The Lamar register., 1902-05-07
AT WAR WITH MOROS
FORT CAPTURED BY ASSAULT.

Fighting Men in the DisaHecteo
Province-Believed to Possess But
600 RifIes-Other Moro Tribes Not
in Sympathy.
Washington, May 4.-Despite earli-
est efforts to conciliate the Morors OF
Mindanao. war with them is in prog
ress. Following hard upon the heels
of the dispatch announcing the sur
render of more than one thousand IN.
surrcctos in the northern islands ana
the provinces of Misamis. Mindanio
came Il message from Major General
Chaffee, announcing that an American
outpost had been fired upon by the
Moros and that our troops captured the
Moro fort after Il protractcd engage
ment.
The War Department later to-day
received n cablegram from General
Chaffee indicating that the campaign
against Sultan Bayan. one of the prin-
cipal Moro "'iiefs, had been complete
ly successf.. The result was accom-
plished by gallant assault on the
principal Moro fort and its capture ar
ter n number of the leading Moros had
been killed. The cablegram. which
was received this afternoon, was as
follows:
''Adjutant General, Washington
Following is the full substance or
Brigadicr General George w. LAWS
message from Bayan:
Eighty-four survivors of Bayan
surrendered Internationally this morn
ing ut Z o'clock. Sultan Bayan. Raja
Muda Bayan. Sultan Pandapatan and
all the leading datos are dead, as well
as many of their following. The as
sault on the principal fort. which sur
rendered last night was one OF the
most gallant performances of Amcri-
can arms. Colonel Frank ID. Baldwin
and his regiment deserve all praise for
their hand to hand struggle in four
lines of bitches under the walls of the
fort. These trenches are lined with
Moro dead from their rifle fire.
- have never seen or heard of any
performance oNcelling this gallant
fight. 1t is my painful duty to report
that the overthrow of the Moro power
was not accomplished without severe
loss. One officer and seven enlisted
men We're killed and -four officers and
thirty enlisted men wounded. l Will
telegraph list later.
"'After the cighty-four survivors
marched out this morning as prisoners
and it was understood that they were
all, eight others. who had concealed
themselves in rubbish inside the fort.
made break for liberty, trying to
force their way out. buy none succeed
ed. Some of the Moro wounded tried
to stab soldiers who were trying to
help them.
ut is impossible to state the num-
ber of Moros Killed. as many are lying
in the tail grass. The surrender saves
us from having TO lay siege and starve
them out. as it was impossible to have
la a
ders. which were ready. | intend to
retain the prisoners until two or three
small adjacent forts are occupied and
then will retain as hostages cights or
ten of the principals and release the
Others
zone neighboring dato has already
represented himself as our friend and
| expect n general coming in shortly,
when the weight of the blow IS
known
Lieutenant Bovars of the Twenty
seventh infantry was killed in the en-
gagement at the fort.
Captain Moore of the same regiment
was mortally wounded.
Surgeon Porter and Lieutenant Hen
ry S. Wagner of the Fourteenth infan-
try, and Lieutenant .Iossman of the
Twenty-seventh infantry, were severe
ly wounded.
The President tonight sent the fol
lowing congratulatory message to Gen
eral Chaffee:
"Chaffec. Manila: Accept for tho
army under your command. and eN-
press to General Davis and Colonel
Baldwin especially. my congratula-
tions and thanks for the special cour-
age and fidelity which have again car
ried our flag to victory. Your fellow
countrymen at home will ever honor
the memory of the fallen. and be faith-
full TO the brave survivors who have
themselves been faithful unto death
for their country's sake"