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The Battle of Bayan and Other Battles
The Battle of Bayan and Other Battles
Being a History of the Moro Campaign from April 17, to Dec. 30, 1902. A Record of Events Occurring during a Period of Eight Months' Service in the Lake Region of Mindanao. Also Letters of Congratulation from His Excellency the President of the United States, Major General Adna R. Chaffee, and Others....
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NOTE BY THE AUTHORS.
NOTE BY THE AUTHORS.
The facts, as related in this little volume, actually occurred on the dates herein mentioned, and anyone doubting the authenticity of this statement can easily verify it by communicating with any of the persons mentioned within these pages, or by consulting the files of any leading Newspaper or Magazine, nearly all of which published accounts of the affairs shortly after they occurred. The Authors....
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PREFACE.
PREFACE.
n after years, especially when one has lived to survive a great battle, it is sometimes a pleasant thing to be able to recall to memory the scenes of by-gone days. But this cannot always be done in the desired form without some outside aid. Accordingly, this little volume is published for that very purpose, and the authors earnestly hope that it will meet with the approval of all those who were fortunate enough to survive those memorable events. It has been the aim of the authors to give an unbi
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MEMORIES OF THE PAST.
MEMORIES OF THE PAST.
s I sit here on the demolished walls of Fort Pandapatan, contemplating the magnificent scene spread out before me, my mind reverts to that awful Battle fought on the 2d of May of this year, which was rightfully designated by General Adna R. Chaffee as the hardest fought battle of the entire Philippine insurrection. And as I look down the grassy slopes of Pandapatan hill, and across the open towards Binidayan hill, on which once stood that impregnable Moro stronghold, Fort Binidayan, I can see in
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THE FIRST ADVANCE.
THE FIRST ADVANCE.
Preparations were at once begun; an expedition was formed and got in readiness, and on April 17, 1902, six companies of the 27th Infantry, two troops of the 15th Cavalry, and the 25th Battery of Field Artillery started for the interior of Mindanao, which had, as yet, never been explored by white men. The troops constituting that column were, for the most part, raw material, having been organized but a short time previous to the time of which I write, and had as yet seen but little of active serv
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THE ENEMY ENCOUNTERED.
THE ENEMY ENCOUNTERED.
Suffice it to say that after three days of hardships and privation, those troops, constituting what was known as the "Lake Lanao Expedition," encountered the enemy on a bit of rising ground at a place known as Gadungan, and after two engagements fought, one there, and one at a place known as Fort Pualos, a camp was established in that vicinity and negotiations with the Moros were renewed. These were but preliminary engagements and were merely forerunners of what was to come. After a useless dela
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PRELIMINARY FIRING.
PRELIMINARY FIRING.
During the night of May 1, the American outposts were fired upon frequently by the Moros, but they did not reply to the fire of the enemy. At daylight camp was broken, and the column pushed ahead in the direction of Bayan. The column was halted about one half mile from the first fort. The Moro outposts opened fire on the Americans, but they were not replied to. The Americans were waiting for twelve o'clock. About one thousand yards to the right and front was a small clump of bamboo, several nati
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HOSTILITIES BEGIN.
HOSTILITIES BEGIN.
But just at twelve o'clock, General Davis stepped forward, watch in hand, and took one long, lingering look in the direction of Fort Binidayan, and then, not seeing any signs of a peace envoy, but, on the contrary, every indication of hostility, he turned slowly to Captain W. S. McNair, of the 25th Battery, and gave the signal to "let her go." "Boom," echoed the little mountain guns, and away went a shrapnel screaming across the open and just three and six-tenths seconds after, exploded immediat
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DESTRUCTION OF BINIDAYAN.
DESTRUCTION OF BINIDAYAN.
