The Washington times., 1902-03-13
Navy Department Hears
Details of Samar Trip.
MENTAL ALTERATION THEORY
Marine Corp Loyal to Gallant Officer Who
Faced Starvation and Death-Declare
Him Innocent of Charges Which Court
martial Will Act Upon.

States Navy, of this city. a long and in
teresting report which describes the ex-
periences of Captain Porter and his de-
tachment of marines in the Island of
Samar.
Lieutenant Shoemaker says that Cap
tain Porter and Lieut.. A. S. Williams.
who accompanied the party, gave him. in
conversation, substantially the following
account of their wanderings:
ION January l. being then on half ra-
tions, with very little food left, Major
Waller decided to split the party-he TAX
ing fifteen of the strongest men and push
ing on to Basey. Captain Porter followed
his trail as rapidly as possible with the
the main body.
ION January 2 a native came back from
Waller with a note, stating that he, Wall
Ter, had given up the idea of getting
through and would return, and ordering
Porter 10 make directly for the river and
build RATS for the entire party. This
Porter tried to do, but failed to find wood
that would float. 1t was raining hard.
and the river was about 10 feet above its
normal level and running with violence.
Walier Dld Not Appear.
"As Major Waller did not appear, Por-
ter sent Captain Bearss TO him to ascer-
tain his plans, then return and report
Bearss failed to return, but he reached
Waller and went on with him.
''On the Sd day of the month, I think
Porter with eight of the strongest men
pushed ahead to get assistance Williams
was left behind to follow with the Grip
pied and lame as far as the boat.
Porter on reaching the boat found il
had been damaged and was unfit for use.
He then started on a twenty-five mile
walk for Lanang, reaching there with
three men On the afternoon of January IL
Five of the men had given out Living
on two dogs that strayed cross their path,
they finally reached the post.
The relief expedition under Lieuten-
ant Williams, First Infantry, on account
of the height of the river, was unable to
get away until three days later VIII
liams deserves the highest praise for his
twenty-five mile fight against the cur
rent and up the rapids, hauling his boats
along by hand a good part of the way
ary IL that he reached the starving ma
rines in their last stopping place near the
river. Their condition at the time was
terrible. For days no man among them
had strength to carry a rife Nine OF
them had either gone crazy Or fallen by
the trail, half dead from starvation and
exposure.
1T had rained steadily for eighteen
days. Lieut.. A s. Williams had made
every effort to get them along, but had
TO abandon them. He could only save the
men who were able to reach the boat By
the river, the probable point of arrival
of the relief expedition. He got there
at night, his party having been without
food, except roots, the pulp of plants and
a very few sweet potatoes, for fifteen
days.
ITO further complicate matters, the ma
tive bearers, about thirty in number, be-
came troublesome, practically refusing as
sistance to the white men. They would
build shacks as a protection from the
continual downpour for themselves only;
and, knowing the edible roots and plants,
were more skillful in obtaining food
At Mercy of Natives.
"a time came when no white man could
carry a rife, and those not lost were
in the hands of the natives. Under the
altered condition it required considerable
diplomacy on the part of Lieutenant Will
liams to handle them at all.
Just before reaching the river, two
him about the chest with a bolo. He tried
TO shoot, but had not sufficient strength
TO pull the trigger. Then they tried to
kill him with his own pistes, but did not
know now 10 work the weapon.
Williams was rescued by few of his
men, who tottered up, armed with sticks.
The natives, on seeing them, took TO the
brush. No FiliDinos were seen in the
region The relief party saw some COM
ing from the direction Of Hermano, so it
is probable that the insurgents about
here got wind of the desperate condition
of tie marines and were hurrying up to
take advantage Of it. Relief came Just
in time.
1T took practically all of January IS
10 get the sufferers. thirty-one in num-
ber, including two officers-eighteen on
stretchers, unable TO move-across the
river and out through the surf to lie
vessel. We reached Taclcban at s a m
The worss cases were ct once transferred
10 the hospital. The others. including
eight or ten natives. not counted in the
above total of thirty-one, transported
TO Basey, seeing Major Waller.
Men Much Weakened.
His party appears from the statements
of the officers. TO have been reduced to
nearly the same extremity as the other
They had practically given up hope when
the opportune capture Of small boy,
the only native seen, resulted in their
getting through to the coast.
lone marine, supposed by Porter to
have been with Walters party. was lost
The names of those missing, ten In num-
ber, together with those of the men whose
condition was pronounced serious by the
hospital steward who accompanied us
from Lanang, l telegraphed at once to
the senior squadron commander"
The report states that the following
were the casualties;
Missing-Privates p. ]. Connell D. San
julie. C. n, Foster. T. Brett, ]. Woods. F.
f. Brown. T. Murray, NJ. Bassett, L. A.
Bailey, and J. Baroni.
Seriously wounded-Corporal w. Slat-
terry, Priyates J. McBay. E. Witzsell. ].
W. Hacker. w. ID. Smith, r. Desmond,
J. Egan. and T. J. Carney, and Lieut.. a. S.
Williams.
Marines Proud of Waller.
II is believed by officers in the Marine
Corps stationed in this city that the
charges preferred against Major Littleton