Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1900-02-01
"REMINISCENCES or HIS CAM.
PAIGNS IN THE PHILIPPINES.
EFFORTS TO SECURE PEACE
The iflipinoS, II Seems, Had Begun TO
REGARD Him As a Friend Rather
Than An Enemy--A handsome
Tribute Him by 4 Returned Nir-
Ginian Volunteer,

! Ii during the past year the cam
paigns that have been conducted
against the FIlipinos had been in ac-
cord with each other, military success
would not have been SO long delayed,
and We should not have excited the bit
ter hostility our methods have excited.
From the very beginning OF hostiliies
the prevailing idea seemed to be that
the only thing 10 do MAS to drive the
natives into the sea, destroy theN
gardens and burn their homes behind
them. This idea was exclusive, we
might say, until the arrival of the late
Ma. Gen Henry w. Lawton. How
ever, as late As May - saw AT Calum-
pit, writes returned Nirginian, with
! in stones throw of the depot being
consumed by fire, heap or rice that
did not contain less than 5000 bushels,
and that same day cavalrymen were
digging in the ashes, endcavoring To
get little feed for their ponies. Upon
inquiry | learned that this uye had
been ordered burned by one of our of
ticers in the face of the fact that the
United States was then al large daily
expense on account OF rice needed for
its soldiers and for horse feed.
General lawton was opposed tn this
unnecessary destruction Of property,
From the time Of his arrival his chief
efforts We're to pacify the Filipmos, and
on account of these efforts, had Gen
eral lawton been in supreme com
mand, hostilitiCs in the Philippines
would doubtless have ceased months
ago and our country not been destined
10 lose its best general at the hands OF
a sharpshootcr.
AS early IS the San lSidro campaign
the Filipinos had begun to recognize in
General l.awton a friend rather than
an enemy, Though saving of his mon.
that he continually exposed himself
never seemed to occur to him The day
of the taking of Balnag inlay y for
| several hours he was accommodating,
practically alone, almost into the lines
of the enemy and in plain view. That
day, as usual he rode a black horse at
least twice as large as the Filipino
pony, carried with him his great white
Eighth Army Corps flag and wore a
tall white helmet. The Second Oresons
were just entering the city of Balinae
when General lawton rode up. His
attention was called Immediately to
the fleeing procession of not less than
10000 Filipinos consisting Of soldiers
and their families. passing along a
road mile and half from MS, and
into which for the past five minutes
Colonel Summers had kept 2-l0-inch
guns warm throwing shrapncl.
Stop that firing, in his stentorian
voice the general demanded Instantly
on putting up his glasses, II see a
white flag
In entering a town always the first
thing General Lawton saw to was the
appointment Of provost marshal, and
a man seen going in a house without
permission was placed Immediately un-
der arrest, In my company alone 20
men were arrested the day we cap
tured Balnag for helping themselves
to a pile of abandoned mangOes
At Norzagaroy Colonel Summers had
orders to wait several days until
Joined by General Lawton with the
rest OF the brigade. While waiting the
colonel thought he was making the
best use OF his time by capturing and
burning to the ground the pretty little
nil u nI Tn "a
down the Qungua river When Gen
eral Lawton arrived and learned that
this town, where he had expected to
quarter his troops, had been destroyed
he appeared greatly provoked. and Is
sued an order strictly prohibiting any
burning Of property. The very next
morning his attention was called TO a
fire in the suburbs OF Norzagaroy,
Sending for the colonel in command Of
troops quartered there, he ordered the
fire to be put out Immediately. The
colonel seeming little slow carrying
out his order, General i.awton turned
to his assistant adjutant general and
said
Major Edwards, have that nre put
out II 1t takes whole regiment: IL
you cant do 1t, then place the colonel
under arrest
On the 29th Of April, with the loss Of
four men, including an officer,
wounded. the capture Of San Rafael
was effected The same day General
Otis ordered General Lawton TO turn
the town back to the enemy, explain
ing that representative " General
4 Luna was present 10 ask for terms Of
surrender. SO General LawtDn with
drew his forces to Moronco, where We
waited in idleness, until several days
] asterward 1t was learned that General
! Otis had refused the repregentaNye any
satisfaction other than unconditional
surrender and the representative 81
] luna left the governor gen
erals palace wita tears stream
ling down his face In con
ncctlon with this Major Edwards was
i heard to remark hat had General
I Lawton been able to deal directly with
I th1a renroeentaftvn +hp y,ar v.ettId have