The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1903-06-26
CAPT. PERSHING'S
STORY OF VICTORY
Letter to War Department De.
scribos Victory at Lake
Lanao.
WAS a GENUINE BATTLE
Americans Assaulted Almost I'm
pregnabie Fort in the Face Of al
Heavy Fire-Bioody Hand to
Hand Fight.

Heavy Fire-Bioody Hand to
Hand Fight.
Washington. D. c., June 2s.-John ].
troops at the fight at Lake Lanao, in
the Philippines, has written a letter to
q personal friend In the war depart
ment, describing the battle.
1t has been shown to Secretary Root,
who authorized its publication.
Captain Pershing says:
II suppose your mail dispatches have,
Or will have, brought you a full ac-
count Of the fight OF the Moro cam
Bayan or Pendapatan n year ago,
but fought according to some sort o +
system. OF course, I had worked on
this fight, Is I foresaW long g that 1T
must come, and the whole thing from
beginning worked out as planned.
First, we got behind them, much to
their surprise, and could post u guns
above and drop projectiles down into
their fort, so h a III artillery fire in
this case was not all noise. We had
some work and some fighting to gain
this position. Once there 1t was only a
question Of sitting down deliberately
Fand waiting to see what the Moros
would do. Many got away-before the
place was invested thoroughly. The
light began in a hood Of a ratnstorm
that lasted till dark, and r~econnoiter-
ing was difficult, SO we did not find
al the n Of escape until next
lay, and I am glad now we did not, as
they had such confidence In this fort
hey have been constructing for a year
that they o many women and chil-i
1ren inside, and these escaped during
The night.
Determined to Make Stand.
THE next day and night we had
hem fast; however, tried to get them
10 surrender; had two talks under
Tags of truce; nc, they would fight 1t
,ut. So there Yves then only to finish
It. I called my officers together and
gave each n his work The main OBJ
stacle was a deep ditch, thirty-iye feet
vide and forty feet deep. to be crossed.
1t waste be bridged with fallen trees,
and over all a bamboo bridge was laid.
Everything In readiness, the assault be-
gan. In the face of a heavy Reming-
ION fire from the fort the lines adj
|vanced against two faces Of the fort,
putting out of business every Moro that
appeared. They could not 81 their
portfolios, as we had battered them to
pieces, although we could not, with u
light field artillery, damage the earth
work. The bridge was completed by
TWO companies detailed for that pur-
pose, the trees having been previously
sut and hauled as near as could safely
oe done. Thirty minutes later the as
saulting infantry swung across and
.orrned a line on h bernie and clam
oered up nearly In line to the top Of
:he parapet. Here they were met
with kampilan and kris, and a bloody
aand to hand fight occurred-one
other running his bayonet into a fa-
,natic there, Moros plunging headlong
INTO the deep ditch in their inpetuosity.
Americans Were Merry.
.It was, as a whole, a scene never to
De forgot. Too much cannot be said
IF the valor, the bravery, the courage
and GOODNESS and nerve of the American
soldier. The majority Of those left tn
tide never reached the top of the para.
pet. It was a relief to me that none
Of our men were killed. Two will lose
an arm each; the regt will with
honorable scars, but not manned. It
was he proudest day of my life.
Cholera existed in nearly all that sec
ion, and we did not m the In
.erior of the fort until after 1t was
,urned and wet thoroughly, for there
ire all sorts of galleries and passage
ways. Some officers in the assaulting
Inc counted sixty dead on one floor,
md Moros say there were many more
han 100 killed inside, while the list
outside has been growing yer since
.:he battle, so that $50 all told is a con
,ervative estimate. I have labored
With these Bacolod Moros for q yes
through other Moros, some Of them
lear relatives, trying to convince them
,f their foolishness in thinking of
lighting us, but they have replied in
whole Laguna de Lano has anticipated
/. reverse for us. The lesson, of course,
aas been a severe one for them. The
SD panandungan (sort of Moro title
meaning chief counselor or something
ST that kind-in this cas- he had more
power than the ~sultan) lost his life,
Ind the rest Of them that are left have
friends. We burned nothing but this
main Gotta and a few smaller ones
rom which we were fired upon, and I
;hink the Moros all see that our pur-
pose is to be humane as far as they
will permit US.
Victory Means Much.
ITO my mind this practically settles
he Lake Lanoa troubles. We, Of
course, must explore the eastern por-
lion of the lake. a distance that yet
remains unexplored Of about ten miles.
I anticipate little trouble there, but
here may be one or two ~hard-headed
Sid dattos who will put up their red
iags.
THE matter may now be said to be
settled. There will never again be any
continued opposition nor any general
opposition. The sensible one see that
t is useless, and several OF their old
oanditas (priests) are now preaching
he universal brotherhood of man. It
s needless for me to say to you that
am grati1ed at the outcome. From
6acolol north to Marahui there were
more United States flags displayed in
he read and in ~rancherios than I sup
posed existed In all this country.
II have been here nearly two years
light in and about the Moro country
N the islands nearly four-and can
out feel that I have accomplished
something. I think 1t the largest sin
sle success that has been made In the
Stands. One year g nobody knew
1or had seen, except myself, the Moro
N his native laguna, nor had they. any
dna cf him, NOR. ne his Haroo ,,an. 81