River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-04-04
FUNSToN'S STORY.
The Daring General Tells of the Cap
ture of Aguinaldo--A Wcll-Laid
and Clever Plan.

Manila, March 29.-Gen. Fred Fun
ston, who on March % captured Gen.
Emilio Aguinaldo, when interviewed
Thursday, made the following state
ment concerning the capture of the
Filipino leader:
The confidential agent of AguInaldo ar
rived February IS at Pantabangan, in the
province of Nueva Ecija northern LuZ6n.
with letters dated January II, u and H.
These letters were from Emilio Agunaldo
and directed Baldermero Aguinaldo to
take command of the provinces of Central
Luzon. supplantIng Gen. Alejandrino.
Emilio Aguinaldo also ordered that 400
men be sent him as soon as possible say
ing that the bearer of the letters would
guide these men 10 where Aguinaldo was.
Gen. Funston secured the correspondence
of Aguinaldos agent and laid his plans
accordingly. Some months previously he
had captured the camp of the insurgent
general Lacuna, incidentally obtaining La
euna's seal. official papers and quantity
of signed correspondence. From this ma
terial two letters were constructed, osten-
sibly from Lacuna to Aguinaldo. One o.
these contained information as to the prog
ress of the war The other asserted that,
pursuant to orders received from Balder-
nero Agunaldo. Lacuna was sending his
best company to President Emilio Agui-
naldo
His plans completed and approved. Gen.
Funston came to Manila and organized his
expedition, selecting IS Macabebes. all Of
whom spoke Tagalog fiuently. Twenty
wore insurgent uniforms, and the others
the dress of Filipino laborers This Maca-
bebe company, armed with 90 Mausers,
Is Remingtors and ten Krag-Jorgensens,
was commanded by Capt. Russell T. Haz-
card, of the Eleventh United States volun-
teer cavalry. With him was his brother.
Lieut.. Oliver p. M. Hazard. of the same
regiment. Capt Harry w. Newton, Thir-
ty-fourth infantry, was taken because
OF his familiarity with Casiguran bay
and Lieut. Burton J. Mitchell. Fortieth
infantry, went as Gen. Funstons aid
These We're the only Americans accompany
ing the leader of the expedition. With the
Macabebes were four ex-insurgent officers
one being a Spaniard and the other three
Tagalos, whom Cen Funston trusted inn
picitly. Gen. Funston and the officers
wore plain blue shirts and Khaki trousers.
| They carried each a half blanket, but
wore no insignia of rank. The Macabebes
were carefully instructed to obey the or
ders of the four ex-insurgent officers.
| On the night OF March the party en-
barked on the United States gunboat Vicks
| burg. 1t was originally intended to take
| cascoes from the island of Polillo and to
| and three of the cascoes were lost. This
plan was abandoned. At two a. ~, March
| IA. the Vicksburg put her lights out and ran
inshore Is miles south of Caslguran, prov
| ince of Principe. The party landed and
marched to Casiguran The Americans
! had never garrisoned this place, and the in
| habitants are strong insurgent sympa
thizers. Having arrived there, the ex-in-
surgent officers, ostensibly commanding
the party, announced that they were on
| the way to join Aguinaldo between Pauto
| bang and Baler, that they had surprised
an American surveying party and that
| they had killed a number. capturing five.
| They exhibited Gen. Funston and the other
Americans as their prisoners.
| The insurgent presidente Of Casiguran
| believed the story. Two of the Lacuna let
| ters previously concocted, were forward
| ed to Aguinaldo at Palanan, province Of
| Isabella. Gen. Funston and the others were
| kept imprisoned for three days, surrep-
| titiously giving orders at night. On the
/ morning of March Il. taking a small guam
| tity of cracked corn, the party started on
! a 90-nlile march to Palanan. The country
| is rough and uninhabited, and provisions
could not be secured. The party ate small
| shell fish, but were almost starved. Wad-
ing SWIFT rivers, climbing precipitous
mountains and penetrating dense jungles.
| they marched seven days and nights and
|
miles from Palanan. They were now SC
weak that it was necessary to send to Agui.
| haldo's camp for food Aguinaldo DIS.
| patched supplies and directed that the
American prisoners be kindly treated, but
not be allowed to enter the town.
On the morning of March % the advance
was resumed. The column was met by the
staff officers of Aguinaldo and a detach-
mentof Aguinaldo's body guard. which was
| ordered to take charge of the Americans.
| While one of the eX-insurgent officers con.
versed with Aguinaldo's aid, another u
! Spaniard, sent a courier to warn Gen Fun
ston and the rest who, with II Macabebes
were about an hour behind. Having re-
ceived this warning, Gen. Funston avoided
Aguinaldo's detachment and Joined the
| column, avoiding observation. The Taga-
| los went ahead to greet Aguinaldo and the
| column slowly followed, finally arriving al
| Palanan. Agunaldo's household troops,
| so men in neat uniforms of blue and white,
and wearing straw hats. lined up to receive
! the newcomers. Gen. Funston's men
! crossed the river in small boats. formed on
| the bank and marched to the right and then
in front of the insurgent grenadiers. The
| Tagalos entered the house where Aguinal-
! do was.
Suddenly the Spanish officer, noticing
that Aguinaldos aid was watching the
| Americans suspiciously exclaimed: Now,
] Macabebes go for them" The Macabebes
| opened fire, but their aim was rather in
effective. and only three insurgents were
killed. The rebels returned the ire on
hearing the firing, Agulnaldo. who evident
| ly thought his men were merely celebrat-
| Ing the arrival of reenforcements, ran to
| the window and shouted: stop that foot
ishness; quit wasting ammunition"
Hilario Placido. one of the Tagalog Off
| GERS and a former insurgent major, who
was wounded in the lung by the fire of the
! Kansas regiment at the battle of Caloocan,
threw his arms around Aguinaldo, exclaim-
| ing: You are prisoner of the Amerl-
| cans"
Col. Simeon Villa. Aguinaldo's chief OF
staff. Mai. Alambra and others attacked
the men who were holding Aguinaldo.
Placido shot Villa in the shoulder Alam-
bra jumped out of the window and attempt
ed to cross the river 1t is supposed that he
was drowned. Five other insurgent off.
GERS fought for a few minutes and then
| fled. making their escape
When the firing began Gen Funston as.
stunned command and directed the attack
on the house, personally assisting in the
capture of Aguinaldo The insurgent
| bodyguard fed, leaving 20 rifles. Santiago
| Barcelona, the insurgent treasurer, sur
rendered without resistance
Aguinaldo. who talked freely of past
| events, said he supposed Gen. Trias would
| proclaim himself dictator. even not know