Evening star., 1903-12-23
III CUME lUMURROW
Two Companies, Second Bat
TALON of Engineers.
HOME FROM MANILA
HISTORY OF ARDUoUs WORK IN
THE PHILIPPINES.
Completes the Contemplated Move
ment Of Troops To or From
the District.

Engineers. u. s. A., will arrive in Wash
ington tomorrow from the Philippine Is
lands to take station at Washington bar
racks and complete the complement of the
post, Companies G and H having arrived
several months ago. The establishment Of
the newcomers in their quarters at the foot
of Four r-and-a-Half street will complete, for
a time at least, the movement of United
States troops in the District of Columbia,
which has been going on ever since last
September, when Companies I and X of the
Sd Battalion of Engineers departed from
the post to relieve the first two companies
of the I'd Battalion.
Record of the Battalion.
The Second Battalion of Engineers was
organized at Willets Point. N. Y, in the
spring of 1901, from among the members Of
Companies C and D of the First Battalion.
The companies were designated as Com
panies E, F. G and H. The organization
was accomplished under the direction Of
Capt. Henry Jervey. AS soon as the or
ganiZatiOn was completed 1t was hurried to
the Philippines. where 1t arrived In July
1901. Once landed at Manila the organiza-
ton was divided into small detachments
and sent to every section of the islands,
with company headquarters as near the
places where the men were engaged as was
possible.
Work in the Philippines.
Company F was assigned to the depart
ment of the Visayas. with it's headquarters
at Iloilo; Company G was sent to Mindanao
and Jolo, with headquarters at Zamboanga.
and Companies E and H were on duty at
Manila. Last spring Company E was de-
tached from the service at Manila and sent
to Mindanao to take the place of Company
G. which was returned to the United States
with Company H in the summer, and which
arrived here and took quarters at the WASH
ington barracks In September
Company E was charged with the duty
OF constructing roads and bridges and MAX
ing reconnaissance maps in northern Luzon
curing the first year of its stay in the east
The work of maknspsurveys for new mill
tary posts, fortfica tions and river and
harbor improvements in this section was
all performed by this company and # is
said to have done its duty well.
1t was sent to Mindanao last spring and
engaged in the construction of the road
from IHgan to Lake Lanao, where the
american troops battled with the Moros
company f. had several men killed during
the engagements with the Moros
The work of constructing roads and
bridges on Panay and contiguous Islands
was assigned to Company f when 1t reach
ed It's station in the department of the
Flsayas. One of the best pieces of york
performed by this company was the making
OF a reconnaissance map which included
the entire Island of Negros. Surveys for
military posts We're made by this organiza-
ten. too and roads and wharves were built
near them to give easy and convenient
egreSS and exit
Company F assisted in the construction
OF the road from the coast inland to the
scene of the battle of Bayan, which was
one OF the fiercest fights the American SOL
diers had against the Moros. The COM
pany was charged with much of the engi-
MO In a1vrnr 49, kIx<1
the command of Gen. F. D. Baldwin
Company G took part in the Baldwin ex-
pedition also. Its duties included the clear
Ing of trails for the troops so that the ad-
vance could not be retarded. The company
also took part in the engagements with the
enemy and was in the thick of the fight
several times. Several men were lost in
these engagements. At other times the or
ganization was kept building bridges and
roads 1t constructed a wharf at Zambo-
anga and began the construction of sus-
pension bridge.
The topography of south Luzon was stud
led closely by the members of Company H,
and it performed practically the same du-
ties In the south that Company had per-
formed In the north. The two companies
were detailed to work together In the prep
aration Of the site and plans for Fort Will
lam Mckinley, the new military post at
Manila. Companies G and H started for
the United States in the summer and ar
rived here in September, taking the places
Oh companies L ana II, winch mad DeSn
sent to the Philippines.
On the arrival Of the two companies here
companies l. and M of the Sd battalion
were started for the orient and when they
arrived at their destination Companies e
and F were headed for home and the Wash
ington barracks. These two organizations
arrived in San Francisco on the transport
Sherman couple of weeks ago, and after
a few days at the Preside started eastward
last Friday.
u
The I'd Battalion of Engineers should be
of more than usual interest to the people
of the District, for it numbers among it's
officers two who have been assistants to
the Engineer Commissioners of the Dis
trict. Major Edward Burr, the command
ing officer of the battalion and of the post
al Washington barracks, is one of these.
Major Burr was appointed cadet at the
Military Academy from Missouri in July,
1873, and was commissioned a second lieu
tenant in the engineer corps four years
later He was promoted to be first Iieuten-
ant In 1888 and was made captain in 1894.
While captain he was detailed assis-
tant to the Engineer Commissioner of the
District AT that time Major Black was
the Engineer Commissioner. Major Burr
held office under Major Black and Major
Beach. who succeeded him.
During the war with Spain Major Burr
served at lieutenant of the I'd Regiment of
Volunteer Engineers. He was made a
major in January of the present year.
Capt. H. c. Newcomer, who will COM
mand Company e. is the other officer who
has served the District. Capt Newcomer
became cadet at West Point by appoint
ment from Illinois in 1882. He was gradu-
ated as second lieutenant of engineers In
1886. and became a first lieutenant In 1885,
and a captain in 1897. He served the Dis
trtct from the time of the retirement of
Capt. David Dub. Gaillard until the re-
turn of his company to the United States.
The commanding officer of Company F
Is Captain Cassius E. Gillette. Captain Gill
lette was appointed to the Military Acad-
emy from Pennsylvania in 1880 and was
commissioned a second lieutenant of en-
gineers on being graduated in 1884. He was
promoted to first lieutenant in 1887 and to
captain in 1885, Captain Gillette was as
signed to command Company F after its
return to the United States
Capt. James F. McIndoe is the command
er of CompanyG q. Capt. McIndoe is one of
the officers who served with the Sd Battal- |
ion Of Engineers during its service at
Washington Barracks, as Is also Capt
Mariwhether L. Walker, the commanding
officer of Company H, Capt. McIndoe hav-
ing commanded Company l. and Capt. Wal |
ker Company M.
While none of the company commanders