The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-01
f6ERD CAVAbRY'S WORK
Major Steever's Report of Opera
tons in Northwestern Luzon.
Hunting The Enemy in the Neighbour
hood of NiGan-Troops Fired on
from the Mountain Tops-HuGc
Logs and Bowlders Held by Ropes
to BE Rolled Down on Americans.


Logs and BowIder., Held by Ropes
to BE Rolled Down on Americans.
The War Department has received a re-
port from Major Z. q. Steeyer. Third
United States Cavalry. Of the operations
of his command in the vicinity OF Visan,
i'll the northwestern provinces Of the Is
and of Luzon. from January - 70 -, 1860.
1t having been runOred that a coEsii-
cradle Body of insurgents was concentrate
in the section of The country lying bstween
Vigan and Laoag. tieutenant-Co,ouel
| Howe. of the Twenty fourth United
States Volunteer InfaI,ry and Majcr
Steever, of the Third United States Cav
airy, we're directed t. pro iced from Laoss
and Vigap. respectively, with their several
com nands, and strike the enemy wherever
found Troops were stationed at the passes
of Bandi and Banna to intercept ilsur-
gents attempting to evais :he columns.
First Lieut.. J. c. Cashier, Fourteenth
United States Infantry, OF January 2,
! with a detachment Of white and native
scouts. was directed to reconuoiter along
|
! and ascertain the condition of the reads
and such other information a. would lie
useful to the contemplated expo clifton.
The next morning, January I3, MIior
| Steeyer left Vigan Win troops ;; and =,
! Third United States Cavalry, and a. de-
! tachment with two Maxim guns. The ra-
! tive guides who were to accompany tie
| expedition reported a considerable number
of insurgents in the noun tains in the vi
] gfT,; Of N,fI
| Steever at once communicated this report
to Colonel lowe, with view to his
operation. and precautions were taken to
intercept the flight OF the enemy, which
| however, proved unavailing on account CT
incorrect information furnished by the ma
tives as to location of trails and the &C
! feasibility of various strategic points.
The March Begun.
On the morning of January IA, the march
on the supposed position of the enemy was
begun, and before 10 O'Clock the column
encountered a small insurgent outpost and
collecting depot, which had been aban-
doned by the armed forces. 10 had been
stationed there early IN the morning
Five men, two rifles. Some knives and
bolos, and certain official insurgent papers,
together with quantity of miscellaneous
stores. were captured here. One Of tie
prisoners reported that the insurgents
had been warned by sympathizers in Lspo.
where the command had bivouacked tie
night before, of the approach of the col
umn.
A short distance from this station or
depot, the column was fired On from the
mountain top and the troops were d s.
mounted Captain Tate, with the Ciz-
mounted men of his troop, was directed 10
eniilade the insurgent position from their
right; Lieutenant Cashier to hold, with a
portion of his forces the ground already
gained. and to send a portion Of his COM
mand forward as soon as possible to tie
enemy's trenches and endeavor to gain a
position on their left and rear. The pTin-
cipal insurgent trenches three in number,
occupied commanding position along the
brow of a spur, the incline of the eievs-
tiOn being great that the wheels of tie
Maxim gun carriages had to be placed en-
a bank foot high and the pieces sighted
with an elevation of thirty-two degrees
in order to get the range Of the trenches.
The first trench was about 90 to 10 feet
long by foot wide, and from / 1-2 to 3 L.
feet deep. The second trench was some
what longer and deeper than the first
and the third about i-2 feet deep feet
wide and of still greater length had a
covered approach to i. from the rear or
reverse slope of the mountain. The trail
in trent of this last trench had been broad
ened, and on it were heavy logs. trunks of
trees. rocks. and huge powders held in
place by ropes intended to be cut and thus
preciptate these missiles down the noun
tain side on an assaulting party. On the
eastern and southern TANKS of the noun
tain were several other trenches there
being no less than twelve in all on BIN
mauya and its neighboring slopes.
After the preliminary shots to deter
mine range and elevation a desultory fire |
was kept up during the afternoon by the
Maxim guns and the troops on the firing
line whenever the enemy afforded a ia
vorable target Several scouting parties |
sent out from Lieutenant Cashiers de- |
tachment, under command of non commits !
stoned officers. succeeded in gaining com !
handing positions and held the enemy in |
their trenches during the day. At II 80 |
p. IN. Lieutenant Colonel Howe, of the |
Thirty fourth Infantry, arrived with fifty |
mounted men from the direction of Ca |
bugao.
Flight of the Enemy.
On the following morning January Is. !
the increased command was deployed with |
a view to repeating the tactics of the pre-
vious day, but the movement failed to
draw any fire from the trenches Fears |
were entertained that the insurgents had
withdrawn during the night. and with a
view to verifying this and in order to de-
velop the insurgent position Lieutenant
Cashier. with twenty men, was ordered up
the slope, from which UOint il became avi-