The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-05
MANY MOROS FELL
OVER 200 KILLED IN DEFENDING
FORT.
AMERICANS SUFFERED, TOO.
GEN. DAVIS PRAISES WORK OF HIS
MEN.

Assault on the Principal Fort by
Fourth Infantry Under Lieut.. Col.
Baldwin N Most Gallant Performs
ance--Men Fought Hand to Hand
in the bitches and Lined Them
With Moro Dead-Ride Fire of
Americans Was ExceIIent-One
officer and Seven Men Killed and
Four Officers and 30 Men wounded,
Manila, May 4.-Gen. Davis, the head
of the American forces in the Island
of Mindanao, cables that the "a Moros
who survived the attack and capture
of the Moro fort by American soldiers
in Mindanao yesterday have surrender
ed, and that the Sultan of Bayan, RAJ
Jah Muda, Sultan Pando Padto and a
number of the leading dattos were kill
ed in the engagement.
The assault on the principal fort, re-
ports Gen. Davis, was one of the most
gallant performances of American
arms in the Philippines and the regi-
ment of Lieut.. Col. Frank D. Baldwin,
the Fourth Infantry, deserves the
greatest credit for it's conduct The
men OF the Fourth Infantry had a
hand to hand struggle with the Moros
in the four lines of bitches under the
walls of the fort When the position
was captured these bitches were found
to be lined with Moro dead.
Gen, Davis charaeterizes the rife fire
of the Americans as excellent and
says he has never witnessed a perform
ance eXcelling the capture of the Moro
fort in gallantry and grit.
Gen. Davis says also it is his pain
full duty to announce that the over
throw of Moro power was not accom-
plished without severe loss to \the
Americans. One officer and seven en-
listed men were killed, while four Of
hcers and thir.y-nine enlisted men
were wounded.
AFTER the 81 Moros who survived the
assault had marched out of the fort
eight others who were concealed there
made an unsuccessful break for liberty.
Some of the Moro wounded tried to
stab the American soldiers who were
succoring them.
Moro Loss Was Heavy.
1t is impossible to give the total Of
MORO dead, as number of them are
| lying in the tall grass. The fort was
defended by 800 men. It's capture saves
a siege and it would have been inpossi-
bic TO carry the position Without seal
| ing ladders.
Gen. Davis further reports his inten-
ton Of retaining his prisoners until
the few adjacent Moro forts are occu-
/ pied. Then, with the consent of Gen.
| Chaffee. he will retain ten of his prfn-
| cipal captives as hostages and release
the others.
The American forces who attacked
the fort numbered 470 men and four
mountain guns. 1t rained hard dur
ing the night preceding the attack,
and the men were without blankets.
The battery fired 100 rounds at a range
of 1,40O yards.
Gen. Davis adds that he Is sending
the dead to Malabang for burial. He
intends to invite the Sultan of Tarac
to an interview. His fort is of the
same strength as Bayan, the one cap
tured yesterday.
Gen. Davis is urging the people to
return to the cultivation of rice He
believes the Moros have had a lesson
which will prevent further trouble.
Some of the Casualties
Lieut.. Bovars of the. Twenty seventh
Infantry was killed in the engagement
at the fort. Capt. Moore of the same
regiment was mortally wounded; Sur
geon Porter and Lieut.. Henry Wagner
of the Fourteenth Infantry and Lieut.
Jossman of the Twenty-seventh In
fantry were severely wounded