LUKBAN
A detachment of 40 to 80 men was no longer sufficient because every time they sent out patrols, on their return, the rebel forces moved their outposts to within a mile of the town, thus preventing the population from entering or leaving the town. As result, the people went to the insurgents“ out of fear.”
The insurgents“ have been guilty of all kinds of cruelty to those friendly to us, such as burning them alive, cutting on parts of the body, killing them … It is impossible for me to send parties out all the time, as I have to mount a large guard to keep the town from being burned and to protect the people,” wrote Gilmore in exasperation. 5
At this stage of the war, the Americans were effectively stalemated. Their forces were confined to their garrisons, but outside these Lukban’ s forces were in control, harassing them from trenches and hilltops, taunting the invaders to pursue them in the dense underbrush where mantraps baited with poisoned canes laid in wait for the unwary white soldier, and bolomen with their sharp blades were poised to strike.
To Lukban and his guerrillas, the bigger battles were still to be fought. The near absence of fire fights in the coming months was just a smokescreen. In the meantime, he had to consolidate his forces.
Endnotes
1 J. C. Gilmore, Jr., Major, Forty-third Infantry, USV, Commanding Second Battalion. Hqs. Second Battalion, Report of the War Commission 1900 2 Ibid 3 Ibid 4 Ibid 5 Ibid
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