Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1900-10-12
The Death of Gregorio Del
Pillar.
Pillar.

Dy NicndTu f1cnIy l<ittic, SpeCidi SoiiSo
pondent of the Chicago Tribune, dated
Manila, December Is, 1899, and publis!,
ed in the Chicago Tribune of February
4, 1900.
1t was great fight that was fought
away up on the trail of lonely Tilad pass
on that Saturday morning of December
2. 1t brought glory TO Major Marsh's
battalion of the Thirty-third Volunteer
Infantry, who were the victors. 1t
brought no discredit to the little band OF
sixty Filipinos who fought and died
there Sixty was the number that at
Aguinaldo's orders had come down into
the pass that morning to arrest the on
ward march of the Americans. Seven
were all that went back over the pass
that night to tell Aguinaldo they had
tried and failed. Fifty-two of them were
killed or wounded. And among them,
the last to retreat, we found the body OF
young General Gregorio del Pillar. We
had seen him cheering his men in the
fight One of our companies crouched
up close under the side of the cliff where
he had built his FIRST intrenchment, heard
his voice continually during the fight urg-
ing his men to greater effort, scolding
them, praising them, cursing them, ap-
pealing one moment to their love of their
native land and the next instant threat
ching to kill them himself, If they did not
stand firm. Driven from the first i'll.
trenchment he fell back to the second in
full sight of our sharp-shooters and under
a heavy fire. Not untilevery man around
him in the second intrenchment was
down, did he turn his white horse and
ride slowly up the winding trail. Then
we who were below saw an American
squirm his way out to the top of high
rock, and take deliberate aim at the fig
ure on the white horse. We held our
breath not knowing whether to pray
that the sharp-shooter would shoot
straight or miss. Then came the spiteful
crack of the Krag rifle and the man on
horseback rolled to the ground, and
when the troops charging up the noun
tain side reached him, the boy general of
the Filipinos was dead.
We went on up the mountain side.
After H company had driven the insurg-
ents out of their second position and
killed Pillar, the other companies had
rushed straight up the trail, and never
stopped until they were farup above the
clouds and there was no longer an in
surgent in sight. As we went up the
trail we passed dead Filipino soldiers.
We counted ten in all. Some had been
shot several times. We found bloody
trails that led to places on the edge OF
the cliffs, where wounded men had either
jumped or fallen off. We passed the sec
ond intrenchment high up on the trail.
1t was built of heavy rocks well banked
with earth Just past this few hun
dred yards we saw a solitary body lying
in the road. The body was almost strip
ped of clothing, and there were no marks
of rank left on the blood-soaked coat.
But the face of the dead man had look
had never noticed on the face of other
dead men had found in insurgent uni
form on the field of battle, in the wake
of an American firing line. The features
were clear cut and forehead high and
shapely. l decided the man must be an
insurgent officer. A soldier came running
down the trail.
That's old Pillar" he said. "We got
the old rascal. guess he's sorry heever
went up against the Thirty-third.'
There amt no doubt about its being
Pilar," ratified on the young soldier.
eve got his diary, and his letters and all
his papers, and Sullivan of our COM
pany's got his pants, and Snider's got
his shoes, but he can t wear them because
they're too small, and a sergeant in 6
company got one of his silver spurs. and
a lieutenant got the other, and some
body swiped the cuff buttons before |
got here, or l would have swiped them,
and all got was a stud button and his
collar with blood on it."
So this was the end of Gregorio del
Pillar. Only twenty-five years old. he
managed to make himself leader of
men when he was hardly more than a
boy. and at last had laid down his life
for his convictions. Major March had
the diary. In it he had written under
the date of December 2, the day he was
killed;
"The general has given me the pick of
all the men that can be spared and or
dered me to defend the pass. l realize
what a terrible task is given me. And
yet feel that this is the most glorious
moment of my life. What do is done
for my beloved country. No sacrifice
can be too great"
A private, sitting by the campfire, was
exhibiting a handkerchief "It's old