Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-14
SIXTEEN AGAINST 40
SQUAD OF AMERICANS DEFEATS
BAND OF FILIpINos.
Capt. Schoeffel, 9th Infantry, Tells Of
a Desperate Fight in
Philippines.

day Captain Schoeffel Of the 9th Infantry
told of a thrilling fight he had with no
bolomen last Christmas eve. He said: The
first man on the trail in our little advance
guard was our faithful old Filipino scout,
who knew the country. every inch of 1t,
well. He was on the lookout at every tree
for bamboo spear trap.
These people have an unpleasant way of
bending over a tree branch and fastening
1t down with a sharp-pointed bamboo spear
in such hidden way that when the un-
wary soldier steps on it it will fly UP and
pierce him through in the vicinity of the
chest.
Suddenly the scout gave quick, deep
grunt and fell forward on his face. A bolo
had gone through him, and when we
reached him his intestines were protruding.
He was carried a little to one side, and,
strange to say he lived. He had not fallen
before the corporal yelled Goo-Goos.'
In less than a second the Cougar grass
was literally alive with their brandished
bolos. and the air danced with waves of red
sashes and caps On their cotton shirts
were cabalistic figures, which marked them
members of the fanatical religious So
ciety which has its seat in Samar known as
the dos Dios.
Then they came for us. We could see
nothing else in front and on either side but
a sea of knives, for they had rifles. In
fact, we could see nothing but a sea of
fury and the tall grass was a chaos of
stashlng, shooting and stabbing. Our men
who turned to fire on one side were stabbed
in the back. 1t seemed to me there was not
word spoken on either side.
Death and the desire for life were the
only forces in that silent battle. There was
no time to aim. SO we used the magazines.
When they were empty we dubbed the
muskcts and slashed for the red cap Of a
Goo-Goo or his bare head.
LAS soon as the firing began my other
men, who were a short distance in the
rear. started to our assistance.
"A mad boloman started for me, and I
had nothing to meet him with. My knowl-
edge of boxing came in play. and just as
he reached me l side-stepped him. so to
speak. He sank to his knees on the trail,
and l drew my revolver and shot him in
the chest, as I thought, killing him.
AT the same time three of them came at
One of them dropped on his knees and made
a dive at my chest. 1 parted and poured
hot shot into them with the pistol, and two
of them fell. The other ran.
Il was fighting mad, but I remember that
l saw the face of the man whom thought
l had killed peer up at me as / turned. He
was not dead and his bolo flashed as he
sank back and crawled or dragged himself
through the grass. He had stabbed me
twice in the back but l did not feel it in
the fierce tension of the fight.
Il fought on unconsciously. and when my
revolver was empty l saw one of my own
men, now SO pitifully few. lying at my
feet. He was conscious but he had been
stabbed near the heart. Death was not far
distant. l yelled for his gun and belt and
took them. Then, with the help of the few
men left and some friendly natives, our
bearers, who had simply sunk into the
grass from fright when the fight began. we
fought like Turks and saw the remaining
bolOmen turn and run.
In the fiercest of the fight Corporal Rus
sell tripped and fell on his back AS his
a n a va I'm cIo chi
wound. But he raised his arm as he Law
and shot the Filipino dead
Seeing clear space ! went back to help
my wounded. 1 can never forget the cour
age and forttude which the little band with
me displayed on that Christmas eve The
morrow brought a sad Christmas to US all.
l fired signal shots for Lang to come to nv
assistance at once, and then in the luli
fraught with dread of another attack, with
the help of some natives, we collected the
wounded and dead.
Lieutenant Lang answered my signals.
SO l knew he would soon be with Ms Az
he did not find US immedia teIy T sent
friendly natives, armed with bolos taken
from our dead enemies to bring him to
me 1t was an hour and a half, and it
seemed longer. before he reached us
The arrival of Lang and his men Was
more than welcome, for We could not by our
own efforts make a move to get out of the
tall grass. They at once Went to work and
cut down sapiings and made stretchers on
which to carry the wounded men down to
the boats. l was among the number for
my wounds had made me Ill and faint 1t
was an awful trail, and We all had to be
tied to the stretchers. The dead were car
ried on the natives backs and it made the
most gruesome sight / ever saw We got
back to our boats to Tanagnan, where DR.
Calhoun, the post surgeon, dressed all
wounds.
Some of those who were wounded died
later. Private Mar died while waiting for
the arrival Of Lieutenant Lang Private
Clark died on the way to the boats and Pri-
vate Bedford passed away in the hospital at
Ianagnan two hours after reaching there.
Inc death Of Private Claxton occurred on
Christmas day
dispatch says Captain schoerers left
foot and leg are entirely paralyzed from
the severing OF the sciatic nerve by a bojo
thrust Two operations at Manila did not
result favorably. and the handsome young
officer Is on waiting orders at the Pre-
sidlo Hospital. He hopes soon to be ordered
to Washington for treatment, and then to
Johns Hopkins. in Baltimore. for another
operation which will consist of bringing
the nerve together and sewing it, This NAV
restore to him the use OF his foot and leg.