Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-06-16
A FIGHT WITH B0L0MEN
How American Soldiers Outwit-
ted the Philippine Natives.
REoAPT1gE OF A SCHOONER.

lieutenant Ieclsins Reports on
Relief Expedition In the Southern
Hemp District-SI>irmishes With a
Cunning Enemy In the MATTE Set
Elements M Gubat.
An interesting letter from Lieutenant
Edward Meekins of the Forty-seventh
infantry has just been received at the
war department. says the Washington
correspondent of the New York Even
Ing sun Lieutenant Meekins graph
lea ly describes the relief of Lieutenant
Pitcairn. who with Is enlisted men
had stood off hundreds of insurgents
In the hemp district of Gubat in the
southern Philippines. Lieutenant Meek
ms says:
with Is men and three days ra-
tions, went to the relief of Lieutenant
Pitcairn and his Is men in stone
chapel, surrounded by bolomen who
were burning and looting. They were
quite worn out with excitement and
loss of sleep and were trying 10 check
the burning by firing volleys to clear
the streets. This continued five days
and nights with little rest and less
sleep
when the town was quieted. / went
in the launch to Bulusah and brought
such Europeans away as desired 10
leave Two days later | took five men
in the launch's cabin and steamed to
Barcelona and found the place full Of
insurgents. There were $50 in the
shore trench alone | particularly wish
ed to protect the hemphouses, and sc
| started ashore in a small boat rowed
by native sailor
Three of the insurgents came out of
the trench and called to me, No, no,
no. but ! went on and landed, where.
upon they raised a white handkerchief
| found we needed an interpreter, and
| persuaded them to go with me to the
launch. They finally agreed to take a
message for me to the presidente of the
place.
The presidente would not see me be-
cause lie would lose his influence and
probably be killed. The insurgents
said he had gone to the mountains.
asked them about a small schooner
that had been stolen or captured from
a Gubat amigo. and they replied that
many bolomen had 1t, but they were
bad men. determined to take the
boat. because the Gubat garrison need
ed it and wanted to deprive the insur-
gents of their means of communica.
ton.
THE schooner was in the river about
| half a mile from the coast. | brought
the small rowboat on the offshore side
of the launch, placed my coolest man,
! Corporal Burrows, fiat on his back in
| the bow. took three native sailors to
| row the schooner back and got flat ON
my back in the stern. AS we padded
! updn the creek | took in the situation
! by raising cautiously ON my elbow.
The schooner was tied to the right
| bank. aud about 40 bolomen were com
ing down toward her from the trench
es. About 80 bolomen were on the left
! bank. watching in great amazement.
My boatmen were almost white with
fear, but had told them, obey orders.
or I'll shoot your
1--WE finally got alongside. and as my
boatmen jumped in the schooner the
| bolomen ran up with bowls and bran.
| dishing their long knives. jumped
up and leveled my gun at them. Fully
| half of them ran away; the rest stop
ped. anG all screamed: Americana.
! Americana"
THE chief tried TO get his men TO
follow him In a rush, but all I'm vain.
| The boatmen got the schooner into the
stream, and the bolomen chased along
the bank and got into rowboats TO pur-
sue, but when the corporal jumped
up they stopped. | returned to Gubat,
and the Juno sailed with several hun
dred refugees
ut was not long before the bolomen
made a daylight effort to rush. There
We're about 100 in the party. held my
men back and tried TO parley and later
tried to get my men to use the bayonet,
| knowing that the insurgents would run
| if we charged, but when within about
| 40 yards ! found the snakes were
| slipping off on cross streets to my
right, intending TO get in between me
and the chapel. whereupon ! shot the
boloman nearest me, which was the
signal for my patrol (six mem to open
fire. We knocked down five. and they
broke and ran. Next morning General
Kobbe arrived. and the other day
brought full company to my relief"
The New skirt.