The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-23
SOLDIERS DESCRIBE
LIFE IN MINDANAO
Fifteenth Cavalry Back From
Campaign Among the
MOrOS.

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, Nov 22.-Om-
Gals of the Fifteenth cavalry, which ar
rived on the transport Logan this week,
speak hopefully regarding the future OF
the -Moros. This detachment campaigned
among the hostile tribes in the wilds of
Mindanao for two years and had abundant
opportunity to study and observe the
effects. Of civilizing influences upon the
natives.
1.-The Mindanao Moros are of larger
stature, much stronger physically and
more fierce and determined than the Fill
pinos of LuZon," said an officer of the
Fifteenth.
"They are mountaineers and their coun-
try is in a semi-barbarous state. Iney
have some we'll titled fields, their products
being principally coffee and hemp and
few small cattle. The inhabitants are
divided into tribes or villages, rancher1as
We would call them in California, and
each village or tribe has its sultan or
chief. They rob one another and are hot
headed and jealous. This fact made our
task easier. There Is no means Of ascef-
tanning the population, but as rough es-
innate I should say that if the sultans
would all unite they could easily muster
10000 first-class fighting men.
"They have strong, thick-walled mud
forts, which they defend tenaciously, and
1t Is often necessary to take them at the
point of the bayonet. They will lie close
under artillery fire and wait for the as
sault, for they are naturally hand-to-hand
fighters and man to man they could put
up a stout front. They have rifles and
carbines which, We have reason to be-
lieve, they procure from the Dutch trad
ers on the island of Borneo. however, tne
magazine rife is too much Tor them. Ineir
tactics are to some extent like those OF
/ the American Indians. They Will not
come out in the open and fight and VIII
not attack troops in column until tney
are in greatly superior force. but VIII
ambush two or three or a small squad VI
our men. They will also creep through
the grass and surprise our guards coca
the corporal makes the rounds. with the
relief he occasionally finds picket that
is off duty forever.
However, the people are amenable
to reason, and venture to say that in
year or two they will be as docile as the
American Indians now on reservations: IL
is necessary to move with precision. Ihey
are yet in state of Semi-barbar1ty, ana
they think slowly, and seldom have more
than one idea or thought at a time. To
pick up such men in their Wilds and at
once set them down In this electric age
arouSes their fears, and such minds can
have bat one thought-that OF self-de.
fense-and they fight. Hence we moved
very slowly with them and killed none
except when it was absolutely necessary.
It was also determined, wherever pos,
sible, to put none in authority over them
! save those who had experience with our
Indians, and this SO far has been found
to be an excellent plan.
Sultan Wanted In.
cat Jolo one day sultan approached
within two miles of the walled town with
a body of 5000 well armed men and sent
word requesting permission to enter the
city. Word was returned to him that he
and his special guard Of seventy armed
men might enter, and he was assured Of
safe return. But he parleyed and said ne
had with him twenty subchiefs, who, i'm
cial bodyguard of fifty armed men, and
he also desired permission for them to
enter. This would admit between LOCO
and 1,200 well-armed men within the
men available there, his request was re-
fused, but a sufficient number was adj
mitted to appease their pride and at the
same time not endanger the safety OF
the regiment. II those fellows, with
their rifles and long, sharp, double edged
swords, had got in the town, they could
easily have annihilated us, with S0Osmore
awaiting the signal to attack from the
subdue the Moros in 1896, and they talk
yet of the fighting at that time; from
what We can learn the Spaniards were
very glad to get out.
''Mindanao is very fertile and is large
ly covered with an excellent growth aof
the very finest hardwoods. Much of it,
however. is inaccessible-without roads
and railroads, at that The Fifteenth
built a military road twenty-five miles
long, tapping very fertile part of the
country. We found coal, and there is also
placer gold in the streams, but in small
quantities; we did not find sufficient in
dications to warrant extensive opera
tons. But it came from somewhere, and
if it were traced to the lode many valu-
able mines might be found. There are
evidences of other minerals, but we were
not on a prospecting trip exactly, though
part sof our duty was to explore the
country. This we did, in a general way
and in addition impressed the Moros with
a firm belief in the superiority of the
American soldier
The Fourteenth cavalry relieved the
Fifteenth, which will be distributed be-
tween Fort Meyer, Va, and Fort Ethan
Allen, in Vermont. there to recover from
the hardships Of its arduous campaign
ing.