CHILDERS, SEPTEMBER 25, 1899

HEADQUARTERS FIRST TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER INFANTRY,
Transport Indiana, Cebu, P. I., September 25, 1899.

The ASSISTANT ADJUTANT-GENERAL,
Submilitary District of Cebu, Cebu, P. I.

SIR: I have the honor to report that, pursuant to instructions, I disembarked from the U. S. transport Indiana at 6 a. m. September 21, 1899, with eight companies of this regiment, taking one day's cooked rations and four days' travel rations. We arrived at the summit of El Pardo Mountain at 11 a. m. Here Colonel Snyder, commanding United States forces, established his headquarters, and from which point we had excellent view of the various positions of the insurgents just across the Labangon Valley on the sides and heights of the Bocaue Range of mountains. Sergeant Weeks, in charge of the Sixth Artillery gun on the El Pardo Mountain, furnished the following range used by his gun:

Position. Distance.

No. Yards.

1. 1,775
2. 2,000
3. 2,100
4. 2,300
5. 3,235
6. 1,775
7. 2,490
8. 2,100
9. 1,850
10. 2,850
11. 2,050

After officers' council, Col. Simon Snyder, commanding United States forces, submilitary district of Cebu, made the following disposition of troops composing the expedition, giving me verbal instructions of his plan of campaign:

Column A, under Maj. John G. McGuire, First Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, consisting of Companies I and G, First Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, under Capts. Leon Caraway and Hugh Sparkman; Companies A and C, Sixth Infantry, under First Lieutenant Childs and First Lieutenant Gleason, accompanied by Surg. and Maj. R. A. Barr, First Tennessee Volunteer Infantry.

Column B, under Maj. William J. Whitthorne, First Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, consisted of Companies B, D, L, and M, First Tennessee, under Capts. R. M. Milam, William J. Gilbreath, Carlos Van Leer, and Sheffield Clark, and Company K, Nineteenth United States Infantry, under First Lieut. W. W. Fiscus, jr., accompanied by Medical Officer C. H. Stearns, U. S. transport Indiana, as volunteer.

Column C, under Maj. Alvan C. Gillem, First Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, consisted of Companies E and F, First Tennessee, under Capts. James F. Hager and James K. Polk, and Company K, Twenty-third United States Infantry, under First Lieut. George D. Moore, accompanied by Medical Officer Thomas W. Batts, Transport Indiana, as volunteer.

Column D consisted of Company A, Twenty-third United States Infantry, under Captain Pendleton.

At 2 p. m. the column started on the descent of Pardo Mountain, the first column arriving in the Labangon valley about 4 p. in. After selecting a camp, I sent out parties to reconnoiter under Major McGuire, with Companies I and G, First Tennessee, and Captain Clark, with Company M, First Tennessee. The reconnoissance down the valley developed no insurgents. The party under Major McGuire, sent up the valley, developed considerable force and great activity among the insurgents in that direction, who followed the party along the mountain trails to within 800 yards of camp, where marksmen from troops in camp killed one and wounded two other insurgents, driving them hack to their fortifications in the Bocaue Mountains, where at long range they kept up a desultory and ineffective fire during the night.

At 6 a. m., the 22d, columns C and D were started on their movement to the right toward the Guadalupe Range of mountains and passed out of my command. At the same hour columns A and B, under my command, were formed to start on the insurgents to our front and left, where they held numerous strong positions on spurs and crests of the Bocaue Mountains toward the peak of Dam-an. Just as my force moved out of camp, the insurgents hoisted their flag and fired two cannons from their largest forts, situated on a mountain ridge about 2,500 yards distant, also with rifles from numerous intrenched positions distant from 1,700 to 2,000 yards. Taking advantage of two mountain ridges, running parallel, and distant about 500 and 800 yards from line of the insurgents' fortified places, and under cover of these I got my forces in position to effectively return the fire from the fortifications and intrenched places of the insurgents, using the crests of the parallel ridges as a natural line of earthworks, along which I threw firing lines of companies and platoons, throwing volley fire into insurgent works and placing sharpshooters to pick off any who exposed themselves. Under cover and in rear of this firing line the remainder of the column passed in single file far enough down the mountain side to be out of sight of the enemy. The strength of the position of the enemy and the mountainous nature of the country making it impracticable to attack their forts and series of intrenchments on the mountain sides in front of the forts by direct assault, it was necessary to take advantage of parallel ridges and flank their stronger places, taking them from flank and rear. As the line advanced higher Up the mountain new points of vantage were established, troops in lower firing lines falling into rear of column, and as we worked up to higher altitudes we were enabled to silence some of the enemy's lower works, occupying one of their fortifications on the adjoining ridge, from which we were able to get in effective work, flanking several of their works and intrenchments. By 5 o'clock in the afternoon I had worked column B to within 350 yards of one of the strongest insurgent forts on the Bocaue Range. As this fort was topped by another strong fort 200 yards beyond, and three other works on left and right, and on account of the exhausted condition of the men, who had been continuously on the firing line and working up the mountains since 7 a. m. without food, I deemed it inexpedient to make the assault before morning. Shortly afterwards, Major McGuire reporting the position of column A as becoming untenable and that further advance along the ridge they occupied was impossible, I ordered him to withdraw a portion of his column to the ridge I was occupying with column B, and at dark to bring over the remainder of his command. The troops of column B were ordered to remain in their present position, cease to advance, throw squad volleys into intrench-merits and forts on left and front. Sharpshooters continued to look out for any of the enemy who showed themselves. This continued until dark, when I ordered the firing to cease, details being made to take water and rations to firing line, officers remaining with their companies, as sleeping within 350 yards of one of the enemy's forts and several others within 1,500 yards required the utmost vigilance.

