New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-17
PERSH|NC GUSTS M0R0S
FROM LAST STRONGHOLD
Six of American Force Killed
and Seven Wounded in Oar.
ing Attack at Night.
FIGHT is HAND TO HAND
At Least Semblance of Peace
Expected to Follow Victory
Scouts to Hunt Scat
tered Rebels.
tBy Cable TO The Tribune. !

tered Rebels.
BY Cable TO The Tribune
Manila. June l6-With the loss Of six
killed and seven wounded. General John
j. Pershings force of American troops
and Filipino scouts and constabulary
drove during the night the rebelious
Moros, led by Dato Anil. from their last
Gotta on the lip Of the extinct volcano
forming the highest peak of the Bagsag
Mountains in the heart of the island OF
Jolo
night attack with small arms fire
and cold steel decided the victory otter
two mountain guns and the automarlcs
had raked the Moro position from noon
until after dusk. The savage Sulu tribes
men fought with their characteristic
desperation in a position turned by the
hand Of nature into a formidable fortress.
Few Of the Dato's kris wielders thought
OF saving their lives by fight over the
precipitous back trails until the interior
cup OF the Gotta was running red with
the blood OF white man. loyal brown SOL
der and the death disdaining darker sons
OF the Southern Archipelago. swinging
their spears and krises with the ferocty
OF fanaticsm born OF the oath Of Jura-
mentado-" Death 10 the Christian"
The attack was made by oneral PERISH
ing after strong force had occupied the
neighboring craters OF Jahal and Bungay.
Mountain guns were carried by hand in
sections TO positions on those heights.
from which a whitening fire could be
poured into the chief Gotta. The Ameri-
can cavalrymen led the way up the steep
ascents. almost bare of handhold or foot
hold after they left the cover Of the cogon
grass on the lower slopes Many deep
grass hid pockets and other dangers had
10 be encountered I'm the upward trail
before the assailants were exposed 10 the
Moro rifemen. The craftsmanship Of the
latter was so good-a vast Improvement
over anything shown I'm earlier fighting
in the Southern Philippines-that General
Pershing decided TO stalk the final Gotta
under cover Of the tropical darkness.
Americans Steal March.
The moon did not rise until, with
shrieks OF savage hate. the Mahometall
videttes spied the leading American SOL
diers scaling the volcano lip. Then, un-
der the first pale shafts OF the yellow
moonlight the valleys Of Bagsag and
Jahal showing wide patches OF olive
black below. pandemonium reigned. A
shower OF spears and arrows and a scat
tering volley OF bullets greeted the
Americans The latter discharged Krag
and revolver az they hung on 10 their
eerie perches and crept. foot by foot uu
the sheer wall OF brittle and powdery
dead lava.
Several Of the Americans and Filipinos
had 10 fight with their bare hands as
they came TO grips with the Moros. thick
a . bees. in their cup shaped fort. There
were no outer entertainments. the Moros
following their usual practice Of bOr-
rowing the military engineering work ~
nature The Filipino soldiers and con-
stabulary fought with great gallantry,
the seasoned scouts in particular. Many
OF these little brown soldiers have worn
the khaki of Uncle sam In pride AMI
through fierce fights in all parts Of the
northern. Nisaysn and southern ISLANDS
since Funston was hunting for Aguinaldo
in the hills up in Pampanga.
IL was great and gallant fight. this
last battle on the isle of Jolo. accord
ing 10 the wireless dispatch which
reached Major General j. Franklin Bell
az division headquarters this morning.
General Pershing has turned loose sew
eral strong parties of scouts TO hunt
the scattered remnants OF the rebel Moro
force through the almost impenetrable
cogon patches. where they are now try
ing to hide away until the soldiers retire
10 the barracks at Jolo city the ancient
walled capital of the Sultan OF Sulu.
c,ttlemepts