LUKBAN
was in charge of the guard . But Scharer took no action . After midnight the natives were still inside the Church , and occasionally the sounds of praying could be heard faintly across the plaza . Otherwise all was quiet in the final hours before dawn . 15
At 6 AM on the morning of September 28 , 1901 , Musician George Meyers sounded reveille and the 71 men of Company C . assembled in the Town Plaza , their backs to the municipal hall , facing west , their Krag rifles in hand . To the soldier ’ s right , at the northwest corner of the municipal hall , were the two conical Sibley tents containing 68 prisoners . Behind the municipal hall was the mess tent and kitchen . In front of them at the opposite end of the plaza , was the church and convento , where a guard was posted and the officers were sleeping .
At the conclusion of roll call Randles called out : “ Dismissed !” and the men went back to their barracks . Over 40 went to the municipal hall . Some went to the Betron Barracks at the Salazar home , on the northeast corner of the plaza . Others went to the Markley Barracks at the Belaez home a block west along the plaza ’ s perimeter road . In all three locations the men stacked their guns and began to go about their business , the most pressing matter being breakfast and mail that Bumpus brought the day before .
Over the next fifteen minutes , virtually all the men made their way to the mess tent for breakfast . One of the first in line for breakfast was Private Adolf Gamlin was one of those who finished breakfast earlier as he had to relieve George Allen at Post 5 near the Sibley tents at 6:30 that morning . He approached Allen , relieved him , and began marching Post 2 , an L shaped route that took him from the mess tent north on the perimeter to the Betron Barracks , then a left turn and an equal distance west along the perimeter road to the Markley Barracks — then back .
At that precise moment , a dozen men were at the Betron Barracks mess tent . A half dozen inside the Markley Barracks . Thirty were in the main mess behind the municipal hall . The officers were in their quarters at the convento . Sergeants Markley and Randles were en route from their respective barracks to the Municipal Hall . And seven were on guard duty .
At that moment too , Abanador was leaning casually against a post and chatting with Corporal Burke , assessing the given situation . Then he began walking casually toward the guard , Adolf Gamlin , who was walking Post 2 near the conical tents .
In the Congressional hearings held to investigate the circumstances of the attack , they would be able to determine the precise details from surviving witnesses .
Company Musician Meyers was eating at the table in front of the
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