! made frequent excur-
sions TO each side Of the main column. and.
with my scouts. we broke up many rowing
bands Of insurgents which were preying
upon the peaceable natives.
Good AT Close Fighting.
While the Macabebes were fairly good
shots it was at hsnd-to-hand fighting that
they excelled. Creeping through the cane
brakes, taking advantage Of every tree,
hollow. and even punches Of wild grass.
they would glide forward rapidly, firing
as they advanced. and when within hun
dred yards of the entreDched insurgents
would dash up with yell and begin
hand-to- hand battle with the enemy
They were armed only with the cav
.lry rifle. while the insurgents carried bo-
los. spears and knives, but the Macabebes
4 81 7
have seen them charge three times their
number OF entrenched insurgents and have
never seen them defeated. As a sample of
their fighting, saw a little Macabebe, a
corporal named Damian Maria kin three
insurgents in one trench, all Of whom were
attacking with knives and bolos. II was at
l-ibutad. near Arayat, in Pampanga Prov
Ince. The insurgents numbered 800, while
there were only 200 Macabebes. The scouts
charged and scrambled over the breast
works into a deep trench. As Maria landed
In the trench he found three insurgents
waiting for him. The first one he shot in
the breast be knocked the second one
down with the barrel OF his rifle. shot the
third in the head and then turned and
shot the second one, who had arisen and
attacked him with bolo. He left them
lying and started in pursuit Of other Fill
Ipinos who had become panic-stricEen and
fed
They Gave No Quarter.
In their first fights the Macabebes took
no prisoners; every Tagslos who did not
escape by flight was left dead in the
trenches They would argue that there
wac no use TO take prisoners who would
be burden to them by eating their ra-
lions and hampering their movements. All
| could say to them hadfittle effect, but
anaIly Induced them not 10 KIN the insur-