LUKBAN
were encamped on the river about five hours away. They were armed with 20 rifles. Waller sent a scouting party to the site, but the soldiers had not returned yet. However, another group that was sent on the trail to Sta. Rita encountered a boloman who was instantly killed. 18
Raid on Sohoton
The Sohoton cliffs were important to the Americans since its control meant easy access to the Cadacan river, the waterway to villages upstream. Some 700 insurrectos were said to be positioned here under the command of Capitan Juan Colinares of Basey. The insurrectos were said to be armed with bolos, bamboo cannons and some rifles taken from Balangiga. Being masters of the terrain, they dug traps of poisoned bamboo pegs at the bottom of four-foot pits along trail ways. They fortified the 200-foot precipice of the Sohoton cliffs where“ ledges and shelves cut in the cliff face were connected by fragile bamboo ladders. Dangling from ropes made of a vine called bejucos were large bamboo cages holding tons of rock, ready to cut loose and crash down on anyone storming the cliffs from below”. Thus the place became known as panhulugan( means a place to drop). 19
Waller’ s operation started on the 15 th of November when he divided his attacking force into three columns. The first two were the major forces, while the third dispatched a day later provided backup and brought the supplies. He went with this third group, assigning the other two columns to Captains Porter and Bearss. The assault was to begin on the 17 th when the three columns had converged at a designated spot on the river banks from which they would rush to the fortified cliffs.
On the march to Liruan, the second column under Capt. Bearss destroyed all the villages and houses they came upon along the way, leaving 165 of them in flames. On the 16 th, the columns finally reached the overhanging cliffs in the Sohoton known to be heavily fortified and held as the last rallying point. In the meantime, the flanking column had positioned itself about 200 feet above the column of Waller at the riverbank. They could communicate with each other but they could not be seen. The other column on the river halted and camped for the night because of the impression that“ the word from the flanking column reported it impossible to move the boats except to destruction.” 20
The next day, the column commanded by Capt. Porter located at the riverbank struck the rebels’ trail on the left bank, and saw from the traps, bows, spears, etc., that it led to one of their camps. They followed the trail and until they came upon a number of bamboo guns. One of these commanding the trail had its fuse burning. Corporal Harry Glenn quickly rushed forward and pulled out the fuse. Coming over the crest
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