Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-15
FIGHTING IN SAMAR
STATEMENTS OF A RETURNED
SOLDIER DENIED.
No Order Issued to Kill Everything
That Breathed-Facts of Private
Maynard's Military Career.

Correspondence of The Evening Star.
GU1NAN, Samar. P. l., August IL, 1902
1t is such breath-taking yarns as the fol
lowing from the New York Journal of June
8 that has caused the respectable people at
home to hold up their arms in horror at the
brutality of the army's methods in the
Philippines:
BINGHAMTON. y. Y, June s.-Private Ber
MAYNARD of Homer who has returned from q. fou,
army in Cuba and the Philippines, says that he re
ceiyed orders during the raids on the Island OF Sn
mar in which he participated to shoot everything
that breathed
to this section from the Philippines but Private
Maynard had such distinguished service and
made a gaia occasion with the residents of Cort
land county. and when the train bearing MN puiieS
into Homer he found the platform crowded wlt1
residents. who had turned out en- masse to extend
a cordial welcome.
of peculiar and dangerous character which, IN
the minds of the soldiers, justified the order to XII
everything that breathed. The jungle was infested
with enemies and Outlines the slight movement OF
a reed meant the death Of one or more soldiers a,
self preservation to XIII every living thing in sight
Private Maynard's Record.
Private Bert S. Maynard served as a
private in this company q of 18th lnfan-
try), and in Porto Rico, and on the islands
of Leyte and Samar. in the Philippines.
He left here March II last for home. He
try), and in Porto Rico. and on the Islands
Samar, so his information is all hearsay or
imaginative. On the hike mentioned
(Which was of only thirtysix hours dura-
tom the command was fired upon by in
surrectos hidden high in the mountains and
Private John Bates was killed. A large
amount of ammunition was fired in the
A. bod x,-1o tI.r
any of it touched an insurrectoNis not
known. as very few of the men saw any
thing in the shape of life before or after
the firing. After some scouting to locate
the enemy, without success, the command
returned to this post. This was Private
Maynard's distinguished service in the
Philippines, and all of it. One Filipino was
killed on this hike. He was stationed as a
lookout for the insurrectos One of the
men him, sneaked up the mounta n,
and when an opportunity offered shot him
dead.
This Filipino was the only one that Pri-
vate Maynard saw killed over here. and
for the only reason that he was trying to
kill Americans
The major part of the company saw some
hard and dangerous service the first two
weeks after effecting a landing, under fire,
on Samar, but Private Maynard was at
Gunan on detached service during that
time.
mo Kill Every n1ng Order.
He did not nor did any other man in the
company, ever receive any such orders ito
kill everything alive or to shoot every
thing that breathed." The officers in COM
mand had orders to kill all cattle hogs and
chickens, and to destroy all provisions to
prevent the same from falling into the
hands of the enemy.
No man, woman boy or girl was killed
by any member of Private Maynard's late
company on the Island of Samar except a
few men engaged in active instruction
against the authority of the United States.
This statement he will confirm in his truth
full moments and after the great reception
he received has become echo. We were
pleased to see a member of the company
honored. but grieved that he spoke for
publication and the plaudts of the bleach
ers. for Private Maynard Is not wise, or
rather was not when he left here in March.
The words were no doubt put into his
mouth by some sensational correspondent
There were some hotheads in the COM
pany that would have liked to commit some
wholesale slaughtering. as Balangiga (where
Americans We're butchered, their brains
knocked out and blackberry jam poured
into their heads was only days march
from camp.
A large part of Private Maynard's service
was spent in hospitals. from ailments not
contracted in the line of duty. His soiourn
at Washington barracks. during January,
February and March 1901. was spent in
that way as the records of that hospital
will show.
mans service in the army in these
times of action could not have been very
distinguished" if, after four years of serv-
ice, he is discharged a private and never
having been promoted. Maynard is good
stonemason and he did render distinguished
service by rebuilding up the stone steps of
the convent here when they collapsed from
old age
Puzzles the Soldiers
The soldiers do not understand why nearly
all the papers at home roasting them
in the vilest manner. They thought they
We're entering an honorable calling when
they elected to put on the uniform, and they
thought the people at home approved of
that they are murderers. brutes; in fact,
everything that is mean and contemplate.
If such attitude is kept up very long
toward the army there certainly will be
nothing but brutes and murderers in it.
as decent man will not have any more
to do with it. | quote a statement in the
San Francisco Argonaut which acts as a
balm after perusing the blood-curdling ac-
cusations of the yellows: 1.-The army did
not bring on the war. We civilians did it,
The army is only doing bidding as
faithful servants of their country. And
now that they have shown perfectly
We must not repudiate their actions, for
their actions are our own. They are receiv-
ing the fire of the enemy from the front. 1t
is shamefuTth that there should be a fire upon
them from the rear. 1t is Infamous that
we should attack them from behind"
w. S. *.