LUKBAN
Rafael was there the day before but had left for Matuginao. However, he resisted the impulse to follow him there, but instead proceeded to Enrique. Along the way, he met some rebels which he tried shooting at. Two reportedly fell but Gilmore could not confirm it.
Gilmore’ s exercise may have been futile but it probably taught him some lessons in geography. Between Taiveran and St. Helene, the greater part of the way was over rice fields, in which one sunk his knees in mud. The rest of the way was in the mountain streams, wading in water anywhere from the ankle to waist deep. Between St. Helene and Enrique the trail was much better, having been cut between these two places by the insurgents.
But between Enrique and Santa Margarita, the trail was either in a river or running over a mountain. Some of the mountains were 400 or 500 feet high, and in climbing them, his men had to sling their rifles and climb up hand over hand by aid of the roots of the trees. In some places the trail went up the almost perpendicular face of the rock,“ in which steps had been formed by the wearing away of the rock by the bare feet of the natives passing over it.”
Between Santa Margarita to Calbayog, Gilmore followed an excellent road along the coast and was able to follow the trail of some suspected rebels for a couple of miles. He followed them about five miles into the country over a very mountainous and densely wooded section, capturing 11 cannon and three rifles, reportedly killed about 15, without any casualties on his side. But exhausted, he gave up the pursuit and returned to Calbayog. 1
Occupation of Laguan
On Gilmore’ s return to Calbayog on February 19 th, Brig. Gen. Kobbe told him to occupy Laguan and Catarman with a company of infantry, with at least two other officers and 60 days of ration. He had gone to Oquendo to inspect the road conditions and see whether or not the town could serve as a base of supplies for troops to move to the north coast. In earlier times, when the road was in better condition and the bridges repaired, the distance to Oquendo could be covered in three hours. But at his time, the road was simply in bad shape, with most of the bridges down. While it was passable to foot soldiers, it was unfit for pack animals even without anything on their backs because of the mud in the river bottom. Natives told him, it was impossible to send supplies on pack animals, and the way to Catarman was still a wilderness. They said it was impossible for the troops to live in that situation.
The trip would take three days for them to reach Oquendo, which
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