The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-29
SPANIARDS BRAVE IN WAR.
SPLENDID DEFENCE or THE LITTLE
GARRISON AT BALER.

GARRISON AT BALER.
How Fifty Men Held Dat for Weeks Against a
Vastly Superior Force Of Filipinos-No SUR
render Was Thought Of Until the Last
Rouad Of Ammuaition Had been Fired.
SAN Francisco, July 22.-In these DAYS OF
sorties and sieges. when tales OF desperate
courage and stubborn resistance are told Of
Americans, Beers. British and even ChineS'.
II is interesting to learn that the Spaniards ara
not wanting in the spirit Of valor that animat"s
so many other nationalities. In the dying DAYS
OF Spanish sovereignty In the Philippines tie
melancholy glimmer OF by-gone glory was
famed into a blaze by the heroic action OF the
little garrison at Baler. which for an entye
year stoutly resisted a besieging force OF ~
Filipinos, yielding only when the last scrap 81
food was gone and the ammunition exhausted.
Few things In modern warfare have revealed
q more Spartan spirit. To the credit OF Ameri-
cans, It Is to be said that they were the first TO
rejoice over the deliverance Of their recent
foes and to congratulate them upon their he
role defence.
Capt. willard d. Newbil. Thirty-fourth In
fantry. United States Volunteers, In a letter
just received here gives some details OF the de-
fence Of Baler by the Spanish garrison. lie Ia
now stationed at Baler. which Is a little port on
the eastern coast Of Luzon. 1t Is the capital OF
tie province OF Principe and was for a long
time ono of the Filipino strongholds. There
Aguinaldo once effected his escape from tho
Spanish authorities. Subsequently. during the
last rebellion OF the F~ilipinos against Spain.
the town was burned to the ground. The only
building standing when the Americans arrived.
In 1900. was the dilapidated old cement-coated
church. made Of coral rock and Clipped and
SCARED by many a bullet. Baler became gem
orally known to Americana first by reason OF the
capture Of Lieut.. Gilmore and his party. In 1899.
1T was at Baler." writes Capt. Newbill. that
a company of Spaniards was cooped up In the
church from May ~. 1893. until June 1. 1899.
This siege was in many respects Q remarka a.
bic showing for fifty Spaniards against over
whelming numbers OF Filipinos. sometimes
reaching as high as 100. For stubborn resist
anoe and stout heartedness 1t Is almost without
q parallel and reveals the same intrepid spirit
that inspired Cortez and his little Spanish force
1T was not until alter the news OF Dewey's
victory at Manila Bay reached Baler that, the
i nr,inT on The oe ssiiar thai she the ss AmeT,Sans waoossnid
cooperate with them. they rose en- masse ana
drove the Spanish garrison, into the old church.
which served as a citadel Tor q year. lhe
Spanish commandante, Captain Enrique de las
Morenas, was not the man nom whom TO ex-
pect al easy conquest. In fact. II appears that
he was a man OF exceptional courage ana sol,
dierly qualities. lie had beforehand provided
his ommand with ample provisions ana am
munitlon, and constructed exoellsnt lntrench-
ments guarding the entrance Of the church, from
church ana detied the Insurgents. Demands were
maze upon him 10 surrender. but he declined
TO consider the proposition and invited the
The Filipinos dug trenches around the
church, at first at a very respectful distance
but gradually they grew holder and carried
Spanisrds shot q number oil heads on and dis
couraged the Filipinos from cultvating a closer
scalalntsnfe, This led to a UNIQUE and lu-
that OF shooting under cover by holding the
gun above the head and sticking 1t through
bamboo poles placed on the tops OF the trenches.
all given q general direction and covered with
a little earth. The effect OF this almost con-
tnual iusillade was only apparent on the steepie.
Then the natives got tour old brass smooth
l2-pounders and two 8-pounders. They fired
10 shots with this artillery. and ten shots
took took meet, all on the upper part ", q M the ehurGh;
both war and fiesta. Unfortunately Tor them,
hSweysr, s Ons Of Si,,, the ,- SSnn tss church Sss bs1 iSst "a
II was being loaded. ana one or two Filipinos
were killed. Several OF the gunners were
lrlsht eds too hs 6y me snd Th ths nss ~ a MaIIsrr
bhiS 800 1900
was abandoned.
SO he siege continued for months. with great
church. A number Of them died OF disease
and Others were sick for, weeks, During the
summer. two spanish friars who had been
captured at Casigursn, thirty five. miles up
the coast, were taken to Bsler for the purpose
Of parleying with the spaniards. Col. Tee
son, then commanding the Insurgents. sent
them into the church under a flag OF truce
IA device not previously. respected by, either
party with instructions to tell Capt. Morenat
that Asuinado was now President, With Ma;
Mia for his capital, that they had plenty y
ships. and had killed all Spaniards who refused
TO surrender. and that Morenas and his forcs
would be killed upon the arrival Of Filipino
mas replied by. keeping the two friars inside
the church aud throwing q stone AZ the Fill
pinos to which a note was attached; II said:
You go to hell. You arc all liars and towards,
You are not free and never will be. II YOU
were free you could not run a government
The two friars remained with the garrison
throughout the siege. and are my inioriQahts
Capt. Morenas fell a victim to fever, and
died and was buried in the church. The com:
to be made VI as stern stun as Morenas. Ie
carried on the defence with prudence and
bravery until December. 1898. when the chance
u telling blow. The besieging army becon-
ing tired OF their work. they all went one day
into the cementdros rioe fieldsl after chow
the trenches. Lieut.. Martini instantly made
u sortie and burned W., town.. The ~filipinos
came rushing back TO Ind their homes in flames
and Mauser bullets buzzing about them. Mar
TIM returned TO the church and took up the
siege, realizing that it was useless TO attempt
to get out Of the country.
Some time after this a party Of the insur-
rectos succeeded at night in crawling up TO
the church and gaining such a position that
they could not be dislodged by rifle fire. nor
could the Spaniards reach them with pistols
from overhead. The Spaniards were greatly
worried, but found vent for their feeling.
by pouring upon the Filipinos a torrent Of
the choicest profanity known TO the language.
and IL Is opulcnt and copious. The insur-
rectos replied in Tagalo terms, fully as fluent
and much more unlntelligible. SO the woTdy
battle RACED while the natives sought some
means Of building a defence of come sort while
undermining the chuyoh. But their strategy
was cut short. by a deluge Of hot water skill
fully delivered from above. They evacuated
their posts with whoops and yells. The SPAN
iards got fair marks at them as they retired
and three natives bit the dust, while Others
escaped with their heads scalded as bare az
billiard balls.
such incidents served well TO keep up the
morale of Martins command, though twelve
men had already died OF and still more were
falling sick. Along in April. 1870. the Spaniards
heard tbs firing AZ the capture OF Lieut.. Gil
more's party, and later the boom ofthe York.
towns heavy guns was heard. Some of the
garrison took the ship 20 be q Spaniard coming
tr their relief, while others, who credited the