Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-08
CAPTAIN HORTON BACK
Served Four Years With
Credit in Philippines.
NATIVE OF THIS CITY
DECORATED BY FRANCE AND
SPAIN FOR CALAMITY.
Located Body Of Baron Du Marais-
Experiences in the Far East
The Trip Home.
NATIVE OF THIS CITY

The Trip Home.
Capt. Willis Z. Horton, quartermaster,
United States army, who is well-knoWn
Washingtonian, has just returned to this
city after an absence of four years, nearly
three years and two months of which he
spent in the military service in the Philip
pines In all that time Capt Horton was
not sick one day, nor has he had one days
leave of absence. He attained distinction
by being decorated by the French govern
ment for loca ting the body of Baron du
Marais. For the same act. it is understood,
a decoration is to be bestowed upon him by
Spain. AS detailed in The Star at the time,
Baron du Marais, Frenchman, Dut the
representative in Manila OF a big Spanish
corporation capitalized at S1IOo0oOo, mace
a trip to the interior in the hope of securing
the release of 5000 Spanish prisoners held
by the Filpinos He was captured by the
notorious Luna and slaughtered. At eX-
ceedingly great personal risk, Capt Horton
succeeded in finding the body and convey
ing 1t to Manila, where 1t was inferred Win
much ceremony and honor. 80
Since the commencement of the war with
Spain Capt Horton has served on the Sta1s
of ten general officers, including hve major
generals four of whom were corps COM
manders and three of them military gov
errors OF the fnlilpplileS iiS ISL Sii-
braces Gems. OTIS Macarthur Chaffee.
LaWton Young, Hawkins. Sumner, j.
Franklin Bell. Bisbee and Oates lie also
served as assistant to the chief quarter
master of the division OF the PhlnpplheS lor
year and half.
Charged Up San Juan Hill.
At the time of the charge up San Juan hill
Captain Horton was captain and assistant
adjutant general of volunteers, serving on
x-lrin no a
was shot through the foot and every other
member of his staff, except Captain Horton,
was killed.
Cant Horton is a graduate of the Wash
ington High School, and was prominently
identified with the High School CADETS;
When the District of Columbia National
Guard was formed in 1887 he organized and
was the first captain of Company ID, 4th
Battalion-the Ordway Rifles. Later he was
commissioned as captain and aid-de-camp.
District of Columbia Militia, on the staff OF
General Albert Ordway. He performed val
liable service as assistant to the grand mar
shall of Mckinley inaugural parade and as
sisted in a similar way in connection with
the parade on the occasion or the unEelllnG
OF the Grant monument In New York city.
He then began the practice Of law in New
York
At the outbreak of the war with Spain
General Harries appointed Captain Horton
adjutant of the LIST District of Columbia In
fantry, United States Volunteers. He was
with the regiment until after it reached
Tampa, when he received his commission
captain and assistant adjutant general
of volunteers, whereupon he Joined General
Hawkins and sailed for Cuba.
April /, 1899, Captain Horton was ap-
pointed captain and quartermaster in the
regular army. After performing duty for
few months in the transport service, he was
ordered to the Philippines, and has just re-
turned from the far east by way Of the
Mediterranean route. thus completing the
encirclng of the globe.
Necessary to Concentrate Natives.
Capt. Horton was with Gen. Schwan in
the first Cavte campaign in the fall Of
1899 and with Gen. Lawton in the northern
campaign after Aguinaldo during the fall
and winter of 1899. and during the past
year was chief quartermaster on the staff
of Brig. Gen. J. Franklin Bell in the cam
paign against Malyar. who succeeded
Aguinaldo as captain general of the insur-
recto forces. During this campaign there
were ll,UOo troops under Gen. Bells COM
mand. together with several interisland
boats, used in supplying the troops and con-
veylng detachments of the brigade from
point to another.
Speaking of his experiences Capt Horton
says il was found necessary to concentrate
the natives at the principal towns where
American troops were stationed in order
TO protect them against the incursions Of
the insurrectos. The insurrecto policy was
sonal saliies against small bands of troops
and at the same time levy contributions Of
money and supplies from natives living out
side of towns, and also in towns that were
not garrisoned. The concentrations pre-
vented the insurgents from obtaining con-
tributions from their fellow countrymep.
which were not voluntarily given. In this
manner the concentration was a benefit.
not only to the peaceful natives who were
relieved of the necessity of supporting the
insurgent element, with whom they were
not in sympathy, but it also assisted the
American cause by cutting Off in large
measure the food supply of the insurgents.
Four months of active, aggressive cam
paigning ended in the capture of Malvar
and the close of the Philippine insurrec
ton.
After the close of the campaign the ma
tives who had been assembled in the town
found that the care and help the Ameri-
cans had given them in the way of sani-
tation. food, labor and medical attendance
was so beneficial and that their health dur
ing this period was so much better than 1t
had been in the mountains, that many of
them declined to go back to their old homes
Hot Bed Of Instruction.
In theprovince of Batangas, which has
always been a hot bed of nsurrection. there
is more land under cultivation now than
there ever has been before, says Captain
Horton. n September. when he left the
Philippines, the harvest of rice which had
was being reaped and prepared for market.
The Agricultural Department is taking
special interdest In the cultivation of land
and has a representative going through
that section Of the country carrying with
him about a dozen modern agricultural in
struments, illustrating our methods of cult
waiting the SOIL Hodern farms have been
started in Batangas to show the natives
what can be grown and Captain Horton ex-
presses the hope that a specimen of grass
can be raised and cured SO that the hay
the Philippines, instead OF having 1t shipped
fed to American animals can be raised in
from the United Setates. When Captain
Horton left the Philippines all was quiet in
the Island of Mindanao. 1t is expected, he
says. that In very short time the Moro
question will be settled.
During the campaign in Batangas field
service was made all the more arduous by
reason Of the prevalence Of cholera, &C.
cording to the officer who has just re-
turned. Only food and water, which was
boiled, could be taken by the soldiers
Those that varied from this rule were al
most sure to take in cholera germs. and