Evening star., 1903-07-21
STEALTHY METHODS.
Disclosures From Captured
Filipino Records.
GUERRILLA w ARFARE
THE ALLEGED INSTRUCTIONS OF
AGUINALDO.
Arms Must Be Saved as Being More
Valuable Than Men-Employ-
ment Of Spies.
GUERRILLA WARFARE

| Among the captured records OF insur-
gents in the Philippines now In the bureau
Of insular affairs of the War Department,
| there are many which show the difncui-
| ties met with by the United States troops
| in overcoming resistance made by the guer-
| rilla bands which operated in the islands OK
| the archipelago, violating whenever II
seemed expedient every rule and custom
of civilized warfare. Their methods are
shown. not by printed proclamation ana
| formal documents, which were 1ntended
not so much to serve as rule or conduct
for the insurgents screen behind
| which the methods which were really re-
lied upon could be employed undetected, but
by captured instructions.
An interesting example Of such instruc-
tions was recently found among these rec
| ords by Captain Taylor, the officer en-
gagged in compiling the captured Philippine
documents. 1t is dated March 2. 1900 and
is addressed to Sonora Ambrosia. by whom
is meant Ambrosio Moxica, insurgent COM
mander in the Island Of Leyte. Sonora
Rosalia MagdalO is a pseudonym or Emilio
Aguinaldo. The more interesting para
graphs Of this communication read as rol-
lows
Before my departure from the center
(office) 1 was with Sra. Rosalia Magdalo,
of whom l asked leave to come here Sc
cretly, which was granted me. commls-
sion being conferred upon me at the same
time to go to Cebu. and other provinces
of Biscayas to make an inspection and to
transmit to proper parties the instructions
which the said sonora gave me. which
have the honor and great pleasure to
make known to you. They are as follows:
Aguinaldo's Instructions
"It is agreed to adopt in this province
guerrilla tactics. by bands or sections Of
ten. fifteen or twenty soldiers, or accord
Ing to the number of available troops, un
der the command CT an officer, whose duty
1t Is to make hostile demonstrations con-
tinually against the enemy, wherever they
may be
"If by chance any Of our men are wound
ed ON the field or in any place. efforts must
be made to take away the rifles and am
muniton at once. and carry them away as
far possible, so that they may not bs
captured by the enemy. and il the wound
ed not be Immediately removed else
where retreat from the place, let them
be left there. because it is better to save
the arms than the men, as there are many
Filipinos to fill up the ranks, but rifles
scarce and difficult to secure for the
battle: besides, the Americans when COM
ing upon any wounded in battle, take good
care of them. while the rifles made use
less. Therefore, l repeat, that they must
endeavor to save the arms rather than the
men. For the ambushes our troops must
select advantageous points near the roads
where the enemy is accustomed to pass.
and when the latter are within a distance
of forty-five meters let them discharge
four or five shots. one after the other, and
then run, but II the Americans come or go
in small parties or fewer In number than
our guerrillas, try and seize them in order
to secure their arms and ammunition hold
ing the former as prisoners
Employment Of Spies
"The guerrillas quartered in the neigh
borhood must render mutual assistance and
keep up communications. so to get the
news as to where the enemy comes or goes.
and the time they will pass certain points.
endeavOrng also that all the guerrilla
bands have regular cour:ers, with you or
with general headquarters. giving advices
daily of any occurrence and carrying cor
respondence. They must select for mail
carriers trustworthy women. charging them
to put hide the mail underneath their
skirts, bearing in mind that the Americans
do not search them, and in sending to the
towns for arms or food. the orders must be
sent by women and for small quantities. SO
as not to attract attention. Officers of
guerrillaS must use fictitious names
pseudonyms. must also their friends to
whom they are in the habit of writing in
the towns. and. if possible. cipher in
their letters, so as to prevent the enemy
capturing or learning of them, discovering
by such means the object plan of the
campaign. Let every sort of economy be
practiced with ammunition and supplies.
bearing in mind the times and the cOndit on
of the country.
''All these instructions which the Sonora
Rosalia has charged me to transmit to you
and to others are bringing forth very hap
py results everywhere. in Luzon as well as
N (>e.hu NpPrnS and
1T would be well. according to my limit
ed understanding for you to have persons
in your confidence in all the towns where
there are American garriSonS, with whom
you will be able to communicate directly
to inform you of the plans of campaign and
other business of the enemy. so that having
said information at hand. you may adopt
measures you deem best which persons
may be considered as diplomatic represen-
tat.ves of yourself, therefore. they can
have a thousand faces in order to win the
friendship of the enemy with whom they
can always maintain intimate relations ap-
earing more American than the nation
itself in America. TO accomplish this there
is need likewise for persons to carry ds-
patches, and women should be selected for
this, If possible. as is done in Manila Ca
vite, Cebu and other points, these of the
weaker sex receive more considerable than
men. and their mission is less noticeable.
Poison and Assassination Urged.
1T would be well also. according to my
humble opinion. that the suerriilas should
always be outside the towns and should be
in the roads or outskirts of one town or
another to watch the steps of the enemy
and attack them unexpectedly. The bolo-
men (men armed with knives) also should
go Eel Gapang' Creeping like a snake)
about Manila and Cebu. devoting them
selves to killing enemies on the edges of
the towns. when they are going about per-
sonal business and do not carry firearms
as, for instance when going to bathe to
hunt bananas and cocoanuts and other arti-
cles, as these parties described are easy Of
assassination.
1T would also be we'll. according to my
humble judgment. for you to find out from
the old men and auack doctors the kind of
poison that can be mixed in the alcoholic
drinks and in the cocOanut wine (tuba)
as our enemies now drink these liquors.
and after this poison has been known and
tried. let 1t be used in such way as to
undermine the constitution Of the man. un-
til some day death occurs. for which pur-
pose you ought to have persons wherever
there are Americans to poison them. These
things are now being done in Luzon. Cebu
and Panay.
There is tree here in the province
whose leaves prick the body of a man con-