The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-09
ON MOUNT
Captain Lawtsn'p Account Of the CSndis
tlona % the Battle.


tlona % the Battle.
TO TIE EpIToR or TIE suN--Str; Having
read In your columns the %slanderous attacks
made by Mr.. Psrthurst and others on the
officers OF the army who tool part In the
recent battls Of Mount Bud-DaJo, Jolo. Phil.
ippine islands. I feel that ] owe II 10 myself
and the oficers Of my command 70 refute
the s~satefnonta and insinuattons made by
those misguided philanthropists yho. In
utter ignorance Of conditions and oireum-
stances In this far-off country. have taken
on themselves TO alt In judgment and 'roast'
In most soathine terms oficers and men who
but did thelr duty under most trying ciroun-
stances. and who feel that applause, at least,
rather than oensuFe. 10 their due
Upon men given 70 rendering such snap
judgment N o basis OF most woful tGner-
ance probably nothing that can DO seid by
those on the scene here will have any eneot'
but at any rate the public at large. or those
who have had their judgment wsrped by
the unjust criticisms Of these men In the
public prints. should have the facts set before
them. aud II 10 with this object In view that
! beg for Q abort space In your columns
Having taken q leading part In the battle
OF Bud-DaJo, and being perfectly familiar
with all the facts OF and conditions suFrouud-
Ing that fight. I beg to etate:
4. We, the officers engaged In the hght,
were Ignorant Of the fact that thare were
women and children In the forts Of Mount Bud
pajo until the light was practically over.
2. The Aght itself was preceded by several
days OF preparation In plain view OF the Moros
intrenohed on the mountain, who were fully
aware OF our iptention TO attack them SOW
eral days before we did. and ample time and
opportunity was afforded them Of getting any
women and children that they may have had
with them DOWN from the mountain during
this time II they 30 deslred.
8. In attacking the forts We fired for some
time at heads only. % they protruded above
the parapets In shooting at us. and no one
Of Va was aware Of the fact that there were
women or children on the inside.
4, In the final assault OF the forts the fight
ing became 0 desperate hand to hand affair.
In which for the first time those of US who
were collected enough to note the fact saw
women aud some children. At this stage
OF the battle. whom women were fighting
furlously alongside Of the men, no human
power could have stayed the hands OF our
men, for they were fighting for their lives.
and even had II been In the power of our
officers TO stay the combat such an act on
our part would have been suicidal and GRIM
lnal. and would have brought down on our
heads the anathemas Of the scores Of victims
among US who would have fallen as q pesult
Of suoh folly. TO say nothing Of subsequent
court-martisi proceedings. However. as I
uhNp hiTobuy ttutou, SUM bCtiou oh ouT pate
was simply impossible In any case.
8. Women were killed because they were
alongside Of and fighting with the men. and
scarcely dlstin guishable from them. Chill
dren were killed because they were In the
arms Of the women and were used as shields
by both men and women. The killing OF
women and children was absolutely unpre-
ventable under the circumstances.
0. These Aoros were fanatics Of the worst
kind. They we're determined either 70 con-
ausr or die, and II II was die. the women
must 60 with them. and the babies. too.
Such was their cult. such their dietum, carried
out to the letter,
No man, woman or child faltered. All
fought to the last breath. Their stoicism
was sublime. their oourag re filed US with
wonder and admiration, but their fate was
Inevitable.
The above are the facts. which can be
vouehed for by all participants In this now
famous battle,
oficera and men alike regretted the necessity
Of Ibis killing Of women and children. They
are Americans with a. warm and sympa-
thetio hearts az beat In the breasts of Mr..
Parkhurst and others Of their fellow country
men, but they are soldiers. too. and gallant
ones at that. They saw their duty, and did
Il, and did It well, Praise. not c%ensure. is
their due. u, P, LAYTON.
Captain Nineteenth Infantry. Commander
Of Column No. 5. late Bud-Dajo expe-
dltion.
M~ALABANa, Mindanao. p. l.. May II.