Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-03-07


Breastwork-Rescue at n Critic
al Moment by His COmrades-Story
Told by Cincinnati Man Back From
the PHILIPPINES.
'The recent battle between the
Americans and the Filipinos near the
city of Cebu, in the island of that
name, is about as good an illustration
as can be got Of the present method
of warfare employed by the insur-
gents" said Emmett Ferguson. who
has just returned from the Philippines,
when seen recently at the residence
of his sister, Mrs. X. b. Seat, on For
aker avenue, Norwood. says the Cincin-
natl Enquirer. "A battalion from my
teer infantry, two companies from the
Sixth and three from the Twenty-third
had been sent to the island of Cebu
some weeks preceding the battle to put
down an instruction that broke out
there. / was a member of the battalion.
When we reached the island. we found
that the insurgents were occupying n
breastworks had made their position
almost impregnable. AS they did not
give us any trouble, vigilance was re-
Taxed. and our men walked about the
island with as much sang froid as if
there was not n hostile native within
1000 miles of them.
zone day four soldiers set out on a
sightseeing excursion, and only one of
them returned alive. He was wound
ed, and the story he told of fight with
n party of insurgents was n most
thrilling one. He and his companions
were walking along road that passed
through n forest when they came TO a
depression in the road that was filed
with water several feet deep. The mar
rator, who was a member of the Tween
ty-third infantry. waded through the
water. but the other soldiers stopped
on the brink of the miniature pond
and debated how they should get across
it without getting their feet wet. This
short parley cost them their lives.
When they walked around the small
body of water to the other side, their
companion was several yards in adj
vance OF them. Just as they were in
the act of starting TO run after him
band of 90 Filipinos rushed ont of the
forest and discharged their rifles at
them. The three men dropped dead,
and in few minutes their heads were
cut off and they were horribly mutt
lated. The Filipinos then turned their
attention TO the Twenty-third infantry
man, Il big six footer of German birth
and as bold as lion. He faced them
and began firing as rapidly as he could
load his weapon. They pressed closer
to him, and lie. stepping backward.
walked into Il ditch. where he deter
mined to make last stand.
Almost in front of him was culvert,
and with Il last deSpairing effort to
save his life he dropped on his knees
and crawled into il. The culvert was
wide enough for him to use his rifle
with ease. and, though the Filipinos
divided into two parties so that they
could the more readily Kill him il he
made his appearance at either end, he
kept up such 4 brisk fire, first one way,
then the other. that lie held them at
bay for hours. SO effective was his
nship that a breastwork COM
posed of bodies OF insurgents began to
form at one end o. the culvert- \ long
of profound silence succeeded
a fierce fusillade, and the big German
thought that his enemies had grown
weary with their efforts 10 dis}odge
him and returned to their camp. Get
ting on his hands and knees. he era WI
ed TO one end Of the culvert and looked
out. Not Filipino was in sight. He
thrust his head farther out to take a
look up and down the road and was
felled to the ground by blow from a
boIa in the hands of a native who was
stretched out on top of the culvert,
patiently waiting for just such an OPP
portunity as had been presented.
Scarcely had the soldier fallen sense
less to the ground when the native
noticed a body of Americans approach
ing and beat Il retreat. The big Ger
man and the three dead soldiers were
taken back TO camp. The mutilated
bodies were placed in the center of the
camp, and by order of General Hughes
the battalion and companies marched
slowly past them. The CHASTITY spec
tacle had the effect on the men ex-