The work of demolishing the Binidayan Fort had now begun in earnest, companies "F" and "G" of the 27th Infantry advanced in line of skirmishers, while the Artillery continued a slow fire on the Fort, company "H" joined "F," and crossed the intervening ridge and then through the little valley, while "G" went off to the right, to flank Binidayan and at the same time to make a demonstration against Fort Pandapatan, which was to the right and rear of Binidayan. Fort Pandapatan was the second fort kn
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THE CHARGE.
THE CHARGE.
Suddenly, back on the ridge where the Artillery were stationed the clear notes of a bugle were heard, sounding "Charge." Instantly those blue shirted figures away up on the grassy slope, rose as if by magic, and then pressed forward and upward, with a yell that was sufficient in itself to route the enemy, and it did route them, for the Moros were fleeing and falling back on Fort Pandapatan by hundreds. The troops reached the very walls and there paused for an instant—to gain breath, then a comma
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THE REAL BATTLE BEGINS.
THE REAL BATTLE BEGINS.
The shell and shrapnel flew fast and furious from those little mountain guns, accompanied by the music of the "Krags." On and on, nearer and nearer up the hillside came the crash of advancing troops, smothering other unseen trenches on their way, until by nightfall there was not a rifle but could shove its muzzle into the very face of the trench behind which the Moro warriors laid in waiting, peering down the slope between the explosions for something they feared more than the whistling fragment
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EXCEPTIONAL COURAGE.
EXCEPTIONAL COURAGE.
On they came, however, up the hill, silent and straight, hundreds of them, right into the open below the trench from behind which the Moros delivered a withering fire and gasped at the folly of the Americans. Up and up they came, the lower lantacas blasting them off the face of the earth, but still they rushed on and upward against the frowning walls. The mountain guns howled and roared over them, the walls grew troubled and shaky, falling in and falling out, dimly seen between the curtain of sm
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DEFIANT TO THE LAST.
DEFIANT TO THE LAST.
But the fanatical Moros would not give up; there they stood in the very midst of that hurricane of death, calm, immovable, and indifferent to it all. Their resistance could not help but be admired as they stood there calm and defiant, against that advancing, enveloping thunderstorm of musketry. But it must not be imagined that they were idle; far from it. If one can imagine taking a handful of pebbles and hurling them with a strong force against a pane of glass, then, and then only, can one imag
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THE WALLS TREMBLE.
THE WALLS TREMBLE.
Suddenly, back on the hill where the little dogs of war were barking, a command was heard, "Battery, Fire!" and the air was filled with flying projectiles which went screaming and screeching across the open and striking the walls of the fort with a mighty impact, that structure was shaken to its very foundations. Even untouched, one felt shaky and uncertain on that hillside, and one would have felt his body rending to pieces as he looked where a shell burst in the midst of a trench, and heard th
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THE ENEMY'S COLORS FALL.
THE ENEMY'S COLORS FALL.
Boom! went the little war dogs, then boom,—boom—boom—boom, in quick succession, and then the wall crumbled, vanished in parts, and lo! behold! the flags were down! Their crimson colors were dangling in mid air for an instant, then were caught in the shower of a bursting shrapnel and hurled to the ground. Oh! the grandeur of that last few moments' bombardment! Not a shell went astray; the parapet received them all full in the face. In one great explosion the Moros stood and fired, in one atmosphe
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SUFFERINGS OF THE WOUNDED.
SUFFERINGS OF THE WOUNDED.
Darkness had fallen now and it began to rain in torrents. Night fell terribly for the wounded out there. That awful cry, "Doctor! This way. Help!" can be heard to this day. It continued throughout the night, but not in vain, for the artillerymen were out there all night carrying the wounded off the field and rendering valuable aid to the surgeons. These men worked like heroes every one, and deserve the greatest credit for the magnificent gallantry shown during that terrible night's work while un
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THE DEFIANT SULTAN'S DOWNFALL.
THE DEFIANT SULTAN'S DOWNFALL.
It seemed that a difficult problem lay before the Americans that night. It was proposed that a number of scaling ladders be made and that the place be carried by assault. Accordingly, construction on these ladders was begun at once, but they were destined never to be used, for at daylight the white flags were fluttering over the fort and Pandapatan had fallen....
