LUKBAN TO LOCAL PRESIDENTES OF SAMAR, FEBRUARY 4, 1900
Exhibit 1323.
[Original in Spanish. Contemporary copy. P.I.R., 1241.9.]
FEBRUARY 4, 1900.
To the Local Presidentes of this Province of Samar:
A few minutes after half past ten a.m. on the 21st ultimo firing
broke out against the invading enemy, and by this act we made patent
to the whole world by two days of conflict that we never accepted-myself
especially - American sovereignty.
The day succeeding the fight we had to retreat on account of our
soldiers being exhausted by hunger, having to seek subsistence from
hamlet to hamlet and from town to town. I beg to advise you that,
thanks to the Lord of Hosts, we have met with no casualties, with the
exception of one artilleryman who died from the bursting of one of our
cannon, and a lieutenant of artillery from heart failure on ascending
a mountain, Lieutenant Guillermo Artacho and a corporal being slightly
wounded. In regard to our enemies, our opinion is that they had more
than 800 killed, which is confirmed by the inhabitants of the towns
of Catbalogan, Gandara, Calbayog and Natividad (San Policarpo).
Beloved people, our soldiers at present are divided into small bands
by force of hunger, and I have ordered them not to give battle to the
enemy, in spite of their eagerness, until sufficient provisions are collected;
but this should not dishearten you; we have sufficient resources,
as our mountains are filled with good edible roots, capable of supporting
combatants for many years of warfare; in proof of which I
have been eating these roots up to this time and henceforth they shall
constitute my food.
Open your eyes; see the great abuses, the amazing acts committed
by the enemy in the towns he has entered; outraging young girls,
sacking houses and taking possession of all the wealth and perpetrating
other abuses which no history of warfare records; the married women
who excite tbeir evil passions are killed by the soldiers' bayonets, if
their demands are refused. Beloved people, if your hearts are not
moved by such abuses, you are unworthy of your family, of protecting
their interests and of our country. Now is the time for the people of
Samar to show that they will never consent to the odious American
sovereignty on this soil, and hence all its inhabitants must take up
arms.
Liberty and independence being then the very pure ideal which we
are all pursuing, join me in the field so as to expel these deceitful
Yankees, for they have come with the intention of exterminating us
later, as they exterminated the Indians of America, who were the real
owners of that land and rather than have this happen to us, before
a large number of Americans arrives, let us hurl ourselves against
these who are already here, and let us wage a war without quarter
against these heartless vandals; for when a people united as brothers
are defending themselves, there is no army strong enough to conquer
them. It is only necessary to note the 'striking example of our brothers
of Luzon, who preferred to have their towns reduced to ashes and their residents
corpses rather than surrender. To-day Luzon is already independent,
already enjoys the sweets of liberty, the fruit of four years'
constant warfare. Let us imitate them and let us persevere in the
struggle until the longed for independence is attained.
Each chief of a town shall organize a guerrilla band of the strength
he may consider proper, to be maintained by the town itself, as I have
ordered. The Police Commissioner (Delegado de Policia) shall be at
the head of this guerrilla band, to be armed with bolos, lances and
arrows, the tactics of which band I leave to the good judgment of the
commissioner (delegado), or in case of necessity, let him come to me
to be taught how he must attack the enemy; and in the absence of the
commissioner, another patriot shall be at the head of said guerrilla
band, who shall report to me, bringing paper, pen and ink.
By virtue of the foregoing, all the inhabitants of these mountains
of Samar volunteered for the war and swear to defend this soil until
the last drop of their blood be shed.
The patriots of the town of Natividad - San Policarpio - very
worthily follow suit, and they are now offering examples of patriotism
and conrage, as in that town various dead Americans are lying without
heads; therefore, beloved people, awake from your lethargy, as the
mountaineers already have, and let us quickly expel our enemies.
MOUNTAINS OF SAMAR, February 4, 1900.
LUKBAN, General.
(Seal) Military Headquarters Battalion Samar.
A true copy.