The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-22
BacOIod Incident Best Battle of
 Moro Campaign AMERICAN TROOPS GALLANT
Captain PershIng Thinks the Drub- blng Received by the Natives Has Done Them Good and Antici-
 pates No Further Trouble.

Washington, June 9--Capt John J. Pershing, who was In command of the troops at the fight at Lake Lanao in the Philippines has written a letter to a per- sonal friend in the war department de- scribing the battle.
 It has been shown to Secretary Root
 who authorized it's publication. Captain
 Pershing says:
 Camp Wears April 27. 1903.
 T suppose your mall dispatches have or will have brought you full account of
 the Bacolod incident It was in reality
 the best fight of the Moro campaign, as
 so many more Moros were killed. The
 fight was fought according to some sort
 of system Of course l had worked on
 this fight as I 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 projectiles down into their fort, so that the artillery fire in this case was not all noise. We had some work and some l fighting to gain this position. Once there. 1 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 thoroughly.
 Fight Begins In Ranstorn.
 "The fight began in a flood of ralnstorm that lasted till dark and reconnoitering was difficult We did not find all the avenues of escape until next day and I am glad now we did not as they had such | confidence in this fort that they have been constructing for year that they 1 took many women and children inside and | these escaped during the night The next day and night we held them fast, how
 ever, and tried to get them to surrender; had two talks under flag of truce; no they would fight 1t out. So there was l then only to finish it. I called my officers l together and gave each one his work The main obstacle was a deep ditch 30 feet
 wide and 40 feet deep to be crossed. It
 was to be bridged with fallen trees and over all a bamboo bridge was laid Every- | thing being in readiness, the assault be- | gan. Tn the face of heavy Remington l 1 re from the fort the lines advanced l against two sides of the fort putting 1 out of business every Moro that appeared
 They could not use their port holes as we had battered them to pieces, although we | could not. with our light field artillery. damage the earthworks
 The lines up to within fifty yards of the bridge were completed by two com panies detailed for that purpose, the trees having been previously cut and hauled as near as could safely be done Thirty minutes later the assaufting infantry swung across and formed n line on the Berme and clamored up nearly in line to the top of the parapet. Here they were met with the Kampilan and Kris and a bloody hand-to-Eand fight occurred--one soldier against two Moros here. another running his bayonet into fanatic there. the Moros plunging headlong into the | deep ditch in their impetuosty
 |
 American Soldier Praised.
 Too much cannot be said of the valor, the bravery, the courage, coolness and nerve of the American soldier. The maior- ity Of those left inside never reached the l top of the parapet It was relief to me
 that none of our men were killed. Two Will lose an arm each. the rest will re- cover with honorable scars but not
 maimed. It was the proudest day of my 1 life. Cholera existed in all that section
 and we did not examine the interior of
 the fort until after 1t was burned and 1 wet thoroughly through, for there were
 all sorts of underground galleries and
 passage ways. Some officers in the as-
 saulting line counted sixty dead on one
 floor and Moros say there were more than | 100 killed inside. while the list outside has been growing ever since the battle, so that l50 all told Is conservative estf- mate. have labored with these Bacofod | some of them near relatives trying to convince them of their roolshness in thinking of fighting us, but they have replied in insulting messages and in fact the whole affair has benefited. The old panandungan Ca sort of Moro title mean- Ing chief counsellor or 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 want to be friends We burned nothing but this main cotta and a 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 permit us. To my mind this practically settles the Lake Lanao troubles.
 Anticipates Little More Trouble. We of course must explore the eastern portion of the lake for a distance that remains yet unexplored of about ten miles. I anticipate little trouble there
 but there may be one or two hard-headed | old dattos who will put up their red
 flags The matter may now be said to | be settled. There will never again be any continued opposition nor any gen. | eral opposition The sensible ones see that 1t Is useless and several of their old
 priests are now preaching the universal brotherhood of men. It Is needless for me to say to you that I am gratified at Marahui, there were more United States flags displayed in the road and in ranch | eros than I supposed existed In all this country I have been here nearly two years right in and about the Moro coun- l try, in the islands nearly four. and can but feel that have accomplished some thing. I think 1t is the largest single success that has been made in the islands. One year ago nobody knew or had seen except myself the Moro in his native bod ofk of his fierce unconquerabIe nature To- 1 day we have crossed the lake and have practically marched around 1t. Without | the support and backing of General Davis | and General Sumner I could not have | done this To them of course as com manders belong the credit. I hope 1t will | not fail of appreciation and that they will \ be rewarded accordingly"