The Mankato free press., 1904-10-28
EXPERIENCES IN THE PHILIPPINES


pany. The president had. been going
about great deal from house to house
in all parts of the town. He had been
soliciting funds to help the insurgents
and this explained the large amount of
money found on his person, when he at
tempted to pass the American outposts
and get out of the town. The man was
sent prisoner to the official headquart-
ers at Manila Here he remained pris-
oner for some time. The last that Mr..
Smeets heard of the fellow was that he
had sworn allegiance to the United
States, and secured his release. Mr.
Smeets regards this as another instance
of extreme American leniency. Such ex-
amples of treachery were by no means
rare.
Mr.. Smeets once accompanied de-
tachment of seventy-five Americans who
followed Filipino trail up a stream
and up long ravine. On their way the
Americans found tied to tree two
American mules and two native ponies,
which had probably been captured by the
insurgents from some teamsters, who
had happened to straggle. As the Ameri-
cans marched up through gulch for
four hundred yards, gulch with steep
sides two hundred to three hundred feet
high, shots would come occasionally from
the heights above. At length place
was reached. where some Filipinos were
seen throwing up intrenchments on the
brow of hill A corporal with six men
selected place to reconnoiter. The in
surgents fired volley after volley at this
little detachment. The Americans fired
back. After a time the Filipinos ceased
firing and it seemed to the Americans
that they had gone. The whole force of
the whites crawled up the side of the
hill to the Notifications. One American
was slightly wounded. Five Filipinos
were found shot through their heads,
which they had raised above the forti-
ficatins to do their firing.
Only one native was in sight and he
was thoroughly searched and question
ed. He told the Americans that he was
a paymaster among the Filipinos and
did not do any fighting. The lieutenant
asked ewhere all the insurgents were,
and was told that they had all retreated.
The lieutenant asked how many, and the
Filipino answered that there were fif-
teen, including those that had been shot.
The Filipino was then asked whether
there were any rifles around and he said
the insurgents had taken them all with
them, when they retreated. The dead
Filipinos, however, had been left with
their. rifles. The lieutenant asked the
Filipino if there were any more rifles
around there and the latter said there
were not. The lieutenant would not be-
lieve this statement and said the Fill
pino would be hanged if he did not tell
A rope was made ready and placed
about the prisoners neck. Then the lat
ter gave in. Three hundred yards far
ther back, the Filipino revealed a collec
tion of hammocks and bedding, large
quantities of rice and medicines and
about eight thousand rounds of ammu.
milton. Two hundred yards farther back
were found hidden a hundred and forty
three rifles, large Filipino flag, and a
map, four feet square, showing all the
trails and strongholds of the natives in
that region. All these things were burn
ed with the exception of the rifles,
the flag and the map, which were sent
to the head officials at Manila.
Such was the campaign work of the
American soldier in the struggle with
the Filipinos The Americans were eager
to capture every rifle they could get hold
of, as disarmed insurgent was nearly
as good as dead one.
On their way back to the camp from
this expedition, the Americans were
shown by a Filipino boy, where a large
quantity of ammunition, shot and shell
were concealed in a hillside cave. All
these supplies were destroyed
Many of the Filipinos, who pre-
tended to be friendly, would keep circu-
iating false rumors to the effect that
the insurgents were at this or that place,
for the purpose of fatiguing the Ameri-
cans in fruitless searches. Rumors of
night attacks by the insurgents would be
started very frequently with this OBJ
ject in view Yet, sometimes, the infor-
nation received from the natives was
true.
An insurgent once came to the camp
of Company f of the Third Infantry in
the province of Bulacan, surrendered,
and informed the captain that the other
insurgents had mistreated him, and he
was hencefOrth a friend of the Ameri-
cans. He said he knew where quanti-
tity of insurgents rifles were hidden
and also knew the signal, whereby the
insurgents were to know when to rush
to this place and arm themselves. Act
ing on the information that the Fill
pino gave, the captain took a detachment
of men to the place named, concealed the
men. and at suitable moment fred two
shots with a pistol. Instantly, natives
rushed from all sides to get their weap-