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A GRUESOME SIGHT.
A GRUESOME SIGHT.
At last the big fight was over. After nearly twenty-four hours of continual firing the Americans had conquered. It had been a splendid battle, and what manner of death the vanquished had suffered only those who looked into the fort and trenches after the battle, can say. The mangled bodies of the Moro dead were piled up eight and ten deep in places, and only those acquainted with the technicalities of a slaughter house can imagine the sight as it appeared the next morning after the battle. But t
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COPY OF CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES.
COPY OF CONGRATULATORY MESSAGES.
Camp Vicars (Mind.), P. I., May 7, 1902. Announcement: The troops of the Lake Lanao Expedition have been paraded in order that the following messages may be read to them: Manila , May 4, 1902. To General Davis: Order that the following message of the President of the United States be read to every company and troop in your Brigade. It will be published in Division Orders for the information of other commanders, and as a special mark and tribute to the assaulting force of the Battle of Bayan. (Sg
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SERMON ON "COURAGE."
SERMON ON "COURAGE."
Following is a copy of the admirable sermon preached by Chaplain George D. Rice of the 27th Infantry, to the troops of the Lake Lanao Expedition, on the Sunday following the battle of Bayan: "I am going to speak to you to-day on courage, and how I saw it displayed on May 2d, while you were engaged in open combat with the Moros. "There was a time when I thought that true courage was the absence of fear. But after witnessing the battle of this week I have seen that which has caused me to think dif
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GENERAL CHAFFEE ARRIVES.
GENERAL CHAFFEE ARRIVES.
General Adna R. Chaffee soon afterwards paid a visit to the recently established camp, arriving with his escort May 10, 1902. He was given a full account of the battles hitherto fought in that region—Bayan included—from officers who themselves had been daring participants in all the fights. He immediately decided to send messages to the principal sultans and dattos, who were then commanding tribes of savage bolomen along the most impassable regions of the lake shores. The subject matter of his m
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TREATIES BROKEN.
TREATIES BROKEN.
It was now very evident, judging from their recreant action, that the natives had broken all treaties of peace and violated the laws of friendship, so honorably laid down by the Americans. This evidence of their recriminating and rebellious nature was doubly substantiated, when on August 1st the Sultan of Bacolod, who until then had remained peaceable, sent to Captain J. J. Pershing, commander of the troops at Camp Vicars, the following insolent message, which is translated below for the benefit
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A BLOODY DEED.
A BLOODY DEED.
The Moros did not, however, make any advances until the night of August 12, when the most appalling and most ghastly murder that has ever been witnessed took place about two hundred yards from the camp. The moon had disappeared temporarily behind a dark cloud, the men had all retired for the night, and everything seemed tranquil, when suddenly the camp was aroused by the firing of shots in rapid succession by the members of the outpost. The trumpeter was now calling every slumberer to arms, and
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A BRAVE STAND.
A BRAVE STAND.
Perhaps never in the history of battles and wars did men fight with such grim determination and fearlessness in the very face of death, as did VanDorn and Christianson of Co. "G." Having fallen to the ground from loss of blood and exhaustion, they still bravely clung with untiring tenacity to their rifles and never once flinched or even thought of retreating to a place of safety until the re-inforcements had arrived on the bloody scene and the natives had vanished in the underbrush. An investiga
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HOSTILITIES RENEWED.
HOSTILITIES RENEWED.
An expedition was organized on short notice, commanded by Capt. J. J. Pershing, of the 15th Regiment of Cavalry, a man whose never failing courage, valor, and ability as an officer and commander is unexcelled in the American Army. Every preparation was made for the coming events, and on September 17, at midnight, what was known as Captain Pershing's expedition left Camp Vicars under cover of darkness and proceeded through rugged trails to Maciu's strongholds and neighboring principalities. The e
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BAYUBAO VANQUISHED.
