The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-12
AMERICANS OCCUPY DONsOL
FILIPINO VILLAGE TAKEN WITH
OUT FIRING A SHOT.

SurrenueE, Dut w men saw
the Americans Coming Ashore
They Took to the Bush-Fired n
VOIIey From the HilIs and Disap-
pcared-Natives Soon Took to the
American Occupation.
Correspondence of the Associated Press)
Sorsogon, Island of Luzon, Jan. 21.-Col
Howe and the four companies of the For
tv-seventh Regiment were no sooner es-
tablished at Sorsogon than Gen. Kobbe
cave orders for the occupation of Bulan
and Donsol.
Ruan is twenty-five miles south of
Sorsogon and Donsol is thirty miles above
it. They are both small coast towns. The
men were loaded onto the Helena and
Nashville at 8 o'clock this morning, the
Helena heading north for Donsol and the
Nashville turning toward Bulan. At IL
o'clock the Helena was off Donsol.
Through glasses could be seen men and
women leaving the town, carrying bun
dies of household goods with them. This
looked like resistance. The beach trenches
were lined with peerug faces and the only
flag over the town was Spanish. Donsol
appeared as a few zinc-roofed warehouses
and some long lines of thatch houses in a
long tange of green jungle on the coast
one company of soldiers were loaded in
to the Helena's small boats. This action
was Immediately followed by much activi-
" behind the trenches, whereupon the
Heena's launch with Maj. Wise and Lieu.
KoDbe on board, ran in for the beach, tow
ing a small rowboat. The rowboat man
ned by three FLipinos and carrying a big
Of he'd rahn nd
landed in front of the trenches.
Meantime the Helena had cleared for
action and the soldiers still on board were
sent to cover and those already in the
small boats were awaiting just astern i'm
tow of the tug Nunez. The British gun
boat Glover had meantime come in from
the south and was now lyng-to few
hundred yards from the Helena. Those on
shore doubtless thought themselves con-
fronted with two American warships and
debated the adVisabiiity of resisting them
with the twenty rifles at their disposal
After truce conference with three
white figures on the beach the men in the
boat pulled back TO the launch and the
launch started for the Helena.
"They want until o'clock this afternoon
to decide whether they want to resist us
or surrender said Maj. Wise. but I
guess we will be going ashore right now"
without Firing II Shot
At 12:45 o'clock the company in the boats
started in for the beach, the Helena pre-
pared to blow that pretty little village
up into the noun ain tops in case our
men were fired on, and every one waited
expectantly. Not a shot was fired, Our
men landed on the beach, not a face was
to be seen at the trenches. We formed in
company front and then small squads were
started through the town. 1t was abso-
lutely deserted, not a soul being in sight.
mr. prOnpp1a1 TpflIllV through the
streets. expecting attack at any moment,
but none came. Dogs howled dismally on
deserted doorsteps or skunk rapidly away
behind corners. The chickens and the
hogs and the dogs alone witnessed our
advance 1t was hard TO tell where
the enemy had gone SO quickly.
we had evidences of their hur-
ried flight for in the streets were
half-pillaged trunks and bundles of
household goods, food and clothing and
dogs and hogs and chickens, and nothing
else.
Then on low hill. about eco yards be-
hind the town, the enemy were discov-
cred They were clustered in and about
n small trench and around a last cen
fury muzzle-loading cannon.
Meanwhile Maj. Wise had gone to the
door of the house from which flew the
Spanish flag: il was on a high pole, which
Mai wise wanted for his American flag.
He knocked on the door and the COM
mander of the Filipino forces in that town,
the local presidente and the civil gov
ernor of the district. all in the person
of a brown man in a Filipino uniform, ad-
W'tted him.
win you haul down that Spanish flag?"
asked the Major Il want TO put this one
i'll its place.
VoIIey From Fleeing Enemy.
There was no objection. so at 1:10 o'clock
the Stars and Stripes foated over Dom
sol ana the Helena and the Helena's
launch footed their greetings. The Hei-
ena was landing the second company and
already beginning TO get the soldiers ra-
tons ashore.
As Capt. Hart and a dozen men were
crossing the rice fields between the town
and the hill where were the enemy there
was a sudden volley of about twenty bui-
let's from the Filpinos and hostilities had
opened. Most of the bullets sang over
Capt. Harris head, on over the village
and so out to sea. The enemy were fir
ing high. They had left us a message
IN town saying they would give us battle
on the nights.
Send them word that if they do not
surrender and bring in their cannon in
Two hours I'll have the navy shell their
Iosition," answered Maj. Wise.
The presidente found a messenger for
his reply, and he was on his way TO
he Hilltop when the first volley was
HIed Then began the stormlng OF Don
sol Nights. We had been told there We're
but twenty rifles and n small store OF
ammunition among the insurgents, and as
OR soldiers started for the hill we saw
the enemy disappear from their trenches
at its TOP. No one thought they would
wait for us. our soldiers went on laugh
Ing, painting and stumbling through the
Jungle that grew on The hillside, and
came to the ton victorious, for there was
no enemy in sight. From beside the old
BRASS cannon there was a good view of
the country behind the town, and as we
looked the woods began to show our fleet
Footed enemy. They peered out at us
rom behind nearly every clump of trees
We caught sight of them in threes and
IN dozens as they SUNK through the jun
gle apparently waiting to come back into
the town. but not quite daring to at
tempt it.
Surprised at Treatment.
From a cIump of bushes not hundred
Yards aWaN we nraeaufIV flushed two ma