The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-09
DEFENCE OF PHILIPPINE ARMY
GEN. HIGHES REPLIES TO ANTI.
IWPERIALIST PAMPHLET.
Denies the statement That Orders We're
Given to Burn Every Town IN Panay
From Which the soldiers " ere Attacked
and That the Orders We're Carried Out

Given to Burn Every Town In PAnay
From which the soldiers " ere Attacked
and That the Orders We're Carried Out
WASHINGTON Nov Sin pamphlet
signed by Charles Francis Adams, Carl
: Schurz. Edwin Burritt Smith and Herbert
Welsh, committee. and printed with the
| tiilo Of Marked Seventies. Secretary
| Roots Record in Philippine Warfare to
, which these gentlemen have given large
1 circulation, prominence IL given to letter
OF Mr. Henry LOOMS Nelson, which pur-
| ports TO contain extracts from a recent
letter from an officer In the Philippines
| Ia This letter charges are made against
the Eighteenth Infantry.
| The War Department has received a
| letter from ajor-Gen. Hughes, who
commanded the Philippine department,
] in which the Eighteenth Infantry served,
| in which he pronounces the accusations as
false and without foundation. He says:
| Il am ia receipt Of pamphlet from Boston
| entitled Marked Seventies. II which "a great
| wrong Is done the ii eighteenth Infantry. aud at
/ the occurrence l. alleged to have taken place
| while that re gimcnt was serving in a command
| to which was ASSIGNED. feel that IL il due
| to This fine regiment 20 correct "A statement
| that appears on page ii8 of said document
| iIf 1lEul'fHlu h'suidIN Hifl'uti
| lloilo. ia the south. to tapII. ia tie north Of
| l'auay. under orders to burn every town from
| which they were attacked. The result was
| they lcit "a strip of land sixty miles wide from
| one end of the island 10 Il" other through
| which tHe traditional crow could not have foWn
means and no more. II l. not done for he fun
| of tie thing but out OF stern necessity
| The letter from which this extract i taken
| would appear to have been written by Mr..
| Henry LOOMS Nelson, and /, given by Mes,rs.
| Storey and Codmln. who present II with the
| unreserved announcement: 1T states the
| Who'll" ease.
| Now let us see how 4 docs state the whole
| case" IL should not b. overlooked in this
! matter that in writing l am referring to
| things that were known 10 thousands OF
people hc-ldrs the Eighteenth Regulars. and
| also that the regiment l. not one that would
! acCep, uniu>tiiiable statements in its favor
| any more than IL would suffer unjust asper-
sloh- on 1t, iau fame to pass without being
| The Eighteenth Regulars and the First
| Tennessee Volunteers We're The troop landed
| 20 take possession OF llo,o Preparations
| had previously been made by the insurS.ut ;
10 burn the city when such an operation was
| With hard work some lighting and much
exposure to TIRE the troops we're able TO wrench
4 portion Of lloi!o proper from the fame.
| action Is clearly shown by the official records
OF the proceedings OF the irsursent Prorln-
| ured wherein 1t is stated that hey left
the town the food for flames ~ order not To
/ SEQ III fOlrlsn IN tue power oil tNs enemy,
but full of ruin and debris
In due course of time the Eighteenth
Regulars occupied the suburbs of Iloilo;
| IN a state Of siege in lloilo until Nov. o, 1899
| On the evening of that day the Eighteenth
6f Pesa1 Which a Sa
| This was the only movement the regiment
| ever made across the is.and OF Panay. and
the instructions regarding protection 10
be made.
Gen. Hughes says that the movement
lasted about one month. During that
time the Eighteenth Regulars touched
at or actually occupied forty-tive towns
He continues.
not town was burned during the whole
OF tn. movement There wer" three small
at Passi, but although an effort was mad" TO
ascertain how. why ana by Whom Il was done.
the result was only suspicion that our
Ihese fires did not destroy property Of
value to exceed 81? There va, also an CID
Aganano burned on the night oil Nov. ~.
which was evidently incrndmry III character,
and an order was then issued 70 capture any
man seen setting TIRE to buildings. even II
shooting was necessary In 30 dong The
two Nipa houses In PASS We're subsequently
burned, but n occurred during she nisht.
! while detachment- We're occupying them
aud IA" origin ~ the fires could not be de-
Notwithstanding the fact that more or
! l">- fighting occurred about Pdvia. Santa
| Barbara. Leon. Allmodln, JduiuiN. Pass.
! Sara and Dumarao. those towns We're left
| intact
| II Ia, thus been shown that the Eighteenth
| II gutrs had 10 order "a burn all towns IRON
| which they were attacked, and that they
| did not leave ~ strip of land sixty miles
wild" from one end OF tn" island TO the other
| over which tn" traditional crow could
| not have flown without provisions.
| but, Ns a matter Of fact, they did l"aV" the
| country uuinjured, tn" towns and villages
| intact the roads improved. bridges rebuilt
| and the 500 uDU natives Of tha section covered
were left ia ia" fun enjoyment OF their prop
| erty and rights
| 1 ana totally unable 10 imagine in what
| way the author and publishers OF the state
| nrht under consideration can reconcile II
| with the facts That th- facts are rs stated
| herein know, for wts with the command.
| aud all orders and instructions were Civ n
| hv me and | was fully informed a. to what
| was done"
! Personally. | care nothing a bout the matter.
| but TO psrmit q mlsre presentation OF such
| an unen abe character regarding the sol
| dicrly conduct of the Eighteenth Rgulr--
| a regiment with u uu-ulh'd reputatIon--
| to pass without refutation from some respon-
| sible person cog1 i1ant OF tie facts. when
| such il possible. Is 10 be- dcplored
| In conclusion | wish to saw that IN" state
| mant In question. made in the pamphlet
| entitled Marked Seventies, Is without
| ioundat ion in fact. and untrue.