Evening star., 1901-06-14
COL. ALBA'S SURRENDER
DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENT ny
LIEUT.. JAMES LYNCH, U. s. M. C.
Interesting Letter to His Father,
Which Gives Graphic View of
Filipino Character.

| Mr. John Lynch, jr., of this city has re-
ceived an interesting letter from his son
Lieut.. James Lynch, U. S. NJ. c., who is
stationed at the United States arsenal
Olongapo, Subig bay. In the Philippines.
In the course of his missive Lieut.. Lynch
says he has built himself small house
about 300 yards from headquarters near the
beach. Describing the structure, he writes:
Il have one big room. which has three
doors, one opening into small bath room
in the rear, the others opening on porch,
which runs around two sides of the house.
Most of my time is spent on the porch, and
for the last week I have slept there. The
house is of bamboo and nipa, just like the
native houses, and very cool and comforta-
BILE. 1t cost SIS Mexican to build. or little
over $37 in our money. l have a very good
servant
Continuing, Lieut.. Lynch wrote as fol-
lows:
Spent u Night With Insurrectos.
'Last Thursday we heard shots fired across
the bay. They were fired by the Filipino
Col. Alba. to attract our attention. His
adjutant and bugler came in under a flag
of truce to talk over terms of surrender.
We opened up champagne for them and
treated them cordially. When they left l
got Col. Goodrelis S permission and returned
with them to visit their camp, and stayed
over night. l told them about the free and
equal principles of the Constitution of the
United States and talked with their colonel
until 3 am. He then gave me a blanket
and pillow to turn in with on the ground.
They had fun with me- They told me they
were going to hold me prisoner of war,
and when l said l didn't mind. they said
they would release me in the morning and
that I could write home that had been
prisoner in an insurrecto camp for one
night. Next morning Col. Alba introduced
l. yIo hae. !, tn,
the field and the camp for over two years.
Col. Alba was the one who shot us up on
the gunboat last spring, about which L
wrote you, and Mrs. Alba was present on
that occasion. She is very good looking.
She gave me a cigarette, lit one herself
and, after we had chat, Col. Alba sent me
home in canoe.
The Surrender.
yesterday morning, April 8. the whole
outfit came in and surrendered their arms
and ammunition and took the oath of al
legiance to the United States. 1t was the
biggest surrender so far in this part of the
island. Earlier in the morning Colonel
Goodrell sent Captain Draper out across
the causeway to meet Alba and his troops
and sent me with him as aid to escort them
in for the surrender. Our command was
drawn up at the arsenal gate in battalion
front to receive them, and after they got
into the yard they were formed in line and
Alba made speech to them. They then
surrendered rifles and ammunition and took
the oath. Among the rifles was one which
belonged to Welsh. one Of our men who was
killed by them up the river year ago. l
have started a subscription among the
men of his old company who came here
originally to buy this rifle from the gov
ernment arsenal and sent it home to
Welsh's people.
Among the men who surrendered was
Captain Billigan, who commanded the Fill
pino camp we burned few weeks ago Up
on the mountain top. He said he saw us
coming, that we had more men than he
did, and so they ran. He also said he knew
my face, having seen me many times when
1 was out with detachments on scouting
trips. He said that when he returned to
his camp after we burned it the only things
that remained were ashes and three pet
monkeys. Two of the Filipino officers who
surrendered gave me their daggers, which
they wear we do swords, embraced me,
said we were now brothers, and for me to
keep the daggers to remember them by.
If ever get back to 1920 N street I'll hang
them in the billiard room.'
Lieutenant Lynch has been acting cap
tain of Company H for the past four
months. and at present is the only officer
in the company.