The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1900-07-03

X MONti the many adventures
OF the brave men in our army
~ and navy during the Spanish
war and the instruction in
tue Philippines, none perhaps is more
thrilling than that which befcll Lion
tenaut James G. Gilmore, OF the York.
town, aud his boat's cr~w, who fell into
a Filipino ambush a year ago aud were
either captured or killed. Tho tale
is told most interestingly by Lieuten.
ant Gilmore hipseIf in Collier 3
Weekly
1t was ON the morning OF April L..
1899, that Lieutenant Gilmore left
the Yorktown in the second cutter
with crew OF fourteen meu and two
passengers officer aud man
near the town of Baler, where they
were TO try and discover the position
OF a church in which il was said n
party of Spanish were besieged by in.
surgents. The men were landed safe.
ly, but GillmOre's boat was discovered
by the enemy little later IA he was
going back TO the mouth OF the river
which lows past Baler. To throw OF
suspicion rs to the real purpose of his
trip, Gilmore began making sound
in8s across the river, and sketches
In doing this tho boat was allowed ia
approach close to the left bank Of the
river where there was swamp coy
cred with tall marsh grass.
As | was about to give the order
TO return, Lieutenant Gillmore's
narrative says, I'VE rounded bend
aud came full upon an outpost who
hailed us and fired a shot. Before |
could answer the hail volley was
fired at IL nj close ranse about fftv
yards
The effect Of this volley was terri
Dle. Two men were killed instantly
the brains OF one being scattered over
the boat aud crew. Another man had
the fingers cut of his left hand. but
still kept brayely to his post nj the
starbOar'i stroke oar The starboarJ
oars We're riddled and most of them
shattered. The boat was pierced bv
the Remington balls and made witcr
fast. As soon rs possible after rccov.
cring from the first shock we opened
nre with Colt and rifles. The ambush
was SO complete that we Could not see
ut what 30 fire. not even the smoke
The second vOliey throw the Colt ont
OF action bv shniterinp the bnv and
cutting the loaJing tame. Th, ,rIcr
.as given to back oars brt 80 nnI,
very few could beused. ine side driftsJ
IL in on a sank bank. Three Of tLe
men brUycly jumped owe. 10 swim the
boat ont but did not succeed The tide
setting IL IN.
The yollcys were now porred in
on rs FROM the left bank i'm mick sue.
ceSsiOn, mOrtallv wOunding two mon
and seriously woumdiug three others
and myself slightly. st this time I
wa under the impression that most
of the crew were either wounded IN.
killed. as the bodies OF the men who
were killed aud mortailv wounded had
Talon on the slighter men in the boat
III the bottom OF which thew we're
struggling The boat was covered
with blood, presenting a fearful sipht
The cries Of the mortallv wounded
asking me to shoot them and not allow
them t. fall into the hands Of tho
savagcs. were hcarircndng Al tho
same time there could be seen oo1nino,
'tDN IA tue ltGNi DUNE a DJDu OF gnNapgg
---bolo aul spear msn.-witb Tow
Remington rifles. then gave the
order to hoist the white goo TL;s
was done by one Of the men who ra
ceived ball through fine yr,st aud
dropped the nag.
THE friug from the enemy now
came faster. and thouoht tI,ov ~.
tended t. massacre us. So cont,nueJ
our fire We were now boiI,J -
Spanish from the left banI bv nm oe;
Ger. saying that IL va di1 not coco
firing aud surrender he would r,nrdor
Us all J then surreuJcred ~ b;n,
The savagcs on the RIGHT bank came
up. took Us ont Of the boat robLed
rs. tied our arms behind opr b,.ls
with bamboo THONGS and Hnn1 us ~,
on the beach to be shot prote-tsd
against being shot with nv arms ti.J
and this alteration. which l,etoJ
about five minutes. probably saveI
our lives. They loaded tboir rigcs
and we're an ready. when a Tagnlog
officer came ont of the brusb and
ordered otherwise we wer. tbsn
sent aboard the boat. aud after atom.
PING up the holes made Inv tLo rig..
balls and pulling the boat ont. pro.
ceeded M the river.
Two of the crew were dead ty,
mortallv wounded aud three scriop.lv
wounded. Tho boqi was rY,, o.l,,,o