The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-03-25
CAPT. BACHELORS
FAMOUS EXPEDITION
Continued from First Page

material than hut about half a mile in
the rear | sent Sergeant Wilcox, COM
pany f, with Q party to tear down and
bring the bamboos 10 the bank.
Meanwhile Lieut. McMaster. with men
Of &C. II. had asked permission to cross
the river. some swimming alone and
some with horses, authorized him to do so
after ascertaining that all We're swim
mers and ordering them to strip They
made the passage most calamity. but the
river was too broad and swift to carry
their arms all CT which were lost, and
Corp john H. Johnson, Co. II, was drown
ed not asking help lest it should pre-
vent the crossing Of the rest.
Lieutenant McMaster sat down on the
bank and sent back his three men on
sort Of raft there to procure arms. Ser
geant Wilccx, with his party with few
bambCGs shelter tents torn into strips
and canteen straps. managed TO make q
crazy sort OF raft which would carry
three men. They were apparently ui-
aware that the insurrectos We're firing
at them as they worked. nor could they
find any other place 10 build and launch
TIE make shift AS soon as ii was COM
pletcd Lieutenant Miller, taking with
him Sergeant Wilcox and one man began
the crossing. Their progress was very
slow and dIhicult. They reached the fur
Their bank, but were unable 10 send back
the raft for more men
Company 4 had now arrived and been
sent 10 the left to attempt a crossing.
With the help Of the wretched craft men
toned they mad passed over a few men
and the ferrage was still very slowly
progressing All told Lieutenant Nc
Master could muster on the further bank
two officers and seven naked men; anu
with these he proceeded to attack Nov
ing around he and Miller struck the in
surgents on the left and drove them
through and oIt of the town. | saw Mil
Ter with two men charge the main trench
from which about forty men ran out; and
they captured here three men with cooked
rifles in their hands,
TIC see nine men. the officers in their
drawers and the privates naked, cross
such a stream by such means, and drive
cut an entrenched force or not less then
ten times their number IN broad day
light, where their number must soon be-
cCnle known is something not soon TO be
forgotten. History does not relate "A
drawer or more striking incident of war
with less thought Of self or Of display.
During this action Lieutenant Cashier
Lad executed in the best possible na"-
ner, the orders given him. Reporting by
runner that he had found q lare" iusur
rectC force in strong trenches opposite
ReIna Mercedes he had sent men to make
a demonstration Of crossing, had fred
i've vclleys into the trenches, and HAD
then counter marched 70 join the mail
body. IN spite of this, reinforcementS
had reached Nagui!ian durirg the action.
] estimate the opposing force at 100 re-
irf0rced by So o. whom my men had
driven away probably 10 before the cross
nS was made. The enemy'S loss was 8
killed and mortally wounded that |
knew Of. How much greater the actual
loss may be can.be partly estimated from
the fact that we were still inding dead
ard wounded when we left tnes town next
morning. We had now hanked the Magat
and Rio Grande, and were within the
angle Of rivers In which Ilagon lies The
insurrectOs al Cnce and IN haste retreat
ed beyond that town, and. as | was sub
secTently informed did not stop short !
Of Tuguegarao,
Or the Sth the expedition marched over
bad trail TO Iiagan
On the morning Of the gtn however.
Two messengers brought from Tugue-
garao the following telegram from Gen
cfal Tircna, commanding the Philippine
forces in this territory:
'Felegrama urgentssimo
To the commanding officer de las fuer- |
1as Americancs:
Apart Dee. : 1893. |
| salute you cordially. and I NANTES,
NY submission TO the United States of
America. place at your disposal all the ,
trcoIs under my command now guarding
this post. and ask to know the persona; |
guarantees. | await ycur reply.
DANIEL TIROHA"
Our force at this time was less than
$50 effective, some disabled by sickness,
some by WEAKNESS and some by lack OF
clothing; and we had only about 60 car
tflGges per man. | at once replied, in
SPANISH. informing General Tirona that
officers would retain side arms and horses
and that ali the members of his forcs
would be sent tc their homes unmolested,