Evening star., 1901-07-13
Official Statement of the Capture of
Aguinaldo.
DETAILS OF The EXPEDITION
How the Insurgent Chief Was First
Located.
PERILS A ND H RID S II IP S

One of the most decisive, as well as one
of the most dramatic, events of the cam
paign in the Philippines was the capture
of the insurgent leader Agulnaldo, by the
Macabebe scouts, Under the personal COM
mand of Gen. Frederick Funston, the val
liant Kansas volunteer. General Funston
official report of that thrilling expedition
was made public by Acting Adjutant Cen
eral Ward at the War Department today.
1t is dated San Isidro, province of Nueva
Ecija, department of northern Luzon, May
g. 1901, and is in part follows:
On January 8 of the present year a ma
tive who gave his name as Cecilio Sigis-
rnundo presented himself to First Lieut..
j. D. Taylor, oath Infantry, commanding
the station of Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija,
and said that he had been sent by Emilio
Aguinaldo to deliver important dispatches
to Baldomero AgIinaldO Urbano Lacuna,
Pablo Tecson, Simon Tecson. Teodoro San
dico and other insurgent chiefs.
Among the correspondence given up by
this man were about twenty letters from
Aguinaldo or some OF the officers with him
to insurgents In various parts of LuZon.
There was also a considerable number of
letters from soldiers of Aguinaldo's escort
to their friends.
A letter to Baldomero Aguinaldo was IN
cipher and was worked out with much diff
f1culty, as We did not have the key. This
presumably in the province Of Cavite, to
take command of The central provinces of
Iuzon and as soon as possible to select
400 armed men from various bands and
send them to the writer Emilio Aguinaldo.
The bearer of the dispatches, the man,
Ceciio Sigismundo, was to tell him the
exact whereabouts of Emilio Aguinaldo,
and was to serve a guide for the first
detachment of the expected reinforcements.
This man. IN reply to a question, stated
that he had received instructions from
Aguinaldo to conduct to Palanan any in
surgent soldiers who might be sent there.
Plan of Capture Suggested.
My plan for the expedition to attempt the
capture of Aguinaldo Is shown by the fol-
lowing letter to your headquarters:
SAN ISIDRO, Province of Nueva Ecija,
February II, 1901.
The Adjutant General, Department Of
Northern Luzon, Manila, P. l.
Sir: have the honor to suggest the fol-
lowing plan for the capture of Aguiualdo,
who. from recent developments. is known
to certainly be at Palanan, province of
Isabella.
Before stating the plan wish to call at
tention to the following facts. cleaned
partly from the captured letters and part
1y from the native Cecilio Sigismundo, who
brought through the correspondence. Agui-
naldo has in these letters ordered Simon
Tecson, Sandico and Baldomero Aguinaldo
to send him troops as soon as possible,
tachments. The man himself corroborates
this by stating that Aguinaldo gave him
verbal instructions to guide back to Pala-
nan the first one of the columns to come
through. Aguinaldo will consequently be
expecting the column guided by this man.
My plan Is to take a company of Mac
abebes to Manila, arm them with Mausers
and Remingtons, dress them partly in in
surgent uniform and partly in the clothing
of the country, take one Of the navy light
draft gunboats and be landed at night on
east coast Of Luzon south OF Casiguran.
Four five officers would be with them,
the time came for action. 1 would take
Natividad and several other eX-insurgent
officers, who would act officers of the
column until the time came to throw of
the disguise. Upon arrival at Casiguran,
which we would do by marching along the
beach, I'VE would call on the presidente
(an insurgenO to supply us with neces-
and would send forward a letter signed by
Natividad that we were reinforcements
from Nueva Ecija, coming in obedience to
his orders.
1 believe that we could deceive him until
we were in his presence. and the rest would
be easy. Up to this time the American off,
GERS would be prisoners nominally. 1t is
not likely that Aguinaldo knows that Ma
tividad has presented himself, but still con-
siders him in his service. The native SIgts-
mundo is more than willing to play his
part All details can be worked out salts
factorily and plan ought to succeed, though
there is no doubt that great hardships will
be endured 1t should be done before Apui-
naldo learns that his courier has presented
himself and given up the letters. 1t would
be necessary to pay the Tagalos who go as
supposed officers pretty liberally-of course
contingent on success. If the plan is ap-
proved may 1 be notified by wire in order
to make preparations?
Respectfully.
(Signed) FREDERICK FUNSTON
Brigadier General IT, g. "
Selection of the Force,
Upon receipt of the above communication
the department commander ordered me to
Manila for consultation and approved the
plan, did also the division commander
who arranged with the admiral command
ing the ASiatic station to secure the sery-
ices of naval vessel to transport the ex-
pedition. The necessity for me to return
to San Isidro for several days caused a
delay in the departure Of the expedition,
and 1t was not until March 8 that we en-
barked on the United States ship Vicks-
burg, Commander E. B. Barry command
ing.
Before going on the yicksburg all neces-
sary preliminaries had been arranged From
Company D, LIST Battalion. Macabebe
Scouts eighty-one men had been selected
by the company commander, Capt. r. T.
Hazard, 11th Cavalry, U. 8. V. These
men were chosen because Of their su-
perior physique and intelligence and their
ability to speak Tagalo. Captain Hazard
went in command of the company, assisted
by his brother. First Lieut.. O. P. M. Haz-
gard OF the 11th Cavalry, U. s. v. The
Macabebes were clothed partly In insurgent
uniforms and partly in the clothing Of the
country. All except ten, who carried
Krag-Jorgensens, were armed with Mauser
and Remington rifles. All articles Of their
equipment as American scouts were dis
carded, and they could in no way be dis
tlnguished from a band of insurgent SOL
diers The question of finding several Ta-
galos OF undoubted reliability to be passed
on as the officers OF this supposed insurgent
force was one Of great difficulty 1t was
round necessary to abandon the original
intention to use Joaquin Natividad.
IN addition to Capt. Hazard and Lieut..
hazzard. the two officers of the Maccabebe
company, l selected Capt. Harry w. New
ton. 34th Infantry, U. s. ", and First
Lieut. B. j. Mitchell. 10th Infantry, u 8.
W to accompany me. Capt. Newton was
CHOSEN because of his having once visited
Casiguran bay. where we expected to land.
Lieut. Mitchell was my personal aid.
Sailing of the Vicksburg.
The Vicksburg, with the expedition on
board, sailed from Manila for the cast
coast Of Luzon on March by way Straits
San Bernardino. During the voyage from
Manila the natives. both Tagalos and
MacabebeS were carefulIy In CT IN