Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-10
600 ARE SLAIN
IN WARFARE
tContInued from Page one.1


through defiance had stirred up dam
gerous condition of affairs.
Col. Joseph w. Duncan of the Sixth
infantry directed the operations. All
of the defenders of the Moro strong
hold were killed and 800 bodies were
found in the works.
Brigadier General Bliss and Major
General Wood were present throughout
the action. The attacking columns
were commanded by Major Omar
Bundy, Captain E. P. Lawton, Cap
tain Rivers, Captain l.. M. Koehler,
Captain McGlachlin and Lieutenant
Johnson.
The officers and men engaged highly
commend the Moro constabulary, who
did excellent work, their casualties
numbering seventeen out of the force
of forty-four engaged.
Not because of the casualties among
the forces engaged, though they were
more numerous than in any battle in
the Philippines for several years past,
but rather because of the eXtraor-
dinarily large number of the natives
killed the news of the battle of Mount
Dajo was received at the war and
navy departments, for the blue jackets
were in the thick of the fighting, with
intense interest.
The last list of troops stationed in
the Philippines at the war department
shows that on January 20 the follow
ing troops were stationed on the Island
of Jolo:
Companies 1 and L, Fourth cavalry
and the Twenty-eighth battery field ar
tillery. Companies l, K, l. and NJ of the
Twentieth infantry had been stationed
at Jolo, but are understood to have
been relieved by battalion of the Sixth
infantry, commanded by Col. Duncan,
in January. Col. Duncan was the su-
perior officer on the field, save Maj.
Gen. Wood and Brig. Gen. Bliss.
Assuming that the organizations were
up to their normal strength there were
about 490 soldiers in the action, besides
the naval contingent, the strength of
which is so far unknown. 1t is believed
however, that owing to the sick list and
other causes, there probably were not
more than 400 of the military engaged.
The strength of the constabulary is
also unknown.
Native Internal War
"The island of Jolo is 326 miles in
area, with a population of 44,71S people
and a density of 1S inhabitants per
square mile. In the whole command
anCy of Jolo there were only 1910 civil
ized, as compared with 50,119 wild in
habitants. Jolo is the most important
island of the archipelago of that name,
lying south of Zamboango in six de-
grees north latitude. The surface is
covered with hills, which, in n few
cases, such as Bahua, 2S10 feet; Butpila
2739 feet, and Tamalanguis, 2940 feet
rise to the dignity of mountains. Mount
Dajo, referred to in the dispatch, was
probably not mentioned in the same
with these mountains be-
cause it was only 2lOO feet high.
The Jolo archipelago is inhabited
by two races of people, the Jolos and
the Sismas, the former a Malay people
long inhabiting the Jolo islands, who
have been proselyted to Mohammedan
ism. The sultan lives in a native town
near the city of Jolo and is the nominal
head of all Moros there and Mindanao.
The latter recognize him, however. at
their convenience and when it suits
their purpose. Two or three Dattos
have already resisted the sultan's
claim and there has already been o
state of war between them. The sui
tan's control over them, therefore, is
quite limited and with three warning
factions in the island the jealousy of
the support of the Americans for one
side is quite enough to keep them in q |
state of turbulence and fight |
ing. 1t is supposed one of the factions
thought it had gotten together men
enough and they were absolutely inl-
nune, so they were just cleaned out.