Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1900-01-17
tut / Thought some OF the men

biIlbOOns - NV" hhS 80 ~
not the yell OF savages, but the yell
OF Americans. The rescuing party
thought we had Filipino guards and
called to us in English to lie down,
20 they could shoot the Filipinos.
"That was the finest body of OH.
GERS and men | ever saw"
Lieut.. Gilmore could not speak en-
Enthusiastically enough about the 40
picked men who had rescued him and
his party. The command spent the
day In making RATS. Col. Hare
thought Lieut.. Gilmore too weak to
live through the trip, but there was
no alternative.
They shot many rapids, the men
losing all their effects and Lieut..
Gilmore some valuable papers. Only
II out of 81 RATS survived the first
nights experience and 80 men were
practically unable to walk when
Vigan was reached.
Describing the flight from Benguet,
when the Americans approached,
Lieut.. Gilmore said:
''Thc Filipinos completely terrified,
left Benguet Dec. Z. They hurried
the prisoners from town to town,
often retracing the trail, not know
ing where the Americans would at
tack. After being almost without
food for three days, they killed sew
eral horses and we lived on horse
flesh for several days.
II did not have n full meal from
Dec. 7 until | reached Vigan. Indeed,
the rescuing party lived largely upon
rice without salt. There was one
day when | was reduced to chewing
grass and bark. While we were In
the hands of Gen. Tino's men he is
sued On order that any person aiding
the Americans by food or money
should be treated as IA criminal.
zone citizen of Vigan, Demos Vera,
was probably killed for befriending
us. We would have starved but for
the kindness OF some of the residents
OF the towns and some of the Filipino
colonies. but Others treated us brut-
ally. Whenever there was n prison
we were kept there. Where there was
no prison they would lodge US in a
convent.
"we suffered greatly from want Of
exercise IA well as lack of food"
For weeks Lieut.. Gilmore was COW
cred with boils and in great pain.
When the Filipinos found the Ameri-
cans were approaching hctreatment
became bitter. There was q sign
painter in the party and he painted
advertisements on the rocks through
out the retreat with other emblems,
like q skull and the word "vengeance"
by means of which the Americans
were able to follow.
"The Filipino treatment OF the
Spanish" said Lieut.. Gilmore, twas
brutal in the extreme. The insur-
gents had old grudges to wipe out
against them. Many talk about the
reconcentradCs In Cuba, but | have
seen Spaniards dying at the rate of
two or three per day Of starvation
In the hospitals at Vigan. / have
seen Tagalo officers strike Spaniards
in the face with whips and revolv-
ers."
Lieut.. Gilmore declined to speak
regarding political conditions, ex-
cept to say that he thought that the
Instruction would last as long as
there were my Tagalos left. The
members OF the party reported
to Gen. Otis this morning. They
were barefooted, sunburned and rag
ged. Some carried rifles, Others pet
monkeys. They attracted n great
deal OF attention as they passed
along the streets.
Among the prisoners arriving with
Lieut.. Gilmore were +. j. Hubert,
Edward Burk, j. j. Carley, Won Ga
len, A. H.. Gordon. George Sackett,
Leland Smith, Frank Stone, Harry
Hubert, William Bruce, Edward
Honeyman, Martin Brennan, James
Curran, Albert Bishop, John O'Brein
and David Brown.
Charles Baker, OF the Third artil-
lery, was formerly one OF the prison.
ers, but he becametoo weak to travel
and the Filipino guards bayonetted
him during the last flight through the
mountains.
The prisoners Of Lieut.. Gllmore's
party, who escaped after leaving
vigan. were Macdonald, Of the
Tw~enty-frst infantry. Won Galen, Of
the Baltimore, and Farley, OF the
Oregon. They were captured by the
savages, recaptured by the insur-
gents. who had stripped them, and
ultimately rescued by the Americans.