The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-04-04
HAND TO HAND STRUGGLE

Resistance Was Desperate But Of
Short Duration.-Party En-
dured Many Hardships.
A Manila special says: Aguinaldo,
who was captured by General Funston
and brought to Manila on the United
States gunboat Vicksburg, was brought
ashore at $40 p. M. Thursday and
taken before General Macarthur at
the Malacanang palace. He talked
freely, but seemed ignorant concerning
recent events. He appeared to be in
good health and was even cheerful.
He lunohed with the officers of General
MacArthur's staff and was then escort
ed to the Anda street Jail.
Aguinaldo's capture was attended
with considerable difficulty, an insur-
gent major being killed at the time Of
the event. Twenty rifles and q num-
Der of important papers were csptur-
ed.
General Fred Funston. who captur-
ed Aguinaldo, wheninterviewed, made
the following statement concerning
the capture of the Filipino leader:
The confidential agent of Aguinaldo
arrived February 2Sth at Pantabangan,
In the province of Nueva Ecija, north
esn Luzon. with letters, dated Janu-
cry II, IL and IA. These letters were
from Emilio Aguinaldo and directed
to Baldermero Aguinaldo to take COM
msnd of the provinces of Central Lu-
zon. supplanting General Ale1andrina.
Emilio Aguinaldo also ordered that
four hundred men be sent him as soon
a. possible, saying that the bearer OF
the letters would guide these men to
where Againaldo was.
General Funston secured the CORE
spondence of Aguinaldo's agents and
laid his plans accordingly. Some
mouths previously he had captured the
camp Of the insurgent general Lacuna'
ineidently obtaining Lacuna's seal, Of
fieial papers and quantity OF signed
correspondence. From this material
two letters we're constructed, ostensi'
bly, from Lacuna to Aguinaldo.
One of these contained information
as to the progress of the war. The
other asserted that, pursuant to orders
received from Baldermero Aguinaldo,
Lacuna was sending his best company
to Presidente Emilio Aguinaldo.
His plans completed and approved,
General Funston returned to Minlla
and organized his expedition, selecting
ssventy-eight Macabebes, all of whom
spoke Tsgalog fuently. Twenty wore
insurgent uniforms and the others the
clothing of Filipino laborers. This
Maoabebe company, armed with fifty
Mausers, eighteen Remingtons and
ten Krag-Jorgensens, was commanded
by Captain Russell THazzard OF the
Eleventh United States volunteer cav
airy. With him was his brother,
Lieutenant Oliver P. NJ. Hazard Of
the same regiment. Captain Harry
W. Ne~ton, Thirty-fourth infantry,
vas taken because of his familiarity
with Casigurau Bay, and Lieutenant
Burton j. Mitchell, Fortieth infantry,
went as General Funston's aide.
These were the only Americans accom-
psnying the expedition.
With the Macabebes were four ex-
insurgent officers, one being Span
lard and the other three Taga]ogs,
whom General Funston trusted I'M
picity.
General Funston and the American
officers wore plain blue shirts and
khaki trousers. They carried each a
half blanket, but wore no insignia OF
rank. The Macabebes were carefully
intrusted to obey the orders OF the
four ex-insurgent officers.
EXPEDITION EMBARKs.
On the night of March 9th the party
embarked on the United States gun
boat Vicksburg. It was originally in
tended to take Cascoes from the island
of Polillo, and to drift to the main
laud, but storm arose and three OF
the Cascoes were lost. This plan was
abandoned.
At a. m. March IA the Vicksburg
put her lights out and ran in-shore
twenty-five miles south of Casiguran,
province of Principe. The party land
ed aud marched to Casiguran. The
Americans had never garrisoned this
place, and the Inhabitants are strong
iDsurgent sympathizers. Having ar
rived there, the ex-insurgent officers,
estensibly commanding the party, an
nounced that they were on the way to
join Aguinaldo between Pautobagan
and Baler, that they had surprised an
American surveying party and that
they had killed number. capturing
twenty-five. They exhibited General
Funston and the other Americans as
their prisoners.
The insurgent president of Casigu-
ran believed the story. Two OF the
Lacuna letters, previously concocted,
were forwarded to Aguinaldo at Palan-
an, province of Isabel. General Fun
TupEC Nrw MI WELLS