The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-07-08
STORY OF LANAO BATTLE
Captain Perstaing Describes the Best
Fight of the Moro Campaign
Desperate Charge on Fort and Hand.te.
Hand Fight on Psrspet, Bayonet
Against Kris.

Washington. D. C.-Captain John J.
Pershing, who commanded the troops
at the fight of Lake Lanao, in the Phil
ippines, thus describes the battle in q
letter to a friend IN the War Depart
ment:
"The Bacolod incident was the best
fight Of the Moro campaign.
First, we got behind them, much to
their surprise, and could post our guns
above and drop projectiles down into
their fort.
1--WE had some work and some fight
ing to gain this position, but once there
1t 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 thor
oughly.
'The fight began in a food Of rain
that lasted tin dark, and reconnoitering
was difficult So we did not find all
the avenues of escape until next day.
81 am glad now we didn't, as they
had such confidence in this fort that
they had been constructing for year,
that they took many women and chill
dren inside, and these escaped during
the night.
"The next day and night we held
them fast, however, and tried to get
them to surrender, having two talks
under q flag Of truce. No, they would
fight it out, so there was then only to
finish 1t.
1.-THE main obstacle was deep ditch
thirty-five feet wide and forty feet
deep to be crossed. It was to be
bridged with fallen trees; and over all
a bamboo bridge was laid.
"In the face of a heavy Remington
fire the lines advanced against two
faces of the fort, putting out Of busi.
| ness every Moro that appeared. They
could not use their portfolios; we had
battered them to pieces, although we
could not with our light field artillery
| damage the earthwork.
'The bridge was completed by two
companies detailed for that purpose
the trees having been previously cut
| and hauled as near as could safely be
done-in thirty minutes, when the as
saulting infantry swung across and
formed line on the bernie and clam
bered up nearly in line to the top of
the parapet.
"Here they were met with kampilan
and kris and a bloody hand-to-hand
fight occurred-one soldier against two
Moros here, another running his bayo-
net into fanatic there, Moros plung-
| ing headlong into the deep ditch in
their impetuosity.
"Too much cannot be said Of the va.
! lor, the bravery, the courage and cool
| nerve Of the American soldier.
"None Of our men were killed. Two
will lose an arm each. the rest will re.
cover with honorable scars but not
| manned.
"Some officers counted sixty dead on
one floor and the Moros say there were
more than 100 killed inside, while the
list outside has been growing ever
since the battle, so that $50 all told is q
conservative estimate.
"The old Panandungan "a sort of
Moro title meaning chief counsellor OF
something Of that kind-in this case
he had more power than the Sultan)
lost his life, and the rest Of them that
are left have sent word that they wan,
to be friends.
From Bacolod north to Marahui
more United States flags were dis
played in the road and in rancheros
than I supposed existed in all this
country.
zone year ago nobody knew nor had
seen, except myself, the Moro In his
native lagupa, nor had they any Idea
of him nor of his fierce, unconquera'
BILE nature. To-daywe have crossed the
lake and have marched practically
around it. Without the support and
backing Of General Davis and General
Sumner could not have done this. To
them, Of course, as commanders. be,
| longs the credit. I hope it will not fail
of appreciation, and that they will be
rewarded accordingly"