Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-12-27
LETTER FROM CAPT. RERSEY.
Former Maine officer Writes Of the Warn
Campaign in Samar.

Z General Selden Conner has received
All interesting letter from Capt Mark
l.. Herscy of the 9th u. S. Infantry
now campaigning in Samar where the
insnrrection has been most active. this
fall. Captain Hersey was formerly 10
Gated in Maine and has a host of
| friends mere. General Conner kindly
allows the journal to publish the fol-
lowing extracts from the letter:
! Oras, Samar. p. L.. Nov l. 1901.
We have been on Samar six months
on \ three months order and the in
surrection is not put down yet.
Through the treachcry of "a Presidente
{ company IF the 9Th was nearly ami
lilated AT Bala ngiga. as doubtless you
know. about six weeks ago. Only
eight men escaped uninjure,l. Per-
sonally | have three companies under
my command scattered as much as
safety will permit. and the death and
destruction we have wrought is such q
matter Of daily occurrence that we
grow familiar and uncOncerned there
at. TO illustrate. one of my sergeants
came in last Friday after a three days
scout after a local leader. His report
was thus: Il did not get my man, sir,
have three prisoners. nothing unusual
u report knowing his brevity of
speech I questioned him in detail and
found that he had killed nine men
tbolo mem in getting his three PRISON.
ers: had destroyed on the trail over
thirty houses ard had killed thirty
cafibaos. the Filipino substitute for
ok n. The sergeant. by the way, is one
John Gallant of Bath. Maine, a former
member OF the n. G.. S. NJ. and a for
mer workman of the Bath Iron Works.
He is as modest as he is brave. of
which ] can cite no better instance .
than the above where he had in per-
son. or with his section DC mem killed
nine bad men and thought it of such
small Importance compared with his
failure to get the man ne was sent for
as not to consider il worthy Of men
ton. We have rarely a day pass with +
out getting some of these bolo men
and in the only fight they have not run
on sight wekilled their ma jor, Asooillio.
This was done by my first sergeant.
Rickheart. who last year at the bottle
,r Tt,u-tsiu t.se .uat iu4t ahu1r th-
rrart. ami thinking IA va- diving. aaia
~ h- .it.rar trEiu. ;' Eeip Aim.
Never mina mv, lieutenant, + am
done for any way" No man ever had Il 4
closer call. but after Il years sick
leave ne is back, somewhat the worse
for wear. but with his nerve and splen-
did head unimpaired We have built
up A town of 5000 inhabitants from
nothing in the six months here, have a
small steam launch and many barotas
10 carry supplies. The features of civil
government are Of necessity added to
our duties. / have had two men badly
wounded by bamboo spear traps, bu+,
they have recovered.
These. with one man drowned, or eat
en- by an alligator. l am not sure
which. are our only casualties. This
IS a country 50 rugged and mountain
Gus. ana Yet so wet and full of dense
Iungles in the valleys that travel With
any ease has to be by rivers only.
We have literally to hew our way
when we go otherwise.
The Dras river, at the mouth of
which we are stationed, is navigable
for our launch for forty miles, and four
other rivers on the coast that flow into
me Pacific. within fifty miles of me /
reach as often as possible. We could
with great advantage use 4 regiment
v here we have three companies. but
am not prepared to say whether we
need them more than they do else
where.