Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 May 1900 — TWO HUNDRED REBELS KILLED [ARTICLE]

TWO HUNDRED REBELS KILLED

Filipinos’ Twenty Victims at Catubig Avenged by Comrades. Further details of the fighting at Catubug, Island of Samar, in which twenty Americans were killed and two wounded, have been received. The American garrison of Catubig, Island of Samar, consisting of thirty men belonging to the Forty-third regiment, was attacked by rebels. Twenty of the Americans were killed. The remainder were rescued. The Americans were quartered in the Catubig Church, which the enemy, numbering several hundred men, surrounded and fiercely attacked. The Americans fought for two days and then the rebels managed to ignite the roof of the church and it burned away and fipally fell upon those inside' the edifice. The walls remained intact, however, and were used as a shelter by the besieged Americans for three days longer, the enemy attacking the building on all sides at once. The Americans continued firing from the windows and doors of the church, and did great execution among the Filipinos. It IT estimated that over 200 of the latter were killed, many dead bodies being removed from the scene of the fighting. After five days’ resistance by the Americans a lieutenant' and eight men arrived from Laoan and engaged the besiegers, who thereupon retired. The fortunate arrival of these re-enforcements prevented the annihilation of the American force intrenched in the church, who had repeatedly declined to surrender when ordered to do so by the Filipinos. The ten survivors were without food, had little ammunition and were physically exhausted when relieved.