The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-05-06
ONE OFFICER AND SEVEN MEN
WERE KILLED.
DATTO DEAD COVER GROUND
Colonel Frank D.. Baldwin and His
Regiment Fought Hand to Hand
With Moro Warriors.

washington, May 4.-In0 war de-
partment received today cablegram
from General Chaffee indicating that
the campaign against Sultan Bayan,
one of the principal More chiefs, has
been completely successful
The result was accomplished by
gallant assault on the principal Moro
fort, and its capture after a number
Of leading Moros had been killed. The
cablegram, which was received this
afternoon, was as follows:
chaffee's Message
"Mghty-four survivors at Bayan
surrendered Internationally this
morning at o'clock Sultan Bayan,
Raja Munda Bayan, Sultan Pandapa-
tam and all leading dattos are dead
with many of their followers. The as
sault on the principal fort which sur
rendered last night, was one of the
most gallant performances of Ameri-
can arms.
Colonel Frank D. Baldwin and his
regiment deserve all the praise for
hand-to-hand struggle in the four
lines Of bitches under the walls of the
fort. These trenches are lined with
Mprra dead from our rife fire.
have never seen or heard Of any per-
formance excelling this gallant fight.
TT is my painful duty to report that
the overthrow Of Moro power was not
accomplished without severe loss. One
officer and seven enlisted men were
killed and four officers and 80 enlist
ed men wounded Will telegraph the 7
list later. After the "a survivors
marched out this morning as prison
ers it was understood that they were
all Eighty others, who had con-
cealed themselves in the rubish in
side ct the fort, made break for
liberty but did not succeed. Some
of the Moros who were wounded tried
to stab the soldiers trying to help
them.
"It is impossible to state the num-
Der Of Moros killed, as many are lying
in the tall grass. The surrender saves
us from a. seige and starving them out
It would have been impossible to
have carried the works without seal
ing ladders which were ready. In
tend to retain the prisoners until two
or three small adjacent forts are oc-
cupied.
"The fort was reduced by four
mountain guns and 47O rifles This
was fully sufficient. Could not have
used more men advantageously. Had
we sent a strong column it would
onlv have swelled the casualty list.
Zone neighboring datto has already
represented himself as a friend and
l expect general coming in shortly
when the weight of the blow is known.
The dead have been sent to- Malabang
for burial In the light of the present
knowledge could have beseiged the
principal fort and in time forced it's
surrender, but that would probably
have resulted in sortie for freedom
and escape for many By attacking
them they have been completely
;crushed-the only kind of lesson these
wild Moros seem to be able to profit
by.
'I shall invite Sultan Tarlac to pay
me a friendly visit, if he does not tell
us Of his initiative He has a fort
further east in plain sight and of the
same strength as was Bayan, on q
beautiful tableland, with 1000 acres OF
fine upland rice The result to- fol-
low this important engagement in
sures respect for the United States
and authority in the center Of Moro
savagery.