New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-18
CEN. KOBBE'S EXPEDITION.
.,,rrRE OF AN IMPORTANT SEAPORT
~ SOUTHERN LUZON

- m several steamships TO the southern end
- rrzon there 10 occupy and garrison perma-
&c six seacoast towns and villages. Up TO the
oss,t tine three such towns have come under the
l-t,sn flag and the control Of American army
a-,sra and no one has been hurt on either side.
-rro Or three more places stil remain TO be gar
.so,e5 down here. and then the expedition VIII
GOOD 70 Samar and Leyte. there 10 occupy and
tols the principal towns Of these neighboring is
lands
GENERAL Kobbe's command is composed Of the 43d
- 9th United States Volunteer Infantry and
-.,+s,n Randoph's Battery OF the Sd ARTILLERY
80 +-oops were loaded the transports Han
oo,,- and Garonne and the local steamers Venus
y-olus Salvatore and Castellano- Conveyed by
.+e g,,nhoat Nashville. the expedition left Manila
., Iaruarv IS and slowly steamed down the coast
- he entrance OF he deep bay that leads from
- sea I'D 10 the town Of Sorsogon near the
,o,,,e-n extremity Of Luzon. On the morning OF
ro7us-v % tne expedition met the gl1nboat Helena
arr rbe little Maraveles. and the three warships
-ssa,ng the transports IN single file the whole ex-
-s5i,ion slowly proceeded up Sorsogon Bay.
When the Hancocks leads gave "a quarter less
~" The entir. expedition stopped and anchored.
rFA Hancock model transport ship, draws
.vre,tv-sx feet Of water and that is too much for
these southern channels. The Hancock's use to
The expedition Is now ended. and she returns 10
Manila from here. There had followed the expe-
si-ioD from Manila sidewheel steamer called the
N,1rez with serviceable draft IF six feet. Her
rse and value now became apparent. Two COM
rsnes Of the 9Th were loaded into eight OF the
Hancocks boats. and two more companies went
aboard the Nunez. Then the Nunez towed the
whole outfit toward Sorsogon. still eight miles up
the bay.
WHITE FLAGS HUNG OUT
After an hour ard half the small boats ar
rived of s7r=0gou. The town was decorated with
white and American flags. so there was chance
for fight and the men were disappointed. The
Helena the Nashville and Maraveles had pre-
csded the Nunez and her boats 70 SorsogOn and
were anchored in front Of the town.
General Kobbe and Captain Darrell. Colonel
Howe OF the 47th: Captain Bradley Of the Han
cock and Lieutenant Kobbe. the Generals son,
were on board the AaraveIes. This gunboat
steamed close 70 the wharf in front OF the stone
warehouses; along the waterfront. and a boat set
the party on shore They were met by number OF
natives and Spaniards. while crowds Of the vii
layers stood and CAPPED n wonder and curiosity.
Il was their first sight OF Americans, and only
three days ago the Tagalcg leaders had con-
vinciagiy told the- that Aguinaldo had driven the
troops out Of Manila and held them prisoners
upon vessels in Manila Bay
The Spa1.a-ds told General hobbe that the IN
surgant forces had evacuated the town that morn
ing whereupon Colonel Howe. with an American
rag under his arm and accompanied by orderly.
walked rapidly across the square in front OF the
church and raised the flag upon pole facing
racks. This was 10 o'clock and General
KobbeE party with six marines from the Nash
vile was the first 10 salute the symbol Of the
new sovereignty. Colonel Howe saw one armed
Filipino Just as he was about raise the flag. but
this man ran away with all possible speed; he was
the only one OF the enemy seen today.
The soldiers from the Nunez were landed on the
wharf and. iulnled atey forming into companies,
marched Up into the town The people seemed In
different 70 the Americans presence. their only
visible characteristic being curiosity. All day long
they looked al then from street corners. doorways
and second story windows, and several times
crowds OF the curious had 10 be dispersed from the
front Of Colonel H0we's headquarters.
AN IMPORTANT PORT.
There were several Spaniards in town. and from
them was learned something OF the recent happen
ings On shore sorsogon is an important shipping
port anS district capital. II has Ike the rest OF
this coast and the Islands OF samar and Leyte,
been blockaded by American vessels since August
last and consequently It's people have suffered from
the lack Of varieties Of food. They seemed TO have
had sufficient rice. fish and bananas. which the
diet q the poorer classes, but all such eatables
come from Manila had long since been exhausted.
The Spaniards said they were glad 10 the
troops and hoped for the Immediate re-establsh-
ment Of commercial relations with Manila It
seems there had been stationed in Sorsogon about
three hundred Tagalog soldiers, under the command
Of Colonel Leon Paras. There were only one hun
said the insurgents had little ammunition.
The Spauiards had been uniformly Wen treated
BY the FiIipinos. There had been official i'm
position injustice every liberty allowed, and
they sverred that travel IN the country had been
safe al all times. The town and province had been
ruled BY the Tagalog leaders. and such civil forces
as they established directly under the control
Of the military, and acted for them There have
never been any Spanish prisoners IN the PROVINCE
Of Sorsogon, and al Spanish fr1ars and priests
were driven away more than year ago. Churches
are now occupied and services conducted by the
native clergy. The natives Of Southern Luzon are
called Ticois. They seem quiet and peaceful peo-
pie. unlikely 70 give trouble II Tagalog influence be
removed from them. and they apparently morn
anxious 20 be let alone and 70 grow small crops
than 70 fight and die for the Aguinaldo ideal OF
liberty. This province is q hemp producer. and, as
there have been no shipments for six months past,
considerable quantity Of this product IS stored
here, awaiting transfer 10 market There are
forty thousand bales OF hemp in Sorsogon itself.
sHc loose hemp amounting 10 twenty thousand
naes more Is near by
i was said that the insurgents had left the place
suddenly that morning. Immediately after sighting
our vessels n the barracks, where Colonel Howe
raised The American flag. there found book
OF general orders issued 70 the Filipino soldiers
ORDERS GIVEN TO RETREAT.
Under date OF January 20. the ink with which II
was written being scarcely dry. there entered
a. orce- directing company commanders 10 assem-
De tnelr men and be ready 70 move at moment
notice Tor" said the order. we have seen seven
strange steamers down the bay and rake them
. De The enemy" II appears that the main body
q rtLplnos retreated toward a village called Cas-
- some eight miles distant. but Z guard OF
.ttity men was LEFT az SorsogOn and only quilted
ne outskirts OF he town when General HOBBIES
49, laAueC on The wharf. They stayed behind TO
rs sue 81 our intention 10 occupy and hold the
S@l- We were very friendly with The F1lipinos, .
rsL4le Spanish merchant VINO was our source OF
49, 4a--ol hey were good and fair, and
=. 80 TINS morning some officers were breakfasting
ny laDie as you are lunching now. Antonio
c--4s Li&i nar bottle Of sherry from my trunk
tb l1seI permit ne The King is dead, long live