The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-29
REPORT OF MARINES
CEN. HAYWOOD. COMMANDING THE
CORPS, MAKES STATEMENT.
DETAILED OPERATIONS GIVEN.
THE EXPEDITION TO THE SOHOTON
DISTRICT LAST YEAR.

This, Mai. Waller Says, Had More 10
Do with Ending the Samar Cam
paiEn Than Any other Movement.
Report Contains Account of I9O-
Vile March Across Samar of Mai.
waller and His Men, and the
Hnrdships They Endured.
washington, Oct. 2S.-Maj Gen.
Charles Haywood, commandant of the
United States Marine Corps, in his an
nual report, presents in detail the OPP
erations of Maj. Waller and his band
of marines on the coast of Southern
samar. Maj. Waller is quoted as say
ing that the expeditions early in last
November in the Sohoton district were
the most important of the campaign,
50 far as their effect on the insurg-
ents was concerned. A graphic &C
count is given of the operations of the
main expedition in the Sohoton dis
trict. The attack was on the fortified
cliffs and caves in the mountains which
had been reported to be practically i'm
pregnable. The plan of attack was
that two shore columns were to unite
at the enemy's stronghold and be join
ed there by river column under Maj.
Waller. Concerning the result of the
attack the report says:
"On the 18th of November the shore
column struck the enemy's trail which
was followed, and the attachments
soon came upon a number of bamboo
guns. One of these commanding the
trail had the fuse burning,
and Acting Corpl. Harry Glenn
rushed forward and pulled out
the fuse. The attack of the marines
was a perfect surprise and the enemy
was completely routed, thirty being
killed After driving the Insurgents
from their position the troops crossed
the river, scaled the cliffs on the OPP
posite side and destroyed the camp
there. The energy fired two volleys
and then fled. Mai Waller says that
he himself was not in this attack, be-
ing in the river below and unable to
reach the firing line in time, but he
mentions Capt. Porter and Bearse as
being entitled to the highest credit for
the courageous and skillful manner in
which they routed the enemy, in the
face of apparently insurmOuntable OBJ
stacles. In order to reach the enemy S
position the troops had to climb the
cliffs which rise sheer from the river
to the hight of about 200 feet and are
honeycombed with caves, to which ac-
cess is had by means of bamboo lad
ders and also, by narrow lodges with
bamboo hand rails. Tons of rocks were
suspended in cages, held in position by
vines, and in readiness to be precipi-
tated upon people and boats
below. Instant destruction would
have undoubtedly been the
fate of the boats had they undertaken
the ascent of the river before the shore
column had dislodged the insurgents.
The effect of the capture of this last
stronghold upon the insurrectos of Sa-
mar cannot be oVer-estimated, as they
had spent years of labor upon the de-
fenses and undoubtedly considered the
cliff fertilization impregnable.'
The report contains an account of the
march of 100 miles across Samar of
Maj. Waller and his men and of the
hardships they endured. The command
was engaged actively and continuous
ly against the insurgents for three
months.
Gen. Haywood says that preliminary
steps have been taken to erect new
barracks at Norfolk Va, at a cost of
100000. He renews his previous rec
concentration that Congress appropri-
ate literally for marine barracks and
quarters at the Charleston Is. c. ma
val station.