The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-11
now LIEUT.. PAsco FELL.
Graphic story of Gallant FIOridian's
Death
From Jacksonville Metrop1

From Jacksonville Metropolis.
The tragic fate Of Lieut.. William D.
Paseo. son Of Senator Pasco of Monticel-
10, Fla, in the Philippines, last October,
is recalled by the accompanying letters.
one of which was written by Lieut.. Pasco
to the Washington Post the day before ne
fell victim to the insurreetos, who am
pushed his party. In that letter he wrote
Of the trouble experienced by the forces
in Panay in receiving their mail, and
asked the services of the Post in behalf
of the men in having the evident abuse
or neglect righted.
Called away to attack the insurgents in
their intrenchments. some miles from
camp. he left the letter upon his desk
and there ii was found by Assistant Sur
geon O'Neili, who forwarded it with a
graphic account Of how the gallant lieu
tenant fell, and how his death was aveng-
ed by his men. The two letters make in
themselves a complete and most interest
ing chapter of life in the Philippines.
Surgeon o Neil's letter reads:
Dao, Panay, P. T. Nov. 10. 1900 Editor
Post-I inclcse a letter from Lieut.. W.
d. Fasco, son of Senator Pasco of Flor
ida, who was killed by an ambushing
party of insurreetos near Cuartero. Oct.
%. He had written this letter Saturday
evening. and left it upon his desk. Early
Sunday morning he started out with a
small detail TO disodge a party of insur-
gents who were said to be intrenched near
Dumarao. He found and destroyed the
trenches, but, as usual, the insurgents
had received notice of his coming aud
were not there.
Next morning, with detail consisting
OF a corporal and eight privates, the lieu
tenant started on the return to Dao, where
he was commanding officer. They came
down the Panay river on native house
boat. Near Cuartero they were fired upon
from both banks Of the river by an am
bushing party. The first voiey killed
Privates Enrix and Meador and wounded
Private Roscoe King. That left but seven
men to fight forty.
Lieut.. Pasco emptied his revolver. then
handing it to private to reload, took the
soldiers gun and fired the five shots from
the magazine. By that time the boat had
touched the bank, and, taking his re-
volver again, the lieutenant was the first
to jump ashore, in the very face of a
heavy fire. He fired one more shot, and
then fell, with a ball through his neck.
He never spoke after he was struck.
Lieut.. Pasco was very popular with his
men, and his death, instead of ending the
fight, was really only the beginning. The
six men left charged up the steep bank
and put the enemy to flight, after killing
their captain and five privates and
wounding four others.
Lieut.. Pasco entered the service in 1898,
and served in Cuba with the Third Regi-
ment of Volunteer Engineers. He came
to the Philippines in the fall of 1899, and
was assigned to duty in the province of
Capiz, the island of Panay. For the
past nine months he had been in com
mand of K Company, Eighteenth Infan-
try, stationed at Dao. ]. A. O'Neill,
Asst Surgeon, u. S. Infantry.
Dao Panay, p. l., Sept 3d. 1900 -Editor
Post: I take the liberty of a subscriber
to request you to make some editorial
note of the mail system in the Philippine
Islands, and furnish you with few facts.
Yesterday received the Washington Post
of July T. together with some later edi-
tons. Nearly a month ago l received pa
pers of July 1st. I'd, Sd, 4th 5th and Sth.
The paper of the 9Th has not yet reached
me This is not an exceptional case.
Yesterday l received a letter post
marked Washington, May a."
have on one or two occasions received let
| ters from the Eastern States only forty
days old. The company which I have the
honor to command has been stationed at
an interior town in one of the southern
| islands for nine months, and all this time
| without any regular communication with
the outside world. The mail is sent if
there happens TO be detail coming this
way. If not. it waits at our immediate
port until there is.
Manila growls about her mail system,
and thinks it an outrage if the boats are
delayed a small matter of three days
| Then It stays in Manila indefinitely; then
ditto at Iloilo and ditto at our immediate
station.
While all this is going on the press in
the states speaks in glowing terms of our
mail system out here, and tells how much
money it has made for the government
| know personally, that the natives here
get their Manila papers from week to
ten days earlier than the Americans do,
and we have a civilized mail system
while they have none.
We are out here in a foreign land away
from home and friends and nearly all the
comforts of life. We stand that without
one word of complaint, but we do object
to the way we are treated in regard to
mails. IL you will kindly make some edi-
torial comment on this matter the army
in the Philippines viii be gratifed.
Very respectfully,
William ID. Pasco