The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-01

hood of NiGan-TrOops Fired on
from the Mountain Tops-HuGc
Logs and Bowldcrs Held by Ropes
to he Rolled Down ON Americans.
The War Department has received a re-
! port from Major E. z. Steeycr, laird
| United States Cavalry, cf the operations
/ Of his command in the vicinity OF Elsan,
in the northwestern PROVINCES Of the Is
! land of Luzon, from January . to ., 1900
1t having been rumurcd that c5Esii-
cradle Body of insurgents wa concentrated
/ in the section of he country lying b-tveen
| Vigan and Laoag. Lieutenant Colonel
Howe. Of the Twenty fourth United
States Volunteer Infantry, aud Majcr
Steever of the Third United States Cav
airy. we're directed to proceed from Laoag
and Vigau. respectively. with their several
commands, and strike the enemy wherever
found Troops were stationed at the Iasses
of Bandi and Banna to intercept iasur-
gents attempting to eyads :he columns.
First Lieut.. J. c. Cashier Fourteenth
/ United States Infantry, OF January 2,
with a detachment Of white and native
scouts, was directed to rec0uuoiter along
the western foothills Of the coast r4nge
and ascertain the condition of the roads
and such other Information a. would lie
useful to the contemplated expedition
The next morning, January l3. MlI1r
Steever left Vigan WIN troCp7 = and =,
Third United States Cavalry and 4 de-
taChment with two Maxim guns. The Ia
tive guides who we're to accompany
expedition reported a considerable number
of insurgents in the mountains in the vi
entity of Monte de Bmmauya. Major
Steever at once communicated this report
to Colonel Howe. with a view to his CO.
operation. and precautions were taken to
intercept the flight Of the enemy which
however, proved unayailing on account Of
incorrect information furnished by the ma
tives as to location of trails and the ac-
feasibility of various strategic points.
The March Begun.
On the morning of January IA, the march
on the supposed position of the enemy was
begun, and before 10 o'clock the column
encountered a small insurgent outpost and
collecting depot which had been aban-
doned by the armed forces who had been
stationed there early in the morning
bolos and certain official insurgent papers,
together with a quantity of miscellaneous
stores were captured here. One Cf tie
prisoners reported that the insurgents
had been warned by sympathizers in LapO !
where the command had bivouacked ire /
night before. of the approach of the col /
umn.
short distance from this station. or
depot, the column was fired on from the |
mounted Captain Tate. with the Liz- /
mounted men of his troop. was directed 10 |
enflade the insurgeHt position from their (
right; Lieutenant Cashier to hold, with a
portion of his forces the ground already .
gained. and to send a portion Of his COM
mand forward as soon as possible to tie .
enemy's trenches and endeavor to gain a
position on their left and rear. The pIin-
cipal insurgent trenches three in number,
occupied a commanding position along the
brow OF a spur, the incline of the cievs-
ton being SO great thai the wheels Of tie /
Maxim gun carriages had to be placed en-
a bank foot high and the pieces sighted
with an elevation of thrty-twO degrees /
in order to get the range Of the trenches.
The first trench was about 90 to 10 feet /
long by a foot wide, and from II to IL
feet deep. The second trench was some
what longer and deeper than the first
and the third about 10 feet deep feet
wide, and of still greater length had a
covered approach to il from the rear or
reverse slope Of the mountain. The trail
in front OF this last trench had been broad
ened, and on it were heavy logs. trunks of
trees, rocks. and huge powders held in
place by ropes intended to be cut and thus
precipitate these missiles down the noun
tain side on an assaulting party. On the
eastern and southern TANKS of the noun
tain were several other trenches. there
being no less than twelve in all on BIN
mauya and its neighhOring slopes.
After the preliminary shots to deter
mine range and elevation desultory fire
was kept up during the afternoon by the
Maxim guns and the troops on the firing
line whenever the enemy afforded a IA
vorable target. Several scouting parties
sent out from Lieutenant Cashiers de
taChment. under command Of non-comms-
stoned officers. succeeded in gaining com
positions and held the enemy in
their trenches during the day At 1870
p. m. Lieutenant Colonel Howe. of the
Thirty -fourth Infantry. arrived with fifty
men from the direction of Ca
bugao.
Flight of the Enemy.
On the following morning. January Is,
the increased command was deployed with
3 view to repeating the tactics of the pre-
yous day but the movement failed to
Draw any fire from the trenches Fears
were entertained that the insurgents had / .
withdrawn during the night and with |
view to verifying this and in order to de
'elop the insurgent position Lieutenant
-astner. with twenty men, was ordered up | .
he slope, from which point it became evil .
lent that the position had been abandoned ,
On advice Of this fact Lieutenants VIII
Jams and Conrad. with small detachments, .
we're directed to reconnOitre and report .
he direction taken by the insurgents in :
heir flight. Both parties returned before :
loon without having encountered the en- ..
my. .
During the morning Lieutenant Colonel :
Howe had circled around the right and :
ear of the insurgent position and attained :
he summit later in the day. The insur- .
GENT position was found to have been ad- J
nirably situated for the purposes of de- :
ence and was protected by twelve we'll I
constructed trenches, within whose en-
losure there were barrack accommoda- &.
ions for between two and three hundred 8.
men. There We're also found. in large I
Quantities. rice, clothing medical supplies. Z
nd other stores which together with the ::
were fired and destroyed In
he magazine on the hillside there was
tored wearing apparel for women as well :;
ms Nm ba ! -