Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-06-22
LAKE LANAO FIGHT.
Captain Pershing Tells of the < Bravery of His Soldiers.
ASSAULT MADE UNDER 4 HEAVY FIRE
Bridge Was Built Nm Face of the Enemy After Thirty Mfnutcss Fighting MOrOs Were Overcome
 by Hand to Hand Encounter.

tI&ht1ng MOrOa Were Overcome by Hand to Hand EncOunter.
 WASHINGTON, June 22.-Captain John J. Pershing, who was in com mand of the troops at the fight at Lake Lanao in the Philippines, has sent an account of the battle. He says:
 ''In reality the battle of Bacolod was the best fight of the Moro campaigns; pot so many Moros killed as at Bayan or Pandapatan, but they fought accord ing to some sort of system. Of course have worked on this fight, as fore saw long ago that 1t must come, and the whole thing from the beginning worked out as planned. First we got behind them, much to their surprise, and could post our guns above and drop projectiles down into their fort, so that the artillery fire in this case was not all noise. We had some work and some fighting to gain this position. Once there, it was only a question of sitting down deliberately and waiting to see what the Moros would do. Many got away before the place was invested thoroughly.
 "The fight began in a flood of a rain storm that lasted till dark and recon noitering was difficult So we did not find all the avenues of escape until next day, and am glad now we didn't, as they had such confidence in this fort that they have been constructing for a year that they took many women and children inside, and these escaped during the night. Tbe next day and night we held them fast, however; tried to get them to surrender; had two talks under flag of truce. No;sthey would fight it out. So there was then only to finish it. called my officers together and gave each one his work.
 "The main obstacle was a deep ditch thirty-five feet wide and forty feet deep to be crossed. 1t was to be bridged with fallen trees, and over all bam- boo bridge was laid. Everything in readiness, the assault began. In the face of heavy Remington fire from the fort the lines advanced against two faces of the fort putting out of busi- ness every Moro that appeared. They could not use their portholes, asfwe had battered them to pieces, although we could not with our light field artillery damage the earthworks.
 ''The lines up to within fifty yards, the bridge was completed by two com panies detailed for that purpose, the trees having been previously cut and hauled as near as could safely be done. Thirty minutes when the assaulting in- fantry swung across and formed line on the berme and clambered up nearly In line to the top of the parapet. Here they were met with Kampilan and Kris, and bloody hand to hand fight occurred---o one soldier against two Mo ros here, another running his bayonet into fanatic there, Moros plunging headlong into the deep ditch in their impetuosity and impetus. .@It was as a whole scene never. to forget. Too much cannot be said of the valor, the bravery, the courage and cool nerve Of the American soldier.
 'gPhe majority of those left inside never reached the top of the parapet 1t was relief to me that none of our men were killed. Two will lose an arm each; the rest will recover with honor able scars, but not maimed. It was the proudest day of my life. Cholera exist cd in all that section, and we did not examine the interior Of the fort until after 1t was burned and wet thorough ty through, for there were all sorts of underground galleries and passage ways. Some officers in the assaulting line counted sixty dead on one floor, and 1foros say more than a hundred were killed inside. while the list out side has been growing ever since the battle, so that 15o all told is conserva- tive estimate!
 'I have labored with these Bacolod Moros for year through other Moros, some Of them near relatives. trying to convince them of their foolishness in thinking of fighting us, but they have replied in insulting messages and, in fact, the whole Laguna de Lanao has anticipated l reverse for us."