Evening star., 1901-09-30
OFFICERS ALL KILLED
Late Reports From Manila Increase
Disaster at Balangiga.
OVER FORTY MEN WERE LOST
Gen. Hughes Off to the Scene O
the Fight.
COMMAND WAS SURPRISED

| rival of Sergt. Markley and one private al
! Tannan from the fight at Balangiga, wher'
| over forty men of Company c, 9th Infantry
were killed by insurgents, who attacked the
| troops while at breakfast Saturday last
| The men who have reached Tannan say
| that the officers of the company, who were
| at first reported to have escaped, were Kill
| ed with the majority of the company. The
| troops were attacked while unprepared by
| 400 bolomen, Of whom the Americans kllec
about 140. Many of the soldiers were Mil
| ed in their quarters before they had time
| to grasp their rifles
Gen. Hughes is going to the scene of the
disaster and will personally command the
| troops
A new branch of the Katipunan has beer
discovered at Tarlac, capital of the prov
| ince Of that name. The object of the SO.
ciety is the slaughter of the whites. Mar.
celino Mariville, president of Banoang, is
the chief of the new branch, which In
cludes numbers of the native constabulary
who were recently armed. One Policeman
admits that he was taxed a dollar and
was ordered to make bolos. regular col
lection has been made by the organization
from the natives either by persuasion OF
threats, and an uprising had been planned
for an early date.
The conditions in Tayabas and Batangas
are not reassuring. The worst form OF
guerrilla warfare prevails there. The in
surgent forces are distributed, Under cover,
along every road and trail. and wait for
travellers in ambush. The insurgent leader,
Caballos, who formerly belonged to Gen.
Cailles' command but who refused to sur
render with Cailles, is retreating to the
mountains. The main forces of the insur-
gents are scattered in bands over the prov
ince, where they dig up rifles when there
is an opportunity to use them.
First Report of the Disaster.
A dispatch from Manila yesterday says:
A disastrous fight between United States
troops and insurgents occurred yesterday
in the Island of Samar, near Balangiga. A
| large body of insurgents attacked Company
c, 9th Infantry, only twenty-four members
of the company escaping. All the others
are reported to have been killed.
The company were at breakfast when at
tackled, and made a determined resistance;
but the overwhelming numbers of the in
surgents compelled them to retreat.
OF the survivors, who have arrived at
Basey, eleven are wounded. According to
the latest returns the strength of the COM
pany was seventy-two. The survivors In
clude Capt. Thomas w. Conne1l, First
Lieut. Edward A Bumpus, and DR.. r. S.
Capt. Edwin V. Bookmiller Of the 9th
Infantry reports that Gen. Hughes Is as
sembling force to attack the insurgents.
The insurgents captured all the stores and
ammunition of the company, and all the
rifles except twenty-siX.
Capt. Lawrence J. Hearn Of the 2lst In
fantry reports an engagement with inSur-
gents near Candelaria the Americans los
ing one killed and two wounded. The in
surgent loss has not been ascertained. The
Americans captured $1,000 pounds of rice
and several hundred rounds of ammunition.
Views of Otis and Macarthur.
General Elwell s. Otis, in command of
the department of the lakes, said ip an in
terview in Chicago last night, that the
slaughter of members of Company c, Of
the 9th Infantry, in Samar, did not mean
that there is anything like widespread re-
volt in that province. Concerning the dis
aster, General Otis said:
"Samar is in the department of Visaya,
over which Brigadier General Hughes has
command. This department includes all
the central islands OF the Philippine arch
ipelago. During the last month our SOL
diers have been active in an attempt to
subdue rebellion, which is confined to the
boundaries of that island. The insurgent
leader, Lucban heads the natives, and he
and his Tagalo followers have been instru-
mental in keeping alive the spirit of OPP
position to this governments authority
there.
THE location of the ambuscade is In
southern Samar. Of which the Inhabitants
Lucban got party of bOlomen together
and surprised the American soldiers while
at breakfast. I think 'Lucban knows
something about the attack at any rate
There has been trouble in that section for
two years. and the character of the coun-
try and the barbarity Of the natives COM
bine to make its suppression difficult"
General Arthur Macarthur, who is in
Milwaukee, in commenting on the disast-
er. said:
This is one OF those deplorable, isolated
Incidents which will have no effect upon
the general result. It Is a portion of the
insurrection which has been conducted BY
General Lucban, which has never been
suppressed. There are plenty of soldiers
the island of Samar. The details are too
meager for me to discuss the subject The
dispatch contains all the information that
can be had at this time. can add moth
Gen. ChaHee's Report.
News of the disastrous fight between
troops Of the 9th Infantry and the insur-
gents in the Island of Samar was sent
promptly by General Hughes. commanding
in that island. to General Chaffee at Ma
nila, and by him transmitted to the War
Department 1t reached the department
during the early hours yesterday, and Ad-
jutant General Corbin, realizing its i'm
portance, at once made 1t public, after
sending copy to the White House Cen
Hughes reports following received from
Bassey. southern Samar: "a men Company
c, 9th Regiment u S. Infantry, IL wound
ed, has just arrived from Balangiga. re-
mainder company killed; insurgents Sc
cured all company supplies and all rifles
except 8. Company was attacked during
breakfast, morning September IS; company
72 strong; officers Thomas w. Connali,
captain; Edward A Rumpus, first lieuten-
ant; DR.. R. s. Griswold major surgeon.
Investigation will be made
The company attacked was Company c.
which was portion of the 9th Regiment
of Infantry, which went to China at the
time of the Boxer outbreak, and which
there performed valiant service Later, the
troops went to Manila and were engaged in
provost duty In that city. During the past
summer battalion of the 9th was sent
to Samar. All the officers connected With
Company C. which was almost wiped ont
by the Insurgents, are named in General
Chahee's dispatch there being no second
lieutenant now with the company. Csrp-
tain Thomas W. Connell who commanded
the company. was appointed to the Mill
tary Academy from New York in Septcm-
Der. 1880, and First Lieut.. Bumpsis was ,lr-
pointed to the army from Massachusetts,.
having served as a private in Company A,
list Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Sur
geon Griswoid Is a recent addition to the