The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-16
WORK OF MAJOR MARCH.
His Pursuit of AguinaldO and KILL
ing Of General Pillar.


Correspondence of the Associated Press.
MANILA, Dec. 12.-(via San Francisco.
JAN 15)-The Associated Press correspond
ent with March's battalion, pursuing
Aguinaldo through the mountains which
Spanish soldiers and writer's have said
were impossible to white men, sends from
Bontoc the following account of the fight
of Dec. 2, wherein Gen. Gregorio Pillar was
killed:
1.-THE entire march of March's battalion
cf the Thirty-third infantry from Candon
20 Cervantes has been a remarkable ex-
plot. With four depleted companies and
Cunningham's handful OF scouts, the COM
mand left Youngs headquarters at Candon
on the afternoon Of Nov. 80, March having
received information on his journey up the
coast which led to the belief that Aguinaldo
had left the coast road at Candon for the
mountains instead Of going farther north
as had been supposed. This information
was confirmed by General Young, who re-
mained at Candon with one troop of the
Third Cavalry, sent two other troops to oc-
cupy Santiago and then ordered March's
battalion into the mountains after Aguinal-
do. The men had only fourteen rounds of
ammunition, no rations and had to live on
the country.
"The four companies were commanded
by Captains Jenkinson and Davis and Lieu
tenants Tompkins and White. After two
days hard climbing the command reached
a point two miles beyond the village of
Lingai where the fight occurred. There
was a snake-like trail leading up the pre-
cipitous mountain side and half way up
the insurgents had constructed trenches
from which they could pour a deadly fire
down on the troops advancing UP the lower
reaches of the trail or in the valley below.
Cunningham's scouts with Davis's company
were in the advance and were fired upon
first. Jenkinson's company went to their
support, and. after exchanging few shots,
these troops waited on the shelter OF a hill.
The enemy continued their fire, and Jenkin-
son ordered charge around bend In the
trails. Captain Cunningham and Lieuten-
ant McClelland led the charge, and as the
men rushed around the bend they came
into full view Of the insurgents two hum
dred yards above. who opened WELL
directed fire from trenches and from be-
hind rocks and trees.
Half dozen of Jenkinson's men fell,
/
each other, some hit in several places
Their comrades dragged them behind a
shelter and March. with the remainder of
the battalion coming up, the troops sought
what shelter they could, while, March sent
twelve sharpshooters to the top of the
knoll on the opposite side of the valley
overlooking the trenches.
These men made the ascent Of the knoll
under heavy fire. but when they reached
the top their well directed shots soon had
the effect of making the insurgents careful
not to expose themselves.
March then directed Tompkins to exc
cute flank movement with his company
by climbing the side of hill thousand
feet high on the insurgents left. Tomp-
kins. with Lieutenant True and fifty men,
| made the ascent of the hill by dragging
themselves up with the aid of bushes and
punches OF grass, and reaching the rocks
above found several insurgents there who
fired on them but were soon put to flight.
Tompkins then took position overlooking
the entire rebel force and took them COM
pletely by surprise, they evidently
never supposed that the Americans could
climb the hill and flank them out of their
positions. The company on the hill and the
sharpshooters on the knoll poured in a
murderous fire and at the same time
March. with three companies below charged
up the hill. shooting and yelling The in
surgents broke from behind the rocks and
trenches and every other position and fled
up the trail and into the thick underbrush
and the fight was over.
Their forces were not large. probably
not over 200, but only twenty-five passed in
retreat over the trail through Augagui to
Cervantes. The remainder were killed and
| wounded or escaped into the brush. Pillar
| body was found in the road where his men
| had been compelled TO abandon II. The
| bodies of six others. including heuten-
| ant. were found. but this was only a small
portion Of their loss, for number were