The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-26

hEa HAS ltt III i4ttl 10 HIS EAUIllt III t44LS
city after an absence of more than three
years in the Philippines during which he
had many thrilling adventures.
MI Herbert was twice reported by the
United States Government as among
those missing and probably dead" He
was marched as a captive over COO miles
of IowIand and mountain country in the
far Philippines. had several unusual Elk
periences, and read his own obituary He
is now visiting his brother, r o. Her
bert. second officer Of the Merchants and
Miners Transportation Con -sany's steam
er Nantucket, at the home of Charles \,
Thalheimer, on North Fremont Avenue.
He SAYS he does not care 20 return to
the Philippines
Mr. Herbert was cOxswain on the
battleship oregon. The vessel left New
York October L, 1885. and journeyed leis-
ureiy to Manila. reaching there March IS,
1893 May %, following Mt Herbert was
detailed for duty on the gunboat Urdane-
Ia which had been captured from the
SpaniaTds. The crew consisted Of ten
men. including the Chinese cook. un-
der command Of Naval Cadet WeIburR
- Wood. of South Carolina. The little
vessel was ordered to patrol Manila Bay
and its tributaries in search Of contra
band Of war, and for several months its
crew had great fun
Our troubles began September L. 1893
said Mr. Herbert We had run up the
Crinua River about thirty miles from Ma
mia and the vessel got aground Nhlle
We were sitting about the deck playing
cards and waiting for the tide to rise, the
sound OF rife shots suddenly rang out
from the bushes on shore, about fifty
AZ
around US. We hunted cover in short or
der. and replied to the fire, but We could
not see the foe We learned afterward
that about 300 Fnipinos were engaged in
the attack. but we only saw one man,
and YOU may bet that he was so riddIed
with bullets that he resembled a sieve.
our little boat was well armed, but we
could not see the foe.
After an hour and a half of lighting,
Cadet Wood was terribly wounded m the
stomach. He ordered US to leave the YES
sci and attempt to escape across the river
in our small boat. Five men jumped into
the boat. and four of them Were almost
Immediately killed. The rest Of Us man
aged to get across. some swimming and
some in the boat Cadet Wood died be
fore reaching the other side
The FiIipinos had gotten across ahead
Of Us. however. and when We landed, four
of the survivors were Immediately over
powered. One escaped into the forest
temporarily. We were forced to kneel in
the mud willie our arms were bound be
hind Us over bamboo rods, and we expect
cd every minute to be our last
We were taken back across the river
and began a captivity that ended i've
months later. At our first stopping place
r 1f
chicken and rice The beer brought vivid
Thoughts Of home but We were too weary
to eat We were marched from town TO
town and treated well. On the third day.
at Porac. We narrowly missed recapture
by Gen Joe Wheeler. From the top Of a
hill We could see his artillery IN action
and his cavalry coming up through the
beautiful green giades- The Filipinos
thought it was time to move, and they
moved in d hurry. OF course We went
along. although We didn't care to.
We were kept lodging from village to
village for a week or more by the ener-
getiC Wheeler. A. one place We enCoun-
tered Aguinafdo and his moving capital
He had large quantities Of ammunition,
stores, food, and money, and gave orders
that all prisoners should be well treated
As long as We were near him We had
nothing to complain Of. We were well
fed. comfortably housed. and were given
money with which 10 buy cigarettes and
other things A number Of Governors Of
provinces and mayors Of towns did a
great deal 70 make our condition more
bearable. From time to time our ranks
were swollen by the arrival Of captured
American soldiers.
The Americans were hot on the trail
OF the Filipinos. however, and chased
them from the lOwIands into the noun
tains- Then our troubles increased:
About this time we began 10 ind traces OF
Lieutenant Gilmore and his party, who
had been captured April Y previous and
hurried into the mountains We saw
written on walls in numerous places the
words Barefoot, bareheaded, and hungry.
GiInnores men. headed north with LOCO
FiiipinOs-' We began to do little writ
ing ourselves. Among the prisoners was
the Manila agent Of q WeN-knoWn Amer
lean brewery, who had gone up river
to search for a missing cargo OF beer and
had been captured. He plasteTed the face
Of the country with the legend. Drink
- beer Mckinley and AguinaIdu
drink it The pursuing Americans said
that whenever they came across that sign
in the wilderness they became honesick-
After long and hard marches in the
mountains. lodging here and there to
get out of the way Of the fast following
American troops, we overlook the detach-
ment having charge Of Lieutenant Gil
more and his men on Thanksgiving Day,
1893. Il was at place called Bengutt. 1
remember we had a roast goat Tor dinner
that day. OF rather that night From then
Tweuty-One of Us were tied together with
a ror,e and compelled 10 march IN single
file through mud knee deep Sometimes
We had a little rice 10 eat and sometimes
nothing Our guards Jared no better. We
ate all the horses IL the command ana
that was the end of cur meat supply.
There were no monkeys belonging 70
the FfIiDnos that did not get along all
rl..ht We watched them and saw them
cat ac0rns and a little red berry There
after we roasted acornS and ate them and
ate the red berry, and 50 kept from starr
ing II you eat what a monkey does you
-Ciu be all right. The Filipnos would not
cat these things and had a hard time Of
il Orr clothing was in rags and We could
scarcely walk. The natives had planted
ends MP covered by leaves, and number
Of US were badly wounded l got 4 spear
thrust through one foot and an ankle
badly injured. soldier named Baker.
belonging to the Third Artillery, whose
home vas in Pittsburg- after several days
Of sickness from Chills became 80 III that
he could not walk. The FilIpinos thrust
bayOuets through him and left him dead
IN the forest
About this time Colonies Hare and
Howe who had set out to rescue LIeutSn-
ant Gilmore. were very near us. some
tines within a mile and a half The pur-
suit became so hot that the FiIpinoS
finally abandoned us on December lG in d
swift running river Fierce sdvHScs were
fend ourselves with Our plight was in
deed desperate.
Colonies Hare and Howe came up with
rH. Exhausted and starving men on De