The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-07-31
How AguinaIdo was Captured.

After talking with Tai Placido and
Segovia for fifteen or twenty minutes,
I gave orders that the newly arrived
men be allowed to fall out and go to
rest in the quarters which had been
prepared for them, says Emilio .Aguil
naldo in Everybody's Magazine. Cap
tain Segovia Immediately left the
house and returned to the place where
his men were drawn up waiting for
him. As he came up to them Sego-
via, in loud voice, gave an order which
we did not hear distinctly and did not
understand. Instantly his men began
to shoot at the soldiers of my guard,
taking them completely by surprise.
When the firing began, not suspect
ing any plan against myself, l thought
it was salute with blank cartridges,
and having this in mind, ran to the
window and cried out several times,
"Cease firing But seeing that the
firing continued, and that the bullets
from the rifles of the attacking party
were directed against me as well as
against the soldiers of my guard, for
the first time realized that the new
comers were enemies. I hurriedly left
the window and ran into another room
in the hope of finding some means of
escape, but saw at once that the house
was already surrounded. Then seiz-
ed a revolver, intending to defend my
self. DR.. Barcelona threw both arms
around me, crying out, ''Don't sac
rifce yourself. The country needs
your life. - Thus I was prevented
from carrying out my intention. Col
onel Villa ran from the house in an
attempt to break through the lines of
the enemy and rally our men, but he
was shot three times and finally taken
prisoner.
When the firing commenced, Tai
Placido threw himself down on the
floor to avoid the bullets, but now he
got up and told us that we were pris-
oners of the Americans, who, he said,
were on the other side of the river
with four hundred American soldiers,
and would soon be here. Just at this
time several of Tai Placido's soldiers
came into the house shouting, "Hur
rah for the Macabebes!'' and sur
rounded Barcelona and myself. A lit
tie later FIVE Americas, all armed
with carbines, came into the room
where we were. They came up to Us,
and one of them asked, (Which of you
is Aguinaldo?' AS soon as I had
been identified by the Americans |
was placed. with Dr. Barcelona and
Colonel Villa, in of the rooms of the
house, and guards were posted at all
the windows and doors, under COM
mand of one of the Americans. The
other four Americans then began to
search the house for whatever papers
and documents might be there.
We were then informed that our cap
tors were General Funston, Captains
Newton and Hazard, and Lieutenants
Hazard, and Mitchell.
The next morning, March Oath, l
had conference with General Funs
ton, in which I was told by him that
on the next day there would arrive in
the bay of Palanan warship which
would take US to Manila. In the
course of the day he Informed me of
the plan which had resulted in our
capture fate which I had believed
would never befall me. It appears
that my messenger, Private Segis-
mundo, fell into the hands of General
Funston, and the letters which he car
ried suggested to the general the plan
which was subsequently carried out so
brilliantly. The letter which had
received on the 10Th, and which I sup
posed had come from General Lakuna,
ws forgery executed with the great
est cleverness. It was complete IN all
its details, even bearing the seal of
Lakuna, and there never occurred to
me the least suspicion of its authen-
ITCHY. / had not the slightest doubt
from that time up to the instant of the
commencement of the attack which
ended in my capture. 1t was a bold
plan, executed with skill and clever
ness in the face of difficulties which,
to most men, would have seemed insur-
mountable.