BAYUBAO VANQUISHED.
The trails were, in a great many places, almost impassable, making marching with equipments very laborious. However, we arrived at Bayubao about 2 p.m. and rested for refreshments on the top of a high hill, which over-looked the fort and the unruffled waters of Lake Lanao. We had not been long in the enjoyment of our much needed rest, when the natives, who were until then concealed in the brush, poured a volley into our midst. The entire column was immediately summoned to action, and a grander s
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IN SIGHT OF MACIU.
IN SIGHT OF MACIU.
But was this to be our last battle with the Moros? Was this to be our last fight in the desolate island of Mindanao? No! No! far from it. There yet remained another, and the stumbling block of them all, who was at this time bidding defiance to all invaders, in his fort across the lake, where we could see, from our present position, the red flags of battle waving before the gentle zephyrs of the orient. This was the Sultan of Maciu, Maciu the warlike, who had hitherto held his stronghold and expa
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FOOD SUPPLY EXHAUSTED.
FOOD SUPPLY EXHAUSTED.
Seeing that all else had failed, the Americans began to construct rude rafts with which to cross an arm of the lake which separated them from the Maciu territories. They succeeded in building one in which a detachment of Companies "C" and "M" attempted to cross under a continued fire from the Moros, who were entrenched on the opposite side. They kept on, however, seemingly regardless of the rain of bullets until, after a sharp and lively encounter with the enemy, they found it would be impossibl
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A MUCH NEEDED REST.
A MUCH NEEDED REST.
he troops were given five days in which to rest and recuperate, for the reader can easily imagine the hardships, privations, and sufferings which are undergone by soldiers while on the march, especially where there are no roads of any description, save the narrow, rugged, and, in many places, impassable trails, which are met with all through the island of Mindanao. Therefore it was practically necessary that, after six days of continual marching through the thick brush of this island, they shoul
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THE EXPEDITION STARTS.
THE EXPEDITION STARTS.
The expedition is complete and after being inspected by the Commanding General is not only complimented by him on their general uniformity and appearances, but are also pronounced fit to compete with the most sanguineous and daring adversary. At 8 a.m. the command "Forward March" was heard by every anxious soldier who was to be a participant in the coming event, and amid the cheers, farewells, and good wishes of our comrades, we advanced in single file from the camp over the now well known trail
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ENCAMPED FOR THE NIGHT.
ENCAMPED FOR THE NIGHT.
No time was lost until we were again encamped at the foot of the hill about 100 yards from the lake shore. We immediately set to work to cook our much needed supper, which was devoured greedily by every dust-stained warrior of the command, regardless of the rules of etiquette, after which we sought a "soft spot" on nature's expansive bed, in which to lay our weary bones for the night. But even a soldier's life has, despite its many seemingly insurmountable obstacles, many a romantic charm, for w
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FIRED UPON.
FIRED UPON.
The natives, having known that our object was to cross through this skirt of woodland, had awaited our arrival on the opposite side. And as soon as the first file of the "advance guard" passed from the woods into the open plain beyond, they met with a storm of bullets from the enemy. They then moved forward into the open beyond as quickly as possible, after which they unanimously returned the enemy's fire. The firing was fast, and not without effect, for ere the gloom of night began to descend u
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THE 27TH INFANTRY.
THE 27TH INFANTRY.
t is with feelings of pride and national patriotism we have watched through many a stormy year the steady growth and accomplishments of our immortal Army, whose splendid display of true valor and military discipline has attracted the attention and well-deserved admiration of all nations through the universe, whether exhibited on the expansive parade ground, under the balmy, azure blue skies of our Western Continent, of perpetual freedom, or on the far away "Eastern Isles," under the warm rays of
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"THE MOUNTAIN BATTERY." (Dedicated to Captain W. S. McNair and command.)
"THE MOUNTAIN BATTERY." (Dedicated to Captain W. S. McNair and command.)
James Edgar Allen....
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