The National tribune., 1902-09-18


them abandon heavy trenches and flee
with equal haste when there was not a
cannon within a dozen miles.
AMERICAN METHODS.
At first the Americans had to wade
across creeksu and sloughs, in mud and
water up to their waists, and in places
to their nechs, holding their rifles and
while the FiipinOs poured in heavy
fire upon them. When the lines reached
higher ground fhey advanced steadily
across the rice fields toward the insurgent
trenches, and when within proper distance
the charge was sounded they swept for
ward with yells and cheers.
Up to this 1inR the enemy had not alb
sorbed the idea that the Americans were
actually going to charge right up
to them In the face of their fire.
This was something new in war TO
them. They had never done such
n thing, nor had"Sthe Spaniards. 1t
was a surprise to them, and we heard
afterwards that some of the officers de-
clared it was not fair. 1t certainly was
not polite, but in action the American sol
dier is apt to overlook some of the finer
amenities Of social life. The consequence
was that before the insurgents fully
realized the situation our men were among
them with the bayonet. Though they
had just as good bayenets and outnumber-
ed the attacking party, they made no at
tempt to use them seriously. 1t was
style of fighting for. which they had no
stomach, and to which they were instinc-
They simply scattered like quail and
sought safety in fight, with the result
that bullet and bayonet were kept at
work among them. Had they thrown
down their arms and asked for quarter
or offered to surrender there would not
have been. SO many of them killed, but
so long as an ienemy retains his arms,
whether running or fighting. he is still a
cOmbatant and must be treated as such.
One of the Filipino styles of fighting is
to play possums and then shoot or bolo
| an enemy when he is passing or has just
passed. This was tried, with the result
that many thus ON the ground were bay
oneted or shot, and this is what led to the
reports that the, Americans killed the
wounded and took no prisoners. 1t is
impossible when an enemy has weapons
in his hands and shows disposition to
use them to stop to inquire whether or not
he is wounded. No doubt many wounded
were killed in this way, possibly some who
had no intention Of fighting further. But
men who have seen their comrades killed
or wounded by men lying on the ground
cannot stop to make nice distinctions in
the heat of battle. The experiences of
army, and soldiers were heard to say that
they would take no chances with man
on the ground A man in my own com
pany few weeks later had toe shot
off by wounded man lying on the
ground, and might have been killed mad
not a comrade knocked the Filipino on the
head with his gun just as he was in the
act of shooting. -.:-.-
AN ABSURD REPORT.
Following upon this gossip in the army
came the story that verbal and unofficial
orders had been issued not to take any
prisoners, and l have no doubt great
many soldiers believed such orders had
been issued, abshrd as the idea was, and
soldiers actually. wrote home that there
were such Ordera This story was seized
upon by the aRtieXpansiOnists ever eager
to find something discreditable they might
say about the nrmy, and great howl was
n ade about the barbarity and inhumanity
Of the American: soldiers, in spite of the
| well-knOwn fact,ithat the Americans are
the most humne and cOnsiderate of the
| feelings of a. conquered enemy of any
soldiers in the world.
1t seems to,pfease the bent of mind Of
certain class of Americans to believe
anu dSstEI WAdtENtI SkiHuetss iehudNIts
or ignorant gossip may create about their
own countrymens and particularly about
those who had the courage and patriotism
to volunteer to fight their country's bat
ties. We are-experiencmg now cOntin-
uation of the same assertion and belief
in the barbarity of the soldiers in the
stories about tOrtures and the water
cure" 1t is true that individual soldiers
have been guilty Of barbarities, as indi
vidnaIS have tho has
shOne upon, and that even the water
cure" has been administered by them. a
form Of punishment learned from the Fill
pinos themselves and new to Americans;
but it is not true that this was the result
Of orders or army policy, or that approval
has ever been given to it. On the con-
trary, orders have been very strict against
it and the utmost kindness of treatment
has been enjOined, while many men have
been punished severely and some sentenced
to lose their lives when caught and con-
vlcted of such work.
The one specific incident cited oc-
Cured, il it did at all, four days later
at the battle of Caloocan. Lieut.-Col.
Metcalf, Of the Kansas regiment, was ac-
cused of having ordered two prisoners
shot and this accusation has since been
revived against him to serve political pur
poses. 1t was originally based upon a
private letter written by one of the Kan
sas men, saying that he and a companion
had shot two prisoners by order of an
officer, because they did not want to be
bothered with them.
Since coming home this man has made
an affidavit that Col. Metcalf ordered him
and another man to take the two prisoners
to the rear and that, wanting to join in
charge about to be made, they shot them
without any orders or knowledge on the
part of Metcalf. This may be true or may
not. They may not have been killed at ALL
One thing is quite certain to the minds of
those who know Metcalf or the regula-
tions, and how they are observed, that he
never ordered them killed. He could not
even be expected to bother his head about
them further or inquire what had become
of them. He was busy with other things
Having sent them back to the provost
guard that was the end of the matter
for him.
Nothing is more certain than that there
was not then and never has been any
policy of killing prisoners or wounded or
of torture, nor any liberation of it on the
part of the army authorities in the Philip
pines. l served through the entire cam
paign following the outbreak of the war.
and know the spirit of the army, both
men and officers, and know that every
deed that was worthy Of condemnation
was individual and sporadic. One can
scarcely treat with patience the ISLANDERS
Of these un-American Americans whO in
public speech, in the press. and even on
the f1Oor of Congress, give them voice and
currency. l have referred to this matter