Our casualties now being 1 killed and 4 wounded, Surgeon and Major Barr established a field hospital in the rear of column B. I ordered Major McGuire to close in with his troops and protect hospital and our rear from surprise. The insurgents kept up a satttering fire until about 10 p. in. They also had a search light located on one of their forth to the left, which they threw at intervals along the mountain range on which we held position. By keeping our force thoroughly under cover they were unable to do any damage. Knowing the impossibility of hiding any movement from the insurgents next morning, I sent buglers to points on our range and had bugle calls sounded for the purpose of letting them know we had not retired and to con-fuse them as to the location of our troops. Next morning I sent our dead and wounded into Cebu under escort, and after breakfasting prepared to make the assault on two fortifications in our front.

Massing Companies D and L, First Tennessee, and detachment of Company K, Nineteenth Infantry, under the crest of the ridge, with orders to maintain a steady fire in platoon volleys on the two forts, also stationing numerous sharpshooters to pick off anyone who showed himself, Companies M and B, First Tennessee, Captains Clark and Milam, under Major Whitthorne, Company K, Nineteenth Infantry, First Lieutenant Fiscus, were formed under cover of mountain side. The advance on both

forts was sounded and up the hill they went, extended order, three lines at intervals of 50 yards, Company B, First Tennessee, Captain Milam, taking the lower fort; Company K, Nineteenth Infantry, Lieutenant Fiscus, and Company M, First Tennessee, Captain Clark, bearing to the right and going into the upper fort from all sides. Major McGuire and his reserve having in the meantime continued to advance, I established my headquarters in the second or upper fort just taken and ordered sharpshooters placed at advantageous positions to fire on insurgents who, in small parties, kept up a scattering fire from intrenched places on adjoining peaks. Retaining one company at my headquarters, I immediately broke the command into detachments of one or two companies, sending them to take, occupy, and destroy the different insurgent strongholds. By 10 a. M. of the 23d the work was completed. Then, awaiting orders, I occupied four of the best positions, placing Major McGuire and troops of column A in the insurgent works on our extreme left commanding the Jacupan Valley; Lieutenant Fiscus and Company K, Nineteenth Infantry, in works further advanced and commanding the pass at the peak of Dam-an; Major Whitthorne, with Companies B, D, L, and M, First Tennessee, occupying the two forts on the right and commanding the Labangon Valley. At the lower of these forts I had Surgeon and Major Barr establish his field hospital.

Acting adjutant-general, Captain McIntyre, Nineteenth Infantry, reporting, in company with him I visited the insurgent positions taken.

On morning of September 24, 1899, the battalion of three companies, Nineteenth Infantry, under Captain Evans, who had made a most successful expedition through the Guadalupe Pass, crossing that range of mountains, driving the insurgents before them, arrived at my headquarters. Colonel Snyder, commanding United States forces, in the meantime having observed their approach from his headquarters, signaled us he had started for our position and to await his arrival. After going over the various positions the commanding officer gave orders for two companies Nineteenth U. S. Infantry, under Captain Rowan and Lieutenant Fiscus, to occupy a position commanding the situation, and for the remainder of the expedition to put in the balance of the day destroying insurgent works, etc., and at 4 a. m., September 25, to start for Cebu via the Labangon trail. These instructions being carried out, the entire force, with exception of two companies of the Nineteenth Infantry left to garrison old insurgent positions, arrived at Cebu at 11 a. m. on September 25, 1899.

