Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1903-06-22
In Letter to Friend at Wash
ington Captain Pershing
Describes Battle.
MOROS TAUGHT SEVERE LESSON
Peace Now Reisns and Priests Are
Preaching Universal Brotherhood of
man--American Soldiers Exhbite4
Great Btavery-Moros Lost Heavily.


J. Pershing. who was in command of
the troops at the fight at Lake Lanao,
in the Philippines, has written let
ter to personal friend in the war de-
partment describing the battle. 1t
has been shown to Secretary Root.
who authorized its publication. Cap
tain Pershing says:
Camp Wears, April 27, 1908.
Il suppose your mail dispatches
have or will have brought you full
account of the Bacolod incident, in
reality the best fight of the Moro cam.
paign-not SO many Moros killed as
at Bayan or Pandapatan, one year
ago, but fought according to some sort
of system. or course | have worked
on this fight, as | foresaw long ago
that it 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 projeetiles
down into their fort, so that the ar
tillery 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 The fight
began in a rainstorm that lasted till
dark and accommodating was difficult
So We did not find all the avenues of
escape until next day, and l am glad
NO x1yo In hod
fidence 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. The next day and night We
held them fast, however; tried to get
them to surrender; had two talks un-
der flag of truce; no, they would fight
il out. So there was then only to
finish it.
Bloody Hand-to-Hand Battle.
Il called my officers together and
gave each one his work The main
obstacle was ditch 35 feet wide and
40 feet deep to be crossed. 1t was to
be bridged with fallen trees and over
all a bamboo bridge was laid. In the
face of heavy fire the lines advanced
against two faces of the fort, putting
out of business every Moro that ap.
peared. They could not use their
portfolios as we had battered them to
pieces, although we could not with
our light field artillery damage the
earthwork. The lines up to within so
yards, the bridge was completed by
two companies detailed for that pur-
pose, the trees having been previously
cut and hauled as near as could safely
be done. Thirty minutes later the
assaulting infantry swung across and
formed in line on the bernie and
clambered 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 sol
dier against two Moros here. another
running his bayonet into a fanatic
there, Moros plunging headlong into
the deep ditch in their impetuosity
and impetus.
1T was as whole a scene never
to be forgotten. Too much cannot be
said Of the valor, the bravery, the
courage and cool nerve Of the Amerl-
can soldier. The majority of those
left inside never reached the top of
the parapet. 1t was a relief to me
that none of our men were killed. Two
will lose an arm each, the rest will
recover with honorable scars but not
manned 1t was the proudest day of
my life. Cholera existed in all that
section and we did not examine the
interior of The fort until after 1t was
burned and wet thoroughly through
for there were all sorts of under
ground galleries and passageways.
Some officers in the assaulting lima
counted 60 dead on one floor and
Moros say there were more than 100
killed inside, while the list outside
has been growing ever since the bat
tie, SO that $50 all told is a conserva-
tive estimate.
Moros Willing to Be Friends.
The lesson of course has been a Sc
we're one to them. The old panandun.
gan Ga sort of Moro title, meaning
~eANNA NOhaA'SAiOl Vi oOilClulUS VI That
Knd-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 want to be friends.
We burned nothing but this main
Gotta and few smaller ones from
which we were fired upon, and think
the Moros all see that our purpose is
to be humane as far as they will per.
NIT us. To my mind this practically
settles the Lake Lanao troubles. There
will never again be any continued or
general opposition. The sensible
ones see that 1t is useless and several
OF their old panditas (priests) are
now preaching the universal brother
hood OF man. From Bacolod north to
Marahui more United States flags
we're displayed than supposed existed
in all this country. | have been here
nearly two years, right III and about
the Moro country, in the islands
nearly four, and can but feel that
have accomplished something. l think
1t the largest single success that has
b0nn mado in fha islands