The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-03-15
MORO HOST SLAIN
Six Hundred Killed in Battle
with Philippine Troops.
FIFTEEN SOLDIERS KILLED
Besides the Dead, Thirty-Six AmerL
cans Are Wounded-Fiaht Occur.
red on Mountain Top and Was
Desperate Encounter.

A Manila dispatch says: An impor-
tant action between American forces
and hostile Moros has taken place
near Jolo. Fifteen enlisted men were
kif:ed, four commissioned officers and
thirty enlisted men were wounded and
a naval contingent operating with the
military sustained thirty-two casual
ties. The Moros lost 600 men killed.
The attack was made under the
most hazardous circumstances. Start
inly early in the afternoon of March
s, the assailants climbed for a dis
tance of 2,1OO feet up a lava cone,
the thickly wooded ridges of which
furnished the only foothold. The last
500 feet of the ascent was at an angie
of 90 degrees, and the last fifty feet
almost perpendicular. At the top
were 600 fanatical Moros armed
with rifles and knives and support
ed by native artillery. The fortified
crater was almost invisible and seem
ingly inaccessible. At the word of
command the troops rushed into the
crater and a hand to hand encounter
followed.
Major General Leonard Wood, COM
mander of the division of the Philip
pines, reports as follows from Jolo,
capital of the Sulu Islands:
"A severe action between troops,
naval detachment and constabulary
and hostile Moros has taken place
at Mount Dajc, near Jolo. The ell
gagement opened during the after
neon of March 6 and ended in the
morning of March g.. The action in
volved the capture cf Mount Dajo, a
lava cone, 2,1OO feet high, with era
ter at it's summit and extremely steep.
The last 400 feet were at an angle Of
so degrees and there were fifty per-
pendicular ridges covered with
growth IF timber and strongly fortl-
fed and defended by an invisible force
of Moros.
"1'he army casualties were fifteen
enlisted men killed, four commission
ed officers and thirty enlisted men
wounded.
"Cclonel Joseph w. Duncan Of the
sixth infantry directed the operations.
Ali the defenders of the Moro strong
holds were killed. Six hundred bod
les were found on the field.
"The action resulted in the extermi-
nation of band of outlaws, who, rec
ognizing no chief, had been raiding
friendly Moros and owing to their de-
fance of the American authorities
had stirred up a dangerous condition
of affairs.
''The artillery was lifted by block
and tackle a distance of 800 feet into
u position on the lip of the crater.
"Brigadier General Bliss and ny
self were present throughout the ac-
ton.
"Tne officers and men engaged high
ly commend the Moro constabulary,
who did excellent work, their casu-
alties numbering seventeen out Of the
force of forty-fve engaged.
1T is impossible to conceive a
stronger natural position than that at
| tackled"
Some of the army officers in Wash
ington, who have served In the Jolo
group, say that Mount Dajo, the
scene of the action, is located about
II miles from Jolo, the capital of the
island. Moro Coto is on the very
| top of the mountain. Once before the
garrison of natives was induced to
vacate the place by the exercise of
diplomacy, but heretofore no force
has been able to capture it. The sixth
infantry, which seems to have borne
the brunt of the fighting was from
Fort Leavenworth. and has been in
the Philippines about a year. The
officers of the general staff fully ac-
Quainted with the habits of the Mo-
ros say they have not the slightest
fear that the Moros will try to re-
taliate for the crushing defeat admin
istered to them.