Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-03-31
Ambuscade and Capture Of the
Yorktown Boats Crew,
LIEUT.. GILMORE RELATES 1T
No order Violated Went In TO save
Two Men Battle and subse-
quent Experiences.
lEarly Dlspatches.I

washington Mdich W.-lhe navy
department has just received from Ad-
mlral Watson copy OF the report
made 10 him by Lieut.. Gilmore OF the
circumstances attending the ambus-
oade and capture Of the Yorktown
boats crew commanded by him at Ba-
Ter. April 18th last. The report is con-
else. plain. yet thrilling account Of the
strategy at the mouth OF the river
which resulted IN the loss Of the lives
Of several sailors and the taking into
an eight months captivity Of the re-
mainder OF the little crew.
II appears for the first time from
this report that Lieut.. Gilmore did not
violate his orders In entering the river.
but did so FOR the sole purpose OF pro-
tecting two OF the Yorktown's officers
whom he had been directed to land.
The Yorktown at the time was trying
to relieve as much OF the Spanish gar
rison as was beset by the filipinos al
church at Baler, and two OF the Off
GERS referred TO had undertaken 10
make a reconnaissance.
Lieut., Gilmore's account OF the trag-
edy which followed the attempt TO eX-
ecute the orders is given in the report
as follows.
United States Naval Force on Ash
attic Station, Flagship Brooklyn, Ma
Mia, T.. l., January y. l900.-Slr.-l have
the honor to report the following In re-
gard to the capture OF the second cut
ter and crew OF the Yorktown. VI
which ! had charge, BY Fllipinos at
Baler, April 18th, 1889. My diary and
official correspondence with the Fill
Pine officials were lost in the rapids Of
the Arbeluquer river.
On the evening OF April 18th the
commanding officer OF the Yorktown
said he wished me the following morn
ing TO take charge OF boat 10 land
Ensign w. RI. Standby and a quarter
master. who were to make O reconnols-
sanoe to discover the whereabouts Of
the church defended by the Spanish
prisoners In Baler.
mr.. STANDBY and the Quartermaster
were TO be landed AT the small cove TO
the eastward OF the river running past
the town OF Baler province OF Principe.
The commanding officer said he would
not hamper me with orders, but direct
ed me not TO land. but TO sound at the
mouth OF the river and ascertain the
distance Of the ship from the mouth.
IL necessary, ! was 10 make a demon
stra!ion TO call the enemys attention
from the people landed.
About i;20 a. m. Of April 18th. left
the ship with the second cutter. En-
sign STANDBY, and a quartermaster as
passengers. The boat was armed with
a Colt automatic gun In the bow and
crew with Lee rifles and belts filled with
ammunition. The following are the
names Of the boats crew: Chief Quar-
termaster Walton, Sailmaker's Mate
Voudoit Coxswain Ellsworth, Gunners
Mate. third class Nygard. Seaman
Rynders, Seaman Woodbury.. Ordinary
Seaman Brislose, Ordinary Seaman
Mcdonald, Landsmen Dillon. Norris
seyEdwards and Anderson. Apprentice
tiirst class) Van VILE. Apprentice (sec-
ond class Peterson.
I'VE pulled In under muffled oars and
landed Mr. STANDBY and the quarter
master. II was just early I'm the day
light when we pulled out from the cove
In the rivers mouth When near the
river | saw that sentry on one Of the
numerous stations on the beach had
seen us | thought probably that he
also had seen us land Mr. STANDBY. so
20 let him think that had been search
Ing for the river. ! pulled for II, sound
Ing the bar. ascertained the distance Of
the ship from the rivers mouth and
continued In for about 1000 yards
sounding slowly and making q rough
sketch. This, ! thought, would make
them believe that | had landed but was
simply surveying the river
Il knew We would have 10 sustain
the fire Of the enemy as We came out,
but trusted TO the Colt to dlsarrange
their aim, which at best Is not good
] was quite sure that this would serve
20 put them of the idea OF anyone
landing in the cove, and ! have every
reason to believe now that II did. The
left bank, the side toward the enemy
was covered by high marsh grass and
swamp land. and ! knew that no out
posts could be there. The right bank
was steep, too. and covered with O
dense growth. and from observation
judged the enemy had only their sta
tons on the left side Of the river.
"As we neared the end OF the swamp
land, / was about 10 give orders TO re.
turn. when we rounded the bend, and
came full on an outpost on solid
ground He hailed us and fired a rifle
as signal. Before | could answer the
hail a volley was fred into us at close
range-fifty or sixty yards The Offset
OF this volley was terrible. Morrissey
was killed Instantly, his brains belnl
scattered over the boat and crew, and
Dillon was mortally wounded, never re.
covering consciousness, and dyinl
shortly afterward In the boat Seaman
Rynders had his fingers cut OF at tn,
A. A..
board stroke oar. The starboard Oari
We're rlddled and most Of them shat
tered, besides, the boat was pierced by
the Remington balls and made watel
fast.
"As soon as possible after recovering
from the first shock We opened fire with
the Colt and rifles, The ambush wa
40 complete that we could not see a
what to fire. not even the smoke. Tit
Colt was thrown out OF action before
the second volley. SCATTERING the am
munition box and cutting the blndinl
tape. The order was given to bacl
oars. but as only a few could be useS
1.-The others being shattered-the It'd
drlfted us on sandbank. Ellsworth
Edwards and Woodbury. tried TO swim
the boat out hut did not succeed Thu
Nollter Ntlf Ioulfi III VI W vi Nif NNl
bank In quick succession, woundinl
mortally, Mcdonald and Nygard.
"At this time | was under the I'm
preston that most OF the crew wer
either wounded or killed. The bodie
OF the men who had been killed ha'
fallen on the slighter men who wer
struggling In the bottom Of the boat
The boat was covered with blood an
presented a fearful sight. The cries O
the mortally wounded In the stern o
the boat asking me to shoot them an
not allow them 10 fall into the hand
OF the sayages. were heartrending.
AT the same TINT could be seei
coming down the right bank OF the riv
er, a band Of men armed with Rem
ingtons, bows and arrows, b0los AM
spears | gave the order 10 hoist tn
white rag. which was done by Rynders
who received a shot In the right wrist
and dropped the flag. / thought III
enemy intended 20 massacre all Of US
a a. - -.