The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1901-04-05

command of the provinces of Central
Luzon, supplementing General Ale
iandrino. Emilio Aguinaldo also
ordered that 400 men be sent him as
soon as possible, saying that the
bearer of the letters would guide these
men to where Aguinaldo was.
General Funston secured the cor
respondence of Aguinaldo's agent and
laid his plans accordingly. Some
months previously he had cnptured the
camp CT the insurgent General Lacuna,
incidentally obtaining Lacuna's seal,
official papers and a quantity of
signed correspondence. From this
material, two letters we're constructed,
ostensibly from Lacuna to Aguinaldo.
One of these contained information as
to the progress of the war The other
asserted that, pursuant to orders re-
ceived from Baldermero Aguinaldo,
Lacuna was sending his best company
to Presidente Emilio Aguinaldo.
His plans completed and approved,
General Funston came to Manila and
organized his expedition, selecting
seventy-eight Macabebes, all of whom
spoke Tagalog luently. Twenty wore
insurgent uniforms and the otherslthe
dress of Filipino laborers. This Mac
abebe company, armed with fifty
Mausers, eight Remingtons and ten
Krag-J orgensens, was commanded by
Captain Russell Y. Hazard, of the
Eleventh United States volunteer
cavalry. With him was his brother,
Lieutenant Olive p. NJ. Hazard, of
the same regiment; Captain Harry w.
Newton, Thirty-fourth infantry, was
taken because of his familiarity with
Casiguran bay, and Lieutenant Bur
ton j. Mitchell, Fortieth infantry,
went as Funston's aide. These were
the only Americans accompanying the
leader of the expedition.
With the Macabebes were four eX-
insurgent officers, one being Span
lard and the other three Tagalos,
whom General Funston trusted inn
plicitly.
General Funston and the officers wore
plain blue shirts and khaki trousers.
They each carried half blanket, but
wore no insignia of rank. The Maca
bebes were carefully instructed to obey
the orders of the eX-insurgent officers.
On the night of March s, the party
embarked on the United States gun
boat Vicksburg. 1t was originally
intended to take cascoes from the
island of Polillo and to drift to the
mainland, but storm arose and three
of the cascoes we're lost. This plan
was abandoned. At 2 p. m, March
IA, the Vicksburg put her lights out
and ran in-shore twenty-five miles
south of Casiguran, province of Prin-
cipe. The party landed and marched
to Casiguran. The Americans had
never garrisoned this place, and the
inhabitants are strong insurgent SYM
pathizers. Having arrived there, the
ex.insurgent officers, ostensibly com
handing the party, announced that
they were on their way to join Aguin.
aldo between Pauiobang and Baler,
that they had surprised an American
surveying party and that they hat
killed number, capturing five. They
exhibited General Funston and the
other Americans as their prisoners.
The insurgent presidente of Cast
guran believed the story. Two of tn,
Lacuua letters, previously concocted,
were forwarded to Aguinaldo at Pala-
nan, province of Isabella. Genera
Funston and the others we're kept i'm
prisoned for three days, surreptitious
ly giving orders at night. On tn,
morning of March II. taking small
quantity of cracked corn, the part,
started on ninety march tc
Palanan. The country is rough ant
uninhabited, and provisions could no
be secured. The party ate small shell
fish, but were almost starved. Wad
ing swift rivers climbing PERCEPTION
, mountains and penetrating dens
iungles, they marched seven days an
, nights and on March % had reached
point eight miles from Palanan. The
were nov so weak that it was necessar
to send to Aguinaldo's camp for food
Aguinaldo dispatched supplies an
: directed that the American prisoner
, be kindly treated, but not allowed t
enter the town.
On the morning of March % the &C
vance was resumed. The column wa
j met by the staff officers of Aguinald
= and detachment of Aguinaldo' body
l. guard, which was ordered to TAX
S charge of the Americans.
While one of the insurgent officer
j. conversed with Aguinaldo's aide, a
o other, Spaniard, sent a courier
S warn General Funston and the res
IS who, with eleven Macabebes, wei