Evening star., 1900-06-08
A BRAVE DEFENSE.
Gallant Work of Volunteers in the
Philippines.
WERE ODFNUMBERED TWENTY TO ONE
HeroicaIIy Resisted Attacks for
Five Days.
STORY OF TIL ETR RESCTJE
7BRE ODTNUMBERED TWENTY TO ONE
STORY OF THEIR RESCUE

The War Department has just received
the report of Captain H NJ. Dey, 43d United
States Volunteer Infantry. of the remark
able experience of the garrison at Catubig,
in the Philippine Islands. in which a party
of thirty-one enlisted men of Company H
of that regiment maintained a successful
defense against an attacking force esti-
mated at over go insurgents. beginning
Sunday morning. April 10. and lasting until
rescued by a party under the command of
First Lieutenant Sweeney of that regiment.
on Thursday afternoon, April 49, during
which the party sustained a loss of eighteen
men killed and five wounded, while con-
servative estimate of the number of insur-
gents killed is upward of 200.
Catubig, at which this affair occurred, is
a small town on the Island of Samar.
which is the extreme easternmost island of
the Viscaya group, lying to the southeast
of LuZon, and about ten miles interior from
the extreme north coast of that island,
fifty-six miles from Catbalogan, the cap
ital of the province. and 1913 miles east
southeast from Manila, and had a popula-
ton at the time of the last Spanish census
oe 1855. The people of this island Eave
reputation of being of warlike disposition,
ferocious in their nature and exceedingly
treacherOus. Although the SpaniGrds had
local governor at Catbalogan. they never
were able to entirely suppress the people.
The trade was principally in hemp and CO.
coanut oil.
First Lieut.. Joseph T. Sweeney the Of
ficer who commanded the relief party is
native of New York city and served during
the Spanish-American war as second lieu
tenant of the 69th New York, with which
regiment he was Eonorab.y mustered out
January 81. 1899. and was commissioned
second lieutenant In the Add on the 14th
of August. 1892 and promoted to first lieu
tIN E.h of n1tN
Sergt. Dustin L. George, who commanded
the small party at CGtubig at the time of
the attack, Is a resident of Barre. VT, be-
ing son of Mrs Jennie NJ. Northup of No.
174 Merchant street. Barre, VT: he was n
married. Corporal Antkony ]. Carson. who.
after the death of Sergts. George and Hall.
succeeded to the command, and who is so
highly commended by Capt. Dey. is a resi-
dent of Maiden. Mass. at which place he
enlisted October 5, 1899, having formerly
served in Company F. Goth New York Vol
untcers. during the SpGZish-Amcrican war,
at which time he gave his nearest relative
as Mrs. David F. Carroll, No. 80 James
street, Maiden, Mass.
Capt. Dey's Report.
Captain Deys report is dated at Laguan.
April p, and is in part as follows:
about $50 am. Sunday, April Is, the
garrison was alarmed by shots coming
from the rear of the church on the left
prepared to resist the attack. Almost at
the same time a heavy fire was opened on
them from the hills on the right and left
and also from every available part of the
city which could be utilized by the insurgents.
This fire was kept up all day long, but the
garrison. with great courage and coolness.
met and returned the fire. with the result
that several insurgents were killed or
All during the night the firing was kept up,
but not quite so heavy as during the day.
About am. on Monday the firing was
resumed, and each hour went by 1t be-
came more general. AT about am. they
commenced firing a cannon which was
planted on the hill to the right of the bar
racks using cut nails and spikes for pro-
jectiles. Sergeant George who command
ed the garrison, ordered all the. fire from
the barracks to be concentrated on this can
non for the purpose of silencing 1t. and after
two voleys had been fired succeeded in
his purpose. Heavy rifle firing was kept up
all day and until about II pm. when 1t
lessened up until daylight Tuesday morn
ing, at which time the heavy firing was re-
sumed, about am. from the front and
across the river from the cannon. the cam
non having been changed to this new posi-
ton during the night: but few wel!-di-
rected shots from the garrison silenced 1t
for the time being. Up to this time but one
man of the garrison had been wounded,
Private Lee, who was shot on the left arm,
but a great number of insurgents had been
killed. some from their position in trees,
some from trying to charge the barracks.
About this time a large number of in
surgents had managed to make their way
into the church adjoining the barracks,
and were causing SO much trouble that 1t
became necessary to silence them Ser
geant George called for ten men to charge
the church and drive them out. The men
Immediately responded. and under terri
bly, heavy fire from all sides they succeeded
in getting in. and finding nearly hundred
insurgents there Immediately poured sew
III ;,to tt,ayV, iycr
Der. By this time all the firing was CEN
tered the church. and Sergeant George,
finding that to remain longer would be
fatal to his little band. retreated back to
the barracks. This brave deed was accom-
plished without the loss of a single man.
The firing became SO heavy and the terri
BILE strain on the men so great from their
long and continuous fighting that 1t re-
quired them to put forth their greatest ef-
forts to meet this heavy fire.
The Barracks Fired.
about this time the insurgents had man
aged to regain the church. and from the
windows made several unsuccessful efforts
to set fire to the barracks. Finally they
managed to throw some hemp saturated
with oil against the building and succeeded
In setting fire to It. All efforts to subdue
this fire proved unavailing, and when the
building became untenable. the heat being
50 intense, the garrison hastily decided the
only course open to them was to make
dash for the river and attempt to get
across. hoping to intrench themselves on
the opposite shore. They destroyed every
thing which would be of value to the In
surgents, divided the ammunition between
them. cut hole in the floor and dropped
through one at time to the basement be-
low. When all of them had gotten through
they made a rush for the river. Some OF
them were killed before they reached the
river. Corporal Carson. with fifteen men.
Immediately started to build trench, using
their bayonets to dig with. The rest Of the
men attempted to cross the river. but were
all killed while getting in the boat
Held Trench for Two Days.
For two days Corporal Carson and his
squad held this trench. fighting all the
time against great odds and having two
men killed and three wounded. one OF
whom. Sergeant Hall. has since died. until
he was finally rescued on Thursday morn
ing by Lieutenant Sweeney and his de-
tachment. His report accompanies this
one and shows the difficulties which he en-
countered in the rescue. conservative
estimate of the number of insurgents killed
is upward of 900. but have no record Of the
number of wounded. The loss we sustained
Is eighteen killed and five wounded, one of
whom has since died. l also lost q large
amount of ordnance stores. quartermaster
and commissary supplies, of which 1 will
submit certificate to the officers Of those
departments.