The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-01

to have Joined the Tagalos and in fight
my men captured a few prisoners and
/ among them the reported deserter. They
put him IN irons and brought him to me
10 be shot. The fellow protested his in
nocence and said he had been captured
and made slave by the insurgents. | in
VeStlgated his case and secured from some
| insurgent officers copy of an order trans
ferring the fellow from one officer to an
other With this paper | was able to con-
vince the Macabebes of their comrades In
nocence and he was set free and made one
/ OF the best fighters of the whole 500
After was wounded ! returned to Ma
niia on gunboat and was in the hospital
for several weeks. Just before leaving the
island went out 10 pay off the scouts and
received an enthusiastic welcome They
did not want me to leave them and lots OF
them cried as | said good-by. ! was deep
ly touched a their devotion. | believe there
are no better soldiers anywhere than those
LITTLE Macabebe scouts
After Lieutenant Barton was wounded
Capt. Wilher E. Wilder was placed in com
mand OF the Macabebes and they have CON
tnued doing excellent work as scouts
though they have not had the opportunity
to fight they had while General Lawton
was alive and leading the campaigns
against the insurgents. General Lawton
and had he lived there is reason to believe
that more OF them would have been organ
lied into companies and distributed among
the different commands
From their long association with the
Spaniards the Macabebes have become
much better educated than the other tribes.
Fully 90 per cent OF them speak Spanish
and many OF them can read and write.
Their only salvation lies in the success of
American N ka
bellion, as withdrawal OF the troops be-
fore the insurrection was crushed would
mean an invasion of the Macabebe country
by the Tagale and the destruction Of their
homes and crops
plan is said TO be under consideration
by the War Department to raise about
5000 Macabebe troops and use them in all
parts OF Luzon and in the other islands
Lieut.. Batsou Will ne in Washington for
several weeks preparing report Of his
operations with the scouts. and when that
is finished If the wound in his foot has
| healed he will probably be sent lack to
Manila with orders to raise and equip
regiment from the heroic tribe. Lieu
tenant Batson is a typical cavalry officer
about feet ~ inches in height of spare
build but strong and why and able 10
stand the hardships of an arduous cam
paign. He was born in Carbondale. Ill,
and is about thirty five years old. He en-
tered the Army as private of the Second
Cavalry April 8, 1888. and served three
years as private and corporal in Troops
NJ and @. He became a second lieutenant
in The Ninth Cavalry August . 1891 and
first lieutenant of the Fourth Cavalry July
3, 1898. He graduated from the Infantry
and Cavalry School in 1895 and is consid-
cred one Of the most efficient officers in
the cavalry. He was with General Lawton
at San Juan and FL Caney. acting as topo-
graphical officer at both battles scouting in
advance OF the main body OF troops. He
went to Manila on General Wheeler 5 staff
in January, 1899, but later Joined his regi-
ment,. the Fourth Cavalry, and afterward
raised the Macabebe scouts
The reports received al the War Depart
ment OF the campaigns against the .Hsur-
gents are very complimentary OF this Off
Ger. He was wounded in the left foot at
Aringay while endeavoring TO find a ford
across the river on the other side of which
400 insurgents were intrenched. Going for
ward to find a ford. mounted on a white
pony. he made conspicuous target al
which the rebels poured calling fire. He
remained in the open until the ford vas
found and though wounded charged with
his men and routed the enemy.
The esteem In which he is held by Gem
eral Otis is shown by the following teIe-
gram sent 10 the Secretary of War last
December and printed in The Evening
Times December "A;
Manila. Dee. H-Lieutenant Batson.
Fourth Cavalry. organized four large com
panies OF Macabebe scouts: had advance of
Lawtol's troops. and attended YouI rs
cavalry northwestern LuZoD; BstsoI lead
ing with conspicuous gsllantry in several
hard fought engagements. On November
10 was seriously wounded in the foot; am
putatioD probably necessary. Can he not
receive majority In some staff corps Us Ie
ward for efficient services. OTIS.