The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-07-06

whenever they have the advantage.
The secret attack is their favorite
mode of warfare, and friendly hand
shake with soldier may be only
cover for his assassination.
Native scouts are now employed in
large numbers because they know the
ways of the people best and can tell
what Filipino is up to better than an
American. One of the army scouting
parties in General Hobbies expedition
againt Lubkan last winter met with
an exciting night experience which
well Illustrates the uncertainty of
things in the Philippines. Lieutenant
Gordon Johnston. son of the noted
Georgia Confederate, led his party of
scouts out on an entirely unknown
trail. The night was pitch dark, and
the trail, besides being narrow, crook
ed and slippery, had been INSTRUCTED
by the enemy. Much of the time the
scouts went on all tours. Finally they
came within the radius of the search
light of the American warship Nash
vile and We're naturally anxious that
the gunners should not mistake them
for F'ilipinos and treat them to a she'll
ing. The light rested on them for some
time, but the Nashville did not fire. \
huge TenneSseean named Gilbert led
Johnston's scouts. AS they reached
the top of a hill where the country was
open the leader made out a small shack
under a tree. Gilbert whispered to
Johnston that he saw mans hat in
1t
see what was under the hat. The fig
ure in front was sitting on the ground
with his back to Il sapling and to the
scouts as well.
Ebbert's reconnaissance with his hand
ended in choking the Filipino sentinel
into silence, but in his effort to bind
and secure him the scout made an
alarm which startled the rest of the
Filipino outpost. Several shadowy
forms sprang from hiding and rushed
into the shack. Through the windows
they opened fire recl1lessly. Johnston
wanted to take the whole bunch alive
and ordered his men not to shoot.
A fire was built to give light for the
coming struggle, and then Gilbert, with
They found half dozen Filipinos with
rifles or bolos. Some dashed through
the windows and tried to escape into
the brush, but the American rifles were
too sudden for them. Two bolomen at
tackled Gilbert and his comrade. The
scouts dubbed their guns, but even
then We're no match for the bolomen.
They backed out of the shack, bolo-
man following Gilbert at his heels.
When they came out. soldier with a
dubbed rifle stretched Ebbert's pur-
suer on the ground. and the other bolo-
man was dubbed and taken. Two
dead and three captive Filipinos We're
the fruits of this night scout. No other
natives could be found, although some
had escaped from the shack, and at
daylight the party returned to the lines.
General Lawton believed in scouting
and originated many bands of clever
scouts, American and native. One
band consisted of SO natives of the Ia
galog race who had been soldiers and
were friendly to the Americans. 1t
was easy to disguise them as Aguinal-
dos men, and, with weSterner who
talks Spanish to lead them, they made
their way in advance of the army and
easily picked up the news of the dis
tricts Travelled over. The largest body
of native scouts is composed Of Maca-
bebes tribe which an American can
barely distinguish from the Tagalogs,
but which. nevertheless, is at open
war with Aguimaldo's main support
ers. The Macabebes have been friend
ly from the start. for they have always
opposed the Tagalog plans for indie
rule to that of the Tagalog party. So
bitter is the feud between these rival
tribes that they do not intermarry.
The Macabebes are very small and
very black. Lawton saw the POSSIBLE
tiles of using this tribe and sent Lieu.
tenant Matthew A. Batson of the
Fourth cavalry into the Macabebe dis
tricts to enlist 100 scouts. Macabebe
is on the Rio Grande. eight miles be-
low Calumpit. When Lieutenant Bat
son announced his errand, the alcalde
called his young men together, and tho
required number from the ranks OF
former Spanish soldiers were ready tc
join After the army had left the re
gion Lieutenant BatSon made frequent
visits to Macabebe to recruit and his
scouts were always able to guide him
past the Filipino outposts without dis
covery, although they were often chal
lenged. The first work Of Lieutenant
Batson's Macabebes was with General
Young around Ayarat. One of the
Macabebes had held the rank of cap.
tain in the Spanish army. He acted as
Batson's interpreter and in fight
would walk boldly up and down the
line repeating orders. One man who
was a private in the scout company
was seen to mount stump or rock OF
any elevation where he could fire into
the Filipino trenches.
On march the Macsbebes were
aa.s tiss.