Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-04
CAPTURE A GENERAL.


DeplOrab1e Casualties.
Thomas w. Jones. a private in Troop G,
11th Cavalry, United States Volunteers
writing from Santa Cruz. Philippine ISL
ands. under date Of June q. informs his
brother. George Jones. who is employed at
Behrens' bakery. in this city. of some of
his experiences with the Filipinos
Il have just returned to Santa Cruz from
a trip of two days in the mountains" he
writes. We left Santa Cruz about 4:3O
am the morning of June % and proceeded
to point eighteen miles in the mountains,
where We put down picket lines for our
horses. Ten men from each troop volun-
teered to walk five miles farther to a house
where. We had been informed a Filipino
general lived Besides our sixty men we
had two scouts. who were showing us the
way These scouts knew every inch of the
country, and they were faithful to the last
we sneaked through the bushes from
place to place. and when we had failed to
ma the house or even see native we be-
came dlssusted and concluded We would re-
turn to Santa Cruz. Just as We were about
to turn back we heard shouts of laughter
from point apparently about fifty yards
distant. Then we started ahead again, and
after creeping through the bushes we came
In sight OF house. and we could see a
Filipino officer addressing a crowd of ma
tves. At short intervals the natives would
applaud his remarks, and the crowd seemed
to be in high glee.
In the house wedding ceremony was
being performed. an insurgent officer TAX
Ing unto himself better half. A number
of times during the officers address the
audience yelled. Long live Aguinaldo.'"
The writer then proceeds to give his
brother a description of the scene as we'll
as telling of what followed. In the crowd
about the house We're about seventy-five
of the natives armed with guns and they
would sing. dance or yell as the occasion
suggested. Besides the men there were
fully 100 women and children
We We're about twenty-five yards from
the party. writes the soldier, when word
was passed along to charge, but not to
shoot women OF children. Most of the
party had been indulg!ng in vino and they
We're therefore not perfectly sober.
Each soldier took aim and, following the
first fire, rushed upon the crowd those
who had escaped the bullets running in all
directions, and some of them taking refuge
in the house with the women and children
Some of the soldiers Were so excited that
they fired into the crowd. and the scene
that resulted was horrible one. On the
ground near the house was the body of the
bride. whose brains had been blown out.
probably by a Remington rifle such as was
carried by the Filipinos in the party The
groom. who had received a bullet in his
stomach. was lying nearby in a dying con-
dition. Twelve of the Filipinos had been kill
cd and about the same number wounded.
An elderly woman was shot through the leg
and a baby's arm was shot off.
I'VE got the old general all right" Jones
informed his brother. and We burned the
Insurgents quarters before leaving. We as
certained that the place had been the head
quarters of the insurgents in that section"
In conclusion Jones writes that the water
buffalo is more feared than the Filipino
soldiers for when they are met in field
any distance from a city it means almost
certain death.