The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-07-20
.BL,ACK vJACk\'
pER!SNUN1G-

ed to the broad shoulders Of the ther
Captain Pershing and he Strengthened
under the burden and carried 1t to the
end.
In 1899 he became adjutant general
executive officer of the department OF
| MindanaO and Jolo. In this capacity
he studied the Moros and the Moro
TTOhlem. He tried in every honorable
way to conciliate the native chiefs and
judges or dattos, but the Moros would
not take the word of white man,
Later they learned that Pershing's
word was never broken.
Finally, after studying the question
from every possible viewpoint he de-
cided that the only way to subdue the
natives was to prosecute a campaign
against them. Washington coincided
with this view and Pershlng went into
the jungle.
Every foot of the way, through mud
dy roads little better than jungle trails
where guns and caissons sometimes
sank hub deep and had to he raised by
planks and levers; through insect In
tested forests, In an atmosphere
| fraught with fever and malaria, he
had to fight against crazed MOhamme-
dan warriors, who believed that to die
| Staying Christians insured them OF a
life In heaven with white horse to
ride and beautiful houris to wait upon
them.
Against odds like this the expedition
fought and cut Its way TO the Lake
LanaO country, where the Moros had
gathered in force.
At Bayan Captain PeBshing gave the
rebels their first taste of American
fighting. The battle resulted in bril-
liant tactical victory for our troops,
and the expedition pressed forward.
Destroyed 40 Forts.
The sultan of Macolod, one Of the
most powerful of the native rulers, re-
fused TO surrender. With battalion
of infantry, n squadron of cavalry and
section of guns Pershing moved
against him and threatened to demol-
ish his fort unless he gave in.
The sultan was defiant. He dreamed
that his stronghold was impregnab!e. !
In two days it was a memory and the
American troops had received upon |
their bayonets the last maddened |
charge of the Moro band. The Ameri-
cans had two men wounded.
One after the other 40 Moro forts |
fell under Pershing's assaults and the
island of Mindanao was at peace, two
Americans having lost their lives.
Then the Pershing smile succeeded
the fighting grimness of his face and I
the Moros became his friend. They |
made a dattO of him and they submit
ted to his judgment IN their legal dis
governor of the department
For this work he was advanced to the |.
grade of brigadier general, although
S62 officers had priority over him.
For a time Pershing was relieved of
his Philippine duties because of i'll
health, but the Moros of JolO continued
to make trouble and he was sent back
to subdue them rs he had the rebels
Of MindanaO. 1t was bigger task,
and one the magnitude of which has
seldom confronted a regular army Off
GER except in time of actual war.
Pershing picked command of men
every one of whom he knew down to
he last private. He loved them all as
children and they loved him as "Black
Tack" and Fighting John" Pershing.
There wasn't a man under him whose
ace the general didn't know and whom
lie could not call by name.
The MOrOs-men, women and chill
lren-had taken refuge and fortified
themselves in the crater of Bud Dajo,
IN extinct volcano, on the island of
[Olo. Pershing announced to his men
hat he was going to drive the rebels
ut of the crater if it took ten years
0 do it.
There were 600 Moros, everyone of !
hem imbued with the faith that each {
he slew would be his slave {
4 the Moro heaven, lurking under the {
i'm of the big hole in the top of the G
Z
Guerrilla Warfare. c
The addition of band of Filipino '
couts brought the American forces up f
} about one thousand men. Every ]
lch of the way from the shore of the t
'land they had to fight against the I
idden enemy.
Outposts were stabbed in the night a
Y naked savages, who wriggled p
trough the tall grass without sound. v
ickets and patrolling parties were n
lllen upon and slain by beast-men, '
no swung from the branches of tropi- a
II trees and palms like panthers, but
lie relentless column cut its way fur II
Ter and further toward the heart of II
le Moro stronghold and at last spread W
thin circle around the base of the 81
lcient volcano. F
Several times reconnoitering parties al
American troops crawled to the rim in
the crater and observed the disposi- in
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