The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-17
PRISONER TO INSURGENTS.
INDIANA BOYS EXPERIENCE IN THE
HANDS OF THE NATIVES.
Taken with Gilmore. of the Yorktown
Escape-M0nths Of Hardship.
;pecial 70 the INDIANAPOLIS Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
PERU, Ind. Feb. 16.-Lyman Pau Ed
wards. landsman, of the United States
ship Yorktown, has written home TO tell
of his escape from the Fflipinos and his
experiences while a member OF that now
famous band of prisoners. His letter is
as follows:
81 and two companions escaped from the
insurgents Dec. Z at the small town OF
Dunglas, in the province of Abra. My
companions were Bruce, of the First
Cavalry, and O'Brien. a civilian. we
escaped about 4 o'clock in the morning and
had to lie in the brush all day. AT dark
we started for Bangnek and on arriving
found our boys had been there and left
about 2 o'clock. so we had to take the road
and follow. We overlook them about 3
o'clock the next morning at La Paz and
we were at once taken TO Colonel Howse,
Of the Thirty-fourth Infantry. He was
very much surprised and much pleased TO
see us, as we could give him just the in
formation he wanted regarding the other
prisoners. At daybreak, on the same morn
ing, the company started on the trail across
the mountains after Limos army where
the prisoners were in custody. and by il
o'clock we ran into the rear of the troops.
The company We met consisted or aDOut
100 men, which was our strength. We had
quite a brush and succeeded in putting
them to flight and secured all their guns,
ammunition. etc. The army proper was
estimated at from 5000 to 1000 men and We
idn't consider our force a match for III.
about noon of the next day we ran into
an ambuscade in a canyon and were sur
rounded. We first saw three OF them on a
hill in front Of us. Lieutenant Decker, or
the scouts. ordered three shots hred at
them. The other Filipinos at once APP
peared and opened fire from all sides.
Colonel Howse sent Company G 10
make a flank movement and as soon as
Captain Rolas secured a position the In
surgents fed in great disorder. with the
loss of many men. Pushing forward our
men reached a storehouse about dark and
captured it after firing a few volleys. The
day following the troops started across the
valley to Bauna and on the way captured
several Filipino officers who could not
keep UP. 1 had the pleasure of arresting
tween that point and Dingras We liberated
about 1900 Spanish prisoners. Following
the Filipinois and our party of prisoners
In their midst, we struck such a bad trail
that our horses had to be left behind.
'Our experiences were something awful
in the jungle. On the 18th of December We
ran into a party of eighteen Fflipinos who
had three of our men who had escaped
and were recaptured. Five Of the Fflipinos
were killed and the others were made
prisoners and made to carry our loads.
Next day we came to the upper Abalug
river and on the 18th / and the scouts were
out looking around, and on rounding a
point we caught sight OF a party that
proved to contain our comrades whom we
were looking for. For some time We sat
in the grass looking and not knowing how
to attack without danger of wounding or
killing some of our men. Finally the colonel
ordered a quick charge and We were sue
cessful in saving our comrades at last.
Il don't think it would be possible to
conceive of a happier set of men than we
all were. The Filipino guards had aban-
doned our men before our arrival and had
told them they had orders to kill them,
but did not have the heart to do so. The
truth is the officer was afraid to do so.
knowing we We're so close behind. Our men
were building RATS to go down the river
and we finished the work and started with
the men. 1t took from the 18th of Decem-
Der to the Sd Of January, with the sick
and disabled men on the RATS and the
rest Of us on foot, to get to the coast. We
could only make an average of three miles
q day on account of there being nothing like
and had to cross the river about ten times
a day. The rapids were very dangerous
and we had many escapes from drowning.
On the Goth of the month We sighted smoke
ahead at sea and supposed at once Ii was
a man-of-war. Colonel Howse called for
and to bring back provisions, IL true. We
were all barefooted, ragged and starved.
Two soldiers, O'Brien and /, went with the
colonel and rowed as hard as we could In
canoes to the sea. On reaching the coast
we rode twelve miles on horseback to
Aparri and found the Princeton in harbor.
We went on board and provisions and
they were brought in. New Years night
on board the Princeton was the first time
/ had tasted good food since April -. All
of us prisoners then came on to Manila,
and the sailors were put on the Monterey,
from which 1 am now writing this letter."