Part IV: US Military Operations in Batangas from 1901-02 during the Fil-American War

[In this article: Philippine-American War, US Army in the Philippines, US Volunteers, American military operations in Batangas, Fil-Am War in Batangas, Lipa Batangas, Nasugbu Batangas, Batangas City Batangas, Taysan Batangas, San Luis Batangas]

• The United States Army suffer personnel loss in an encounter with Filipino rebels in Lobo. Sergeant Carl M. Secrest, Corporal W. B. McGeary, both of Company L of the 20^th Infantry, were both killed, along with one member of the Macabebe Scouts. Private C. H. Huff of the same group was mortally wounded and would succumb the following day. On the side of the rebels, one Filipino fighter and one Negro² were killed.
• Included in the report was an item about the Chief of Police of Bauan capturing one lieutenant and three ladrones (thieves), as the Americans sometimes referred to the Filipino rebels in the report. However, the item also stated that Bauan was “in the island of Marinduque.” Batangas History cannot find any references to such a place in Marinduque, so it is possible that what the writer really meant was Bauan in Batangas or Bauan was actually a typographical error that should have been Boac.

• Northeast of Lipa, a group of some 40 Ilocano Scouts, part of the 7^th Company of Native (i.e. Filipino) Scouts, led by 2^nd Lieutenant Frederick B. Hennessy of the United States Army Artillery Corps, captured a rebel captain along with 2 Mausers (a German-made gun³), 1 Remington (an American-made gun, probably a rifle⁴), 7 war bolos and important papers.
• Near Calaca, a group of some 40 men under the command of 1^st Lieutenant Beverly A Read of the 6^th Cavalry engaged Filipino rebels in a running gun battle for about two miles. There were no casualties.

• A 2^nd Lieutenant of the Filipino rebels along with one sergeant surrendered to Captain John D. L. Hartman of the 1^st Cavalry in Bauan.
• At the Lipa Mountains (likely Mount Malepunyo), the forces of Filipino rebel Major Mariano Ilabres, numbering 42 men, were surprised and captured by a group of one American scout and 6 men of the 17^th Company of Ilocano Scouts under the command of 2^nd Lieutenant Frederick B. Hennessy. Also capture were 21 rifles, Mausers and Remingtons along with 40 rounds of ammunition for each gun. Not a single shot was fired.
• In Taysan, American scouts under the command of one 1^st Lieutenant William F. Fassett of the 21^st Infantry got embroiled for several hours in a running battle with Filipino rebels. A Corporal C. H. C. Bleach of Company G of the 21^st Infantry was killed, while one from the 7^th Company of Macabebe Scouts was wounded.

• Some 90 men of the 4^th and 28^th Infantry commanded by one Captain Guy H. B. Smith of the 4^th Infantry struck Filipino rebels in Looc – most likely in Nasugbu – and killing three of them. There were no casualties on the American side.
• 30 men under the command of 1^st Lieutenant George V. H. Mosely of the 1^st Cavalry encountered Filipino rebels numbering 125, including 30 armed with rifles, at barrio San Isidro 4 miles outside of Batangas town. The rebels fled after the encounter, leaving 7 dead behind. They were also seen trying to carry with them more dead and wounded. There were no casualties in the American side.
• In the afternoon of the same day, 30 men of 21^st Infantry, commanded by one 1^st Lieutenant William M. