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than by the Spanish in 300 years of colonization. Over 1.5 million died out of a total population of 6 million.” 4
A detailed estimate of both civilian and American military dead is offered by historian John Gates, who sums up the subject as follows:
“ Of some 125,000 Americans who fought in the Islands at one time or another, almost 4,000 died there. Of the non-Muslim Filipino population, which numbered approximately 6,700,000, at least 34,000 lost their lives as a direct result of the war, and as many as 200,000 may have died as a result of the cholera epidemic at the war’ s end ….“ 5
Yet another estimate states,“ Philippine military deaths are estimated at 20,000 with 16,000 actually counted, while civilian deaths numbered between 250,000 and 1,000,000 Filipinos. These numbers take into account those killed by war, malnutrition, and a cholera epidemic that raged during the war.” 6
That U. S. troops slaughtered Filipino civilians out of proportion to the conventions of so-called“ formal” warfare was remarked upon during the Senate investigation of the war’ s conduct. As one official from the War Department estimated,
“ The comparative figures of killed and wounded-- nearly five killed to one wounded if we take only the official returns-- are absolutely convincing. When we examine them in detail and find the returns quoted of many killed and often no wounded, only one conclusion is possible. In no war where the usages of civilized warfare have been respected has the number of killed approached the number of wounded more nearly than these figures. The rule is generally about five wounded to one killed. What shall we say of a war where the proportions are reversed?” 7
As for Samar, the Philippine Commission reported in 1903 that of the 40 pueblos in the island, 23 have been reduced and burned completely to ashes by the American forces. Four were partly destroyed( Catbalogan, Capul, Catarman and Basey). Only a total of 13 pueblos were“ respected”: Tarangnan, Sto. Niño, Calbayog, Bobon, Laoang, Palapag, Mercedes, Guiuan, Santa Rita, Villareal, Calbiga, Jiabong and Zumarraga. There are no estimates on the number of natives killed or wounded.
But in a report by one of its field commanders, we read:
“ I find that while the insurgents destroyed many of the principal pueblos and barrios of the island to prevent the Americans finding
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