I beg to report the following results of expedition under my command:

One insurgent flag captured at first fort on morning of September 23, 1 3.2-inch rifled brass muzzle-loading cannon, 1 3-inch brass muzzle-loading cannon, 3 small smoothbore cannon, fragments of one brass cannon, evidently bursted by excessive charge, 200 canister for cannon, the capture and destruction of seven insurgent forts and the driving of the insurgent forces from nine strongly intrenched positions.

It is impressible to give a definite report of insurgents killed and wounded on account of the topography of the country, steep mountain sides and precipitous ravines. I counted 27 dead. I also beg to refer to the following extracts from report of First Lieutenant Fiscus, Nineteenth Infantry, who was sent out on September 24 to destroy several fortified places on our left:

Paragraph 3:

"In various places along the hillsides I found freshly made graves, containing in all 12 bodies, one of them being an insurgent captain. The presence of blood and tracks about these graves indicated that some of the men had died while they were being taken to the rear."

Paragraph 1: "A complete arsenal of the insurgents, comprising three large bamboo shacks, was found in the ravine lying beneath and to the southwest of my present position. Buried near this arsenal were found 15 gun barrels, 6 gun stocks, 2 pistols, a lot of Krag-Jorgensen shells, about 300 Krag-Jorgensen projectiles, several hundred shells, large quantities Of bullet lead, several band instruments, 2 revolvers, and 2 bullet molds. In the arsenal was a lot of reloading and reworking tools for guns. The shacks were burned with all they contained. A little to the west of the arsenal was found a bamboo shack equipped with charcoal, saltpeter, and a complete powder-making outfit. This shack and all it contained was burned."

Scouting parties also found corralled in small valley near center of line of works 7 head of cattle and a number of hogs and goats. During the two days' campaign in the mountains a portion of these were used by the troops of the command as food.

It affords me the utmost gratification that our casualties were only 1 man killed and 4 wounded. The health of the command was excellent, with a very few overcome by heat or exhaustion.

I also take great pleasure in reporting the conduct of the troop to have been most satisfactory, undergoing the hardships and privations in soldierly manner. To illustrate the nature of the ground over which we operated, I beg to state that when taking Sergt. James Covey (Company K, Nineteenth Infantry) to the rear when wounded, on the afternoon of September 22, it required over two hours for detail with litter to descend from mountain crest where he was wounded to a path below only about one-third the distance from crest to valley below. The water detail, carrying water to the fighting line from spring out of mountain side below, required over an hour to make the trip.

The efficiency of our medical corps, under Surgeon and Major Barr, the volunteer service of Drs. Stearns and Baths, medical officers, and Chaplain Sutherland, of the Nineteenth Infantry, I desire to especially commend.

I also desire to speak in the highest terms of the services and conduct of all the officers under my command, the only complaint reaching me being the request for opportunity to distinguish themselves.

I desire to especially mention First Lieut. W. W. Fiscus, jr. commanding Company K, Nineteenth Infantry, who, with a portion of his command, conducted the advance guard, displaying much judgment, discretion, and gallantry in the disposition of his men, being continuously under fire from 7 a. m. to dark, and I would respectfully recommend that his name be sent in for brevet as captain for gallant and meritorious conduct on the firing line at the battle of Bocaue Mountains, on September 22, 1899.

I also desire to give special mention to Sergt. James Covey, Company K, Nineteenth U. S. Infantry, and Corpl. Daniel Galvin, Company K, Nineteenth U. S. Infantry, and recommend that their names be sent in for certificate of merit for bravery, coolness, and efficiency as range finders and sharpshooters in the battle of Bocaue Mountains, island of Cebu, on September 22, 1899.

I also desire to mention the effective and excellent work of the piece of artillery stationed on the summit of El Pardo Mountain under Sergeant Weeks and Corporal Crotty, Sixth Artillery, U. S. A., and from my personal knowledge of the accuracy and effects of the fire, from my position on the firing line, I respectfully recommend that their names be sent in for certificates of merit for the high degree of skill displayed in the handling of their gun on September 22, 1899, at the battle of Bocaue Mountains, island of Cebu.

Respectfully, your obedient servant,

GRACEY CHILDERS
Colonel Commanding Regiment .