The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1901-08-07
AN UNLIKELY TALE.
Aguinaldo Tells How He Was
Taken Prisoner
BY GENERAL FUNSTON.
What tha Little YalI.w General
Says Abou His Capture
In Everybody's Mag.

Palsnan is little village of houses
built of bamboo and thatched with nips
situated on the banks Of the river which
bears the same name, and somo si1
miles distant from tho seashore. 1t il
In one of the most isolated places in the
province of Isabella, in Northern Luzon
There are no ways of communication
with tho outside world except rougf
trails or footpaths that lead over The
mountains to tho west, to Ilagan, o.
south to Casigursn, and it's peaceful
population of somo twelve hundred
souls has heard very little of the tide cl
war which for four years has desolated
our country. Nevertheless when first
went there with my companions and
our little bsud of followers, ia the
month of September, 1900, | was re
ceived with enthusiasm by these simple,
hospitable people, and every thing that
they had was placed at my disposal.
was accompanied by DR.. Santiago Bar
celona and Col Simon Villa, my chief Of
staff. We had come seventeen soldiers,
who had followed us in all our wander
lngs over the mountains aud through
the forests of Northern Luzou. Bar
racks were furnished for these soldiers,
and house vas set apart for the reti-
denoe Of myself and my companions.
We lived here quietly for several
weeks, enjoying tho few diversions in
the way of amusement that the village
could off,r. There was fairly capable
band of music, and on Saturday and
Sunday afternoons it was accustomed to
give concerts in the plazi in front of
my house, followed sometimes by a
dance in the psrish house, next 10 the
church, for the young people of the
village.
This continued until November %,
when We received word that force of
| about fifty Americans was in the noun
teins not far off, apparently coming to
Palsnan. We has lily concealed all
documents and papers and other things
which might reveal our presence,in the
town, and then left the village aud went
into the mountains nearby, whsre we
remained in hiding until the Americans
went away, two or three days later.
Then we returned to the village and re-
'umed our tranquil exis.ence. Not long
after this occurrence or forces were
augmented by the arrival of soma fort y
men sent me by command of Major
Nssario Alhambra
During all this time we received the
Manila newspapers with moro or less
regularity, although they were always
considerable delayed in reaching us.
had the amusing experieGoe Of read
ing on several occasions the reports of
my OVID death, aud subsequently, a de-
tailed account of an imaginary cdvan-
ture in CSVite last December in which
was said to have narrowly escaped
being captured.
In January of this year Col Wills,
who wss growing tired OF our peaceful
ana uneventlul life, asked me to give
him command Of forces in the field In
any province of Luz IN, and it was de-
clded between US and DR. Barcelona to
make requisition on the commanding
othcer OF our forces in Central Luzon
for reinforcement Of four hundred
man. 1t was my intention to put these
men under the command Of Col wills
and to confer upon him the command
Of the military district Of the valley of
the Cagayan, which included the three
provinces of Cagsyan, Isabella and
Nleva Nisoaya. At the same time il
was decided to send orders to Brig Gen
Teodoro Sandiko, directing him to como
to Pslsnan to rolieve Col Villa as chief
ofstsff
Accordingly, with this in view, |
sent, on January Is, Private Cecilio
oeglsmundo, man throughly scquaint-
cd with the country IN Central Luzop,
to deliver several letters addressed to
the Off ,ers who were In command Of
our guerilla forces in thai territory.
We had no news whatever from our
messenger until March 20, upon which
date | received two sealed packages ),
which were delivered to ne by a man
from Casiguran, a town about fifty miles
south Of Palanan. These packages con-
tanned two letters, enc from Gen Ur-
bano Lakuns and the Other from Lieut.
Col Hlario Tai Plscido. Gen Lakuna
said In his letter, which was addressed
to me, that In accordance with my
orders Of January II he was sending
me one of his best guerills companies,
under command Of Lieut. Col Hilaria
Tai Placedo,snd Capt Lazlro Segovia
both OF whom he recommended for i'm
mediate promotion in recognition of the
valiant and very valuable services
which they had rendered.
The letter of Tai Plaoido was dated
IL Caaigurau on March II. In it he
said that, while on the march, near the
town Of Pontabangan, he had eucount-
cred party of ten Americans engaged
IN making maps and that In yiew Of tho
inferiOrity Of the esemy'5 force he had
attacked them and had succeeded in
killing and Wouuding FIVE Of them, tax
Ing the other five prisoners The dead
and wounded he had left on the field,
but the Prisoners were now with Ills
forco. The letter went on to sSy that
they had exhausted their supplies, and
he thought 1t would be necessary to
allow tie men to rest few daYs in
Ca3igurAn aud forage for moro pro.
visions.
Immediately upon receipt Of this let
ter | directed Col Villa 20 reply to it,
and to say that In view Of the oirouu.
stances It would not be wise to permit
these American prisoners to como into
Palauan, foI the reason that "a tho
event that they Woro sot free or oon-
riyed to escape thoy would bo ablo to
serve as guides to bring their country
men, down to Us. Ii seemed better
and Col Tai Fiecido was so dlre5.-
cd, that tho prisoners should bo left Ia
place called Dinunluugsn, when
Is about five miles from Palau1n,
under a guard Of eleven soldiers COM
manded by sergeant, who should be
instructed TO take the prisoners to Ila-