Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-17
ATLANTABOY BRINGS
STORY OF BIG
BATTLE
BATTLE IN cEBur IN WHICH EN-
TIRE TRIBE OF MoRos AND
, FORTY AMERICANS t3e.sq.
WERE KILLED.

James Robert Summer, an Atlanta boy,
landed home from the Philippine Islands
Sunday and brings news of a battle be-
tween the Twenty-seventh infantry and a
tribe of 5000 Moros on Mindanao, island
May 4th, in which he says the entire tribe
was exterminated and forty Americans
were killed. News Of this battle has never
been made public by the war department
and II may have been suppressed because
the debate on the Philippine civil govern
ment bill was on in the United States SEN
ate at the time the battle is said to have
occurred and news of that character might
have endangered the life Of the admins
tration's policy in the islands.
Summer lives with his father at 81 Ivy
street. Three years ago he enlisted in the
army and was assigned to the band of the
Nineteenth infantry, then on the eve Of
departure for the Philippines. He landed
with the regiment and spent nearly all of
the three years at Cebu, on the Island Of
Cebu, where the department of the South
ern Philippines had headquarters.
He says of the battle:
"A tribe of Moros came down out of
the hills on Mindanao, near Cebu prov
ince. and stole railroad rails for the pur-
pose of making knives. Troops were sent
out to make them come in and several
Americans were killed. The tribe would
not give up the murderers and General
Wade, in charge of the department, or
dered the Twenty-seventh regiment, under
Colonel Baldwin, to proceed against them.
THE Moros, 5000 strong, hung out red
flag, threw up forts and made stand.
The Americans rushed the forts on May
9TH and completely exterminated the tribe
For days after the fight dead Moros were
found out in the long grass in great num-
bers. Only ninety prisoners out of the
tribe were brought In and many of these
were killed in an attempt to get away
THE dispatches which came into our
headquarters stated that several thousand
Bolomen were slain. can't say just how
many were killed, but am sure there
were about forty Americans lost in the
battle. t.t-"
General Chaffee cabled from Manila to
General Wade asking him to commend
the boys of the Twenty-seventh for their
good work. The regiment had only re-
Gently landed in the Philippines when 1t
was sent out to the engagement. General
Chaffee's message was posted up at head
quarters and all the men saw It,
The Nineteenth regiment, in which
James Summer served. left Cuba shortly
after the news of the battle came in and
q few days later sailed from Manila for
San Francisco. When the men arrived
on American soil they heard nothing of
the battle and they supposed the newspa-
pers had all had 1t and that the story was
said nothing about It, James Summer was
surprised to learn that no news of the big
engagement had been made public in this
country.
At the very time the battle is alleged
to have been in progress the administra-
tons advocates in the senate were de-
claring that peace reigned in the Philip
pine Islands and the time. had come for
the withdrawal of military control. The
Democrats had no facts to controvert
their assertions and the civil government
bill was passed and signed by the presi-
dent. Had the news of the alleged battle
been made public the Democrats would
have found ammunition with which to
fight the measure and the result might
have been different II the story Of the bat
tie could have been substantiated.
The Democrats openly charged and
proved in several instances that the war
department was suppressing unfavorable
news from the Philippine Islands.