Evening star., 1902-01-04

tember last. in which Company of the
9th Infantry was nearly wiped out by an
unexpected attack by supposedly friendly
Filipinos.
Capt eBookmfller's Report.
The main report is made by Capt. Edwin
V. Bookmiller of the 9th Infantry, which
report. he says, is based upon information
given by men who escaped from Balangiga
and from his personal observation on the
scene of action on the day following. After
describing the buildings occupied by the
troops and the regimeEtal officers and the
native houses in. the immediate vicinity,
and showing that most of the space between
the houses was covered by a dense under
growth. in which many natives might easily
be concealed from view, Captain Bookmiller
gives the following narrative of the mas
sacre:
''On September % Captain Connell, conn.,
manding Company Q, 9th Infantry, had
collected Seventy-eight natives of the town
and held mast of them prisoners for police
work During the next four days the
town officials brought in prisoners from the
country and nearly all of the prisoners
living In the town had been released; a
number. presenting themselves each morn
ing for work. On September 81 the chief
of police Informed Captain Connell that he
would bring in more on the morning of
the 2sth- He sent in thirteen on the after
noon of the 2Tth. but he did not return
with theIn.~ Sixty-four prisoners were held
over the night of the 9th.
These prisoners had been making nipa
for the roof of barracks and worked be-
tween the tents and the main building
The bolos used by them, sixty in num-
ber were piled in front of building three
feet north of entrance.
AT ESQ am. September 2S breakfast
time, a number of the prisoners We're at
work and about twenty more had appeared
voluntarily near number one post and the
tents, apparently waiting to be set to work
bN the first The irSt nt
was at this time at breakfast in the kitch-
en-. Nearly all of the men were at break
fast in tents in front of the kitchen. The
men who fvefl-in barrd cks 'Ci' were eating
under this building; some few were walking
to or from the kitchen. At the guard
house there We're but the sentinel on num-
Der one and the sergeant of the guard. Pri-
Vate Gamlin- a member of the guard, had
taken breakfast, went to his quarters in
main building to return his mess kit. and
Immediately relieved the sentinel on num-
Der two post. When he was in quarters he
saw no one in them.
Signal Given by Chief of Police
Corporal Burke, with others. We're at
breakfast under barracks Ct The chief
of police came near him, leaned against
pillar of building, then walked along post
number two toward barracks F. As the
sentinel passed him he seized the senti-
mel. rifle gave loud call,,the church bells
rang and a rush was made by the natives
simultaneously on the different barracks,
oihcerssa quarters and @on men at the break
fast tsble; and kitchen.
The sentinel on number one and the SER
Seant of the guard We're killed at once and
the native prisoners and others near rushed
into thec1Inaihs barracks. From east of
brefkfasfS *: ! 2aztei eot'sN u 'tP9ii HIGH ''
"A few rneHs Hsgainsd entrance to the main
barracks by a ladder at northeast corner
of building: others rushed up the stairs
With natives. q in at-
tempting to- reach the building A strug-
gle eRsued to obtain possession of the
rifles.
T+At barracks TY the men under the
Building rushed into 1t with the natives;
but all the natiyes~Who entered this build
ing were killed or dffven away, and from
THIS building eight rifles were secured and
lire epened upon the insurgents which drove
them to cover When this firing began
some natives threw rifles out of the win
dows of main building, others jumped out
with them. In this way more rifles were
secured and the entire force of the enemy
driven back
'.At the officers quarters which were en-
tered from the church and rear by the
enemy First Lieut.. E. A. Bumpus, 9th In
fantry, and Major r. S. Griswold, surgeon
u s. Volunteers, were killed in their
rooms. Capt T.-W. ConneH, 9th Infantry
evidently jumped from window and was
killed about twenty feet from the building
The two members of the guard were both
killed at the sentiRel's- post.
Acting First Sergeant James NJ Randles
was killed in the kitchen
The Retreat.
when the enemy was driven back. Ser
geant Frank Betron. being the senior or
non-commissioned officer present, took
command
After holding the place for one hour.
during which the enemy kept on outskirts
OF town, but made no attack, Sergeant
ted ha ID
barked in five barrotas for Basey twenty
five miles. distant Before leaving dock
Sergeant Markley, with two men, returned
to barracks for the flag and to burn the
building, but was fired upon and did not
succeed in burning ii.
Sergeant Betron with two barrotas ar
rived at Basey at am. September -. His
party consisted of twenty-five men, twenty
two of whom Were wounded and two bodies
OF men who had died en- route
Sergeant Markley and one private had
been sent ahead to report. but had lost the
course and landed at Tanauan, Leyte
When last seen one barrota contained three
men, two of whom were severely wounded
One of these men, Private Powers, was
seen on the coast dead early next morning
by Private Berthoff. -- The others Priyates
Wingo ard Driscoll. are missing.
The other. barrota containing Priyates
Bertholf and three wounded Marak, Litto
Armania and Bulhrer. foundered. These men
reached the shore where they remained
during the night. At daylight Privates
Bertholf and Marak set off TO find a bar
rota, When they returned with one they
saw Armani and Buhrer surrounded by in
surgents and they were forced to abandon
them Privates Bertholf and Marak were
. picked up at sea later BY my command en-
route TO Balangiga.
- Return to BalangiEa.
AT am, September % L left Basey
with fifty-five men. Company G, and eight
men. Company c. on 8. s. Pittsburg.
Landed at Balangiga at 80 pm. As it
could be seen that the insurgents were
abandoning the place. i opened fire as soon
as the steamer arrived within 500 yards of
the town. AS We entered the town the
main barracks Were burning but 1t was
evident that the ordnance had been carried
away. Twenty-three rifles and % Ofs
rounds of ammupition- were in the base
ment OF this building. OF the sixty-eight
rifles in hands of men. twenty-three were
Drought to Basey, and four lost at sea
Twelve others were rendered ,Inservtre.
able by throwing away the bolts. The In.
surgents secured ffty-two seryiceabIe rifles
and with that taken In belts twenty-sIx
thousand rounds of ammunition I secured
most of the commissary supplies nearly All
OF which were burned, it not being prac-
tieable to take same aboard ship.