Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-10-03
IN AMERICAN REVERSE.
Company c. Ninth Infantry, Almost
Annihilated by Filipinos
in Samar.
COMPANY ATTACKED AT BREAKFAST.
OF Seventy-Two Only Twenty-FOur Es-
capped, Eleven or These Being Wound
ed-AH the Company Stores, Ammuni-
tion and Rifles, Except Twenty-six
Rifles Were Lost.

SNFO~p
ed-AlI the Company Stores. mmun
ton and Rifles, Except Twenty-six
Rifles Were Lost.
Manila, Sept. 3O.-A disastrous fight
between United States troops and in
surgents occurred Saturday, in the
Island of Samar, near B~alangiga- A
large body of insurgents attacked
Company &C." Ninth infantry, only "a
members of the company escaping.
All the others are reported to have
been killed.
The company were at breakfast
when attacked, and made a determined
resistance, but the overwhelming num-
bers of the insurgents compelled them
to ~retreat.
Of the survivors, who have arrived
at Bazey, IL are wounded.
According to the latest returns the
strength of the company was ~. The
Connell, First Lieut.. Edward A. Bum
pus, and DIR. r. S. Griswold, surgeon.
Capt. Edwin V. Bookmiller, of the
Ninth infantry, reports that Gen.
Hughes is assembling a force to at
tack the insurgents.
The insurgents captured all the
stores and ammunition of the COM
pany and all the rifles except 26.
Washington, Sept. 30.-News of the
disastrous fight between troops of the
Ninth infantry n the insurgents in
the island of Samar, yesterday, was
sent promptly by Gen. Hughes, com.
manding in that island, to Gen. Chat
fee, at Manila, and by him transmit
ted to the war department. It
reached the department during the
early hours yesterday, and AdJt.-Gen.
Corbin, realizing it's Importance, at
once made it public, after sending a
copy to the White House.
Gen. Chaffee's dispatch, which agrees
with the press dispatch, is as follows:
Manila, Sept. 30.
"Adjutant General, Washington:
Hughes reports following from
Bsasey, southern Samar: T~wenty-four
men, Ninth regiment, U. S. I.-wound-
ed-have just arrived from Balangiga,
gents secured all company supplies
and all rifles except IL. Company was
attacked during breakfast on the
morning of September %. Company
was ~ strong. Officers: Thomas w.
Connolly, captain; Edward A. Bum
pus, first lieutenant; DR.. R.. S. Girls
void, major surgeon, escaped.
"CHAFFEE.'
The news created a sensation in Off
cial circles. 1t was the first severe
rcverse that has occurred for a long
time. Still the officials were not I'M
prepared for news of just this charac-
ter from Samar, in which the revolu-
ton started by Aguinaldo still ton-
tinues. Samar is a country about rs
large as the state of Ohio, and the
American forces of occupation num-
Der in all between two thousand and
twenty-five hundred men. These are
distributed among various posts in the
island, a large number being located
at the more important centers. Spain
V made any efforts to occupy Sa-
mar, and it only has been for proba-
bly, three months past hat the Unit
States has undertaken that work
The latest report made by Gen.
hughes 10 the WAL department WAS
that the number of insurgent rifles in
the island aggregated about three
hundred. The Filipinos carried on a
guerrilla warfare, and operations
against them we're difficult.
The disaster to Company C, of the
Ninth infantry, occurred, it is be-
lieved, while it was engaged in an ex-
petition to clear the country of row.
ing bands of these insurgents. The
fact that the Americans were attack
ed at breakfast indicates the daring
and pluck of the insurgents.
Immediately upon receipt of the dis
patch AdJt.-Gen. Corbin cabIed Gen.
Chaffee to send a complete report of
the fight and a list of the casualties.
\ well-known official of the govern
ment, in speaking of this outbreak
against the American forces in Samar,
said he regarded it as a consequence
of the assassination of President Nc
Kinley. In all probability the insur-
gents had received, he asid, only mea-
ger reports of the tragedy, and posi-
bly, believed the shooting to be the re-
suit of some popular outbreak against
the president. Natives had seized the
opportunity in the Pickering hope of
some of their lost ground.