The herald., 1917-07-26
BLACK JACKIr
II II =
~
DERSNING ~

! ed 10 the broad shoulders of the then
captain Pershing and he Strengthened
under the burden and carried il TO the
end.
In 1899 he became adjutant general.
executive officer of the department of
Mlndanao and JOlo. In this capacity
ne studied the MOroS and the Moro
problem. 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 Ter,hing'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 10 prosecute campaign
against them. Washington conceded
with this view and Pcrshing went into
/ IN" Jungle.
livery foot of the way. through mud
! dy roads little better than jungle trails,
! where guns and caisSons sometimes
sank hub deep and had to be- raised 10y
.
/ Tested forests, In an atmosphere
| fraught with fever and malaria. he
/ had 10 fight against crazcd Mohammc-
/ ian warriors, who believed that 10 die
Staying Christians insured them of a
/ life in heaven with a white horse To
ride and beautiful hours To wait upon
them.
Against odds like this the expedition
fought and cut lis way to the Lake
Lanao country. where the Moros had
gathered in force.
~ RayUn Captain Por>hing cave 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 20 Forts.
The sultan of Macolod one Of the
most powerful Of the native rulers. re-
fused to surrender. With a battalion
Of infantry, n squadron of cavalry and
a 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 lis stronghold was impreSnable.
In two days ii was memory and the
American troops had received upon
their bayOBets the last maddened
charge Of the Moro band. The Ameri-
cans Ind two men wounded.
One after the other 10 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
the MOrOS became MS friend. They
made n dattO of him and they submit
ted TO his Judgment in their legal dis
putcS. and the United States made him
military governor of the department.
For this work he was advanced To the
grade of brigadier general, although
So 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
10 Subduc them as he had the rebels
of MindanaO. II was q bigger task,
and one the magnitude oS which has
seldom confronted Il regular army Off
Ger except In time of aCsual war.
Pershing picked command of men
every one Of whom he knew down to
the last private. He loved them all as
children and they loved him as BLACK
Jack" and Fighting John" PershinC.
There wasn't man under him whose
face the general didn't know and whom
he could not call by name.
The N0ros-men. women and chill
dren-bad taken refuge and fortified
themselves in the crater of Bud DajO,
an extinct volcano. on the island Of
JOlo. Pershing announced To his men
that he was going to drive the rebels
out OF the crater If 1t took ten years
TO do II.
There were COO MOroS. everyone Of
them imbued with the faith that each
Christian he slew would he his slave
in the Moro heaven, lurking under the
rim Of the big hole in the top Of the
mountain.
Guerrilla Warfare.
The addition of band of Filipino
scouts brought the American forces up
10 about one thousand men. Every
inch of the way from the shore of the
island they had To fight against the
hidden enemy.
Outposts were stabbed in the night
by naked savages. who wriggled
through the tall grass without sound.
Pickets and patrOlling parties were
fallen upon and slain by beast-men,
who swung from the branches of trOpi- /
cal trees and palms like panthers, but !
the relentless column cut It's way fur /
Their and further toward the heart Of /
the Moro stronghold and at last spread |
in thin circle around the base of the /
ancient volcano.
Several times accommodating parties
of American troops crawied 10 the rim /
of the crater and observed the DISPOSE /.