Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1902-01-31
HIKING THROUGH SaMAR
Eardships of American Soldiers
Fighting Fillpinos.
MARCHING IN ENDLESS RAINS.

Captain jackson Tells OF Wadinx
swollen Rivers. Fighting Leeches
and Dodging Mantrap.-inSenIous
Log Trap safely Avoided.
The expedition just returned com
Irised about 400 men moving in eight
columns. all under command of Cap
tain Jackson. First infantry. who com
manded the main column. writes the
Mauo tSamari correspondent of the
Manila American under the date of
Nov. 80. The hike performed by this
column is deserving of mention as prob
ably the longest ever made by Amer
lean troops in Samar. The men were
absent from their station about eight
cen days and covered nearly $50 miles.
On the tenth day out over two-thirds
of the men We're unable TO proceed on
account of exhaustion and sore feet.
and two days rest was taken in camp.
The columns were ordered to con.
verge toward Mount Puros. a water
shed about thirty miles from the west
and fifty miles from the north coast OF
Samar simultaneously with this move
troops were ordered to make a demon
stration all over Samar in order to
prevent the enemy fleeing TO the south
and east The expedition cleaned up.
so TO speak, an approximate total of
so insurgents killed. 20 prisoners taken.
4 rebel strongholds and 20 barrios de-
stroyed. 500 sacks of rice and 80 cara
bao captured.
The column from Mauo. under Cap
tain Jackson, had for its sole purpose
the capture of Lukban. 1t consisted of
twenty liocano scouts and fifteen men
of Company l.. First infantry.
The little column left Mauo at Z
O'Clock on the morning of Nov. Is in
pouring rain. 1t may be added that
from that time on to Nov. %. eight
days. dry feet and dry clothing were
unknown After three hours march
ing toward the interior. half of which
was through ricefields in deep mud
the Catipunan river was reached. which
at this place was very deep and swift
The river was split in three channels
by two rocks. 1t was found necessary
to bridge the first channel. which was
done by fastening one end of log to
the shore. the other to the rock. A
rope of bojuck. a strong vine. was
stretched as a hand rail. and on this
log. submerged several inches by the
force of the current. the channel was
crossed. The other two channels were
only breast deep and were forded. the
big fellows helping the little ones.
The hike was resumed early the next
morning, and on this day had
chance 10 see what hiking In Samar
was like. On this day also | had my
first experience with the gentle and
seductive Samar leech. When we were
not wading in the beds of mountain
brooks. we were climbing the sides of
mountains or else houndering In mo-
raises. Hill succeeded hill in endless
succession. and not until night. when
we made camp at the foot of beauti-
full waterfall. were the limits OF our
vision exteSded to more than fifty
yards before cut of by hills. Through
out this as the previous day there was
no sight of any human habitation.
During the day we covered less than
mile an hour. the men being obliged to
join hands and pull one another over
the steep places.
On the next day. Nov II. the leeches
made their appearance in force. These
little pests are found only on the moun-
tain slopes, never in the valleys They
are about an inch and a quarter in
length. of the thickness OF knitting
needle. and when they walk they hump
themselves. They reach the soldiers
from the grass and bamboo bushes
and quickly eater leggings and shoes
through the lacehoes and fasten them
selves upon the legs. usually about the
ankles. They absorb blood until about
-.
loosen their hold and drop off. leaving
an open wound which bleeds for hours.
I have seen a soldier pick as many as
thirty of these of his legs and ankles
at night. and. as each puncture leaves
small bleeding wound. the loss of
blood is sometimes quite serious. The
natives. being barelegged. acquire
more leeches than the American sol
diers. but. for the same reason. see
them sooner and pick them OF before
serious damage has been done.
In addition to the pest Of leeches. we
now began to find many mantraps
pits dug in the earth. with poisoned
spear points pointing upward. and the
whole covered over with leaves There
were also spring guns set so that when
the trigger was released q javelin
would be discharged. taking effect in
the abdomen Of the victim Many of
the men fell into the spear pits, but
none was seriously hurt In crossing
one small mountain we came upon q
most ingenious log trap. The road
was cut narrow and clean. a precipice
on one side and a steep bank on the
other Half way up the mountain
nit n in ho
the top was a pile of logs SO balanced
that it could be easily set rolling down
the road Having passed the pits. the
logs were supposed to be set OF by
lookout With a precipiee on one side