EVANS, SEPTEMBER 26, 1899

CEBU, P.I., September 26, 1899

The ADJUTANT-GENERAL,
Military District of Cebu, P. I.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the participation of the Third Battalion, Nineteenth Infantry, in the movement against the positions of the insurgents on Bocaue Mountain in the period between September 21 and 25, inclusive:

The column under my command consisted of 75 enlisted men, each, from Companies H, I, and M Nineteenth Infantry, together with the commissioned personnel of the companies, and a detachment of the hospital corps commanded by Asst. Surg. T. S. Bratton, Medical Department, amounting in the aggregate to 235 enlisted men and 12 commissioned officers. Each company and the detachment of the hospital corps was provided with eight native cargadores for purposes of transportation, there being no pack animals available and the trails being impracticable for other transportation. The troops carried one day's cooked rations in their haversacks, and four days' travel rations were carried by the porters, assisted by the troops when necessary. Each officer and enlisted man earned a haversack, canteen, and poncho, and all the enlisted men carried 200 rounds, each, of ammunition.

My verbal instructions were to proceed up to the Guadalupe Valley on the first day's march, to advance at 6 a. m. on the next day and, if possible, carry the positions on the Guadalupe trail, and to then push forward and turn the position of the insurgents on and about Bocaue Mountain, while the other column attacked the position in front on the morning of our advance into Guadalupe Valley.

We left Cebu at. 6.30 a. m. on the 21st instant and marched about 6 miles to the entrance of the Guadalupe Canyon, where we went into camp in the old Spanish earthwork. On this day's march we encountered no opposition. Nearly all the houses along the road showed signs of recent occupation, but only a few were occupied as we passed, and these only by women and children. After dark a number of men were seen hovering about the camp under cover of the underbrush. The sentinels were ordered not to fire on anyone unless attacked. At about 8 p. m. one of the sentinels on an outpost, whose post was alongside a hedge, changed his position for greater security, to the middle of the road. A few moments later a boloman jumped the hedge within 20 yards of the outpost and at a point where he evidently expected to find the sentinel. He was shot twice and instantly killed by Corporal Knowl, Company H, commanding the outpost. The man was armed with a bolo knife and had evidently expected to kill the sentinel and capture his rifle. During the whole night men were seen hovering about in the surrounding thickets, but no attack was subsequently made on the outposts.

According to my instructions we moved out of camp promptly at 6 a. m. on the 22d. The trail on this day led up the canyon of the Guadalupe under the heights of Paran-Paran and about 500 yards therefrom. Continuing, it led directly through what is known as Gaudenes' Fort, on the watershed between the Guadalupe and a river in the valley beyond. This fortification seems to have been relied upon to defend the pass. About 7 a. m. we could hear firing on the left, indicating that the other column had commenced the attack on the main position. A few moments later the enemy opened fire on us from the earthwork on Paran-Paran, but it was at too long a range to be effective. We pushed forward with the scouts to the front, under Lieut. F. G. Lawton, followed by Company H as advance guard, under Captain Hanson. Our progress was slow, as the trail was very steep and difficult and the strength and position of the enemy were largely matters of conjecture. Furthermore, the weather in the canyon was very warm. I sent Captain Rowan up the mountain to our right to reconnoiter, while a slow fire was kept up to develop the strength and position of the enemy. On receiving Captain Rowan's report I detached him with half of his company to occupy a mountain to our right and front, which dominated the insurgents' position at a range of 700 or 800 yards. It was now about 11 a. m. As soon as Captain Rowan reached a position abreast of the advance guard and commenced firing Company H pushed forward and in a short time the fire of the enemy ceased from both positions, and we pushed forward and occupied the ground evacuated. The main fortification proved to be an earthwork with two embrasures. The parapet was in the form of a demilune about 30 yards long 4 feet thick, and 5 feet high, with wooden and bamboo palisades. Two saddles and horses were found in rear of the fortification and a quantity of rudely improvised ammunition for small field guns. Six or seven discharges from these guns had been fired during our advance. A patrol searched for the guns during the afternoon, but was unable to find them. The earthwork on Paran-Paran was somewhat smaller than the main work. The huts about both works were destroyed, as were the works themselves, in so far as it was possible to do so with the means at hand.

These positions might have been carried much more quickly had I permitted the command to push forward at once. I was embarrassed, however, by my lack of transportation and by the knowledge that to be encumbered by a number of wounded on this day might defeat the object of the expedition, which was to turn the position of the enemy on Bocaue Mountain. I therefore proceeded with the utmost caution, and, happily, was enabled to carry the pass and to proceed on the trail without a casualty.

We camped on the site of the enemy's position, and at daylight on the 23d commenced the ascent of the mountain. We reached the summit at 10 a. m. and continued to press on, over a very difficult trail, till about 4 p. m., when we arrived within 2 miles of the main position on Bocaue Mountain. From here we could see that the insurgents had abandoned their works and that our own troops were in possession. I therefore put the command into camp, and at 8 a. m. the next morning joined the main column about the late positions of the insurgents. Our arrival was reported to Colonel Snyder, by whose order two of the companies of my battalion were detached to hold the position, under the command of Captain Rowan.

On the following morning I Marched the other companies into Cebu, arriving at 11 a. m.

In conclusion I desire to express my appreciation of the energy and good conduct of the officers and enlisted men of the command. Under the trying conditions of heat, rain, and difficult trails, as well as under fire, they responded cheerfully to all demands made upon them, and I have no doubt would willingly have made even greater efforts had the circumstancas required it.

W. P. EVANS,
Captain, Nineteenth Infantry, Commanding Third Battalion.