LUKBAN
The NYT likewise reported in the same issue on the punitive activities of American troopers in Samar, such as the destruction of 117 boats, many of these carrying essential food items, by the US gunboat Frolic under the command of Lt. Cmdr. James M. Helm; the destruction of a rebel fort by Lt. Baines of the 9 th Infantry, inflicting heavy losses on insurgents; and the havoc caused on the insurgent cause by troops under Lt. William B. Fltcher, commanding the gunboat Quiros, which destroyed 12 salt factories, 35 tons of hemp, 12 tons of rice and the burning of several barrios in the southern coasts of the island, suspected to be insurgent lairs. 14
Getting closer
With his mass base gone, Lukban’ s world was getting smaller. According to American reports, Lukban had to move from one village to another to escape the closing dragnet. His faithful soldiers engaged his enemies in one last final fierce battle before their head’ s capture. This story is told by an American historian. 15
The soldiers of E Company, who came from Luzon, learned that the insurgents in Samar were younger, shorter, more muscular, tougher yet more primitive than their Luzon counterparts. They had few firearms, and those who did could not shoot straight. But they were most adept with long blades and knives, and used long sticks to put their enemies off balance. They liked to fight in swarms and surround their enemies, jabbing here and sometimes slashing. They seldom attacked unless they had the advantage of surprise over the long Krag rifles of the Americans. Once the latter were in position to shoot, they scampered into the safety of the jungle and disappeared.
The Americans also learned of the various traps and snares laid by the insurgents in the pathways and trails, employing numerous pitfalls with sharpened stakes in the bottoms. These were frequently smeared with poisonous herbs or putrid meat to cause infections to the unlucky victim. A second device was the spear trap that employed a bow to propel one or more objects to impale the unwary soldier. A third popular device was the release of a heavy log to roll downhill to sweep away soldiers walking along a trail. Many American soldiers, especially those arriving at the scene of the conflict for the first time, became victims of these vicious devices. It was likewise difficult to surprise the insurgents because in the sparse settlements close to the jungles, alarm signals from conch shells or bamboo horns or talutang, announced the arrival of the Americans. By the time the latter arrived at the scene, the insurgents were gone.
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