Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 76, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 May 1902 — A Letter From the Philippines. [ARTICLE]

A Letter From the Philippines.

1 San Tomas, Batangae, P. I. Ed. Republican : Of course you have heard long before this reaches you of Malvar’s surrender and the end of the insurrection. Foley returned last night from an escort trip to Lipa and says he saw the troublesome guerilla chief safely started for Batangas. We came in from the outposts around Mt. Maquiling day before yesterday. San Tomas had its share of surrenders as you saw by the dispatches. This town has been a regular nest of “insurrectoe” all the time but they played the “Amigo” racket and we could not tell friend from foe till General Bell came to this neck of the woods. Now that results have proved General Bell’s policy, maybe the “Antis” and grannies won’t find so much to howl over. Sortie things have been done that were not exactly nice, but then war was never recommended as a nice game for Sunday School picnicsIn the beginning (last New Years) the people of the barrios (villages) had to move into the towns so that our troops could protect them and prevent the insurgents from collecting taxes. All the rice was gathered in and stored in general storehouses. The insurgents made their homes in some of the outlying barrios and these had to be destroyed. We took out great gangs of natives and acted as overseers while they chopped down the orange, banana and all trees that could furnish food of any kind. The shacks were burned and the entire barrios practically wiped off the map, About that time the Lipa Insurgents came in and volunteered to help the Americans. When they came to San Tomas there was something doing. Being insurgents themselves they knew who they were dealing with and it turned out that all the head men and nearly all the natives in town were either insurgents or were guilty of aiding the That was where the “water cure” came in, for the Lipa volunteers knew their people too well to depend on moral suasion alone in getting information. They used to take stubborn “hombres” down and soak them in the river until all the stubbornness was soaked opt and Mr. Insurgent was willing to tell everything he knew. They filled the church with prisoners. In the meantime we were chasing around the high mountains and tall timber after such scattered bands of gugus as dared to remain in the field. These latter were greatly discouraged after being shot into a few times and used to drop their guns and run at the first sight of an American. It was more.like hunting rabbits than fighting big game. Now that they have decided to give up, the only difficulty is for their officers to get their scattered and demoralized forces togeher again in order to surrender. They have had a lesson that they will be likely to remember. These Tagaloa are queer people but they may turn out ail right in time. “Its all over now and its drill ye terriers drill.” We drill every day in the hot sun. Oh Only 17 more days more till • yours truly takes the boat for ' “God’s country.” Joe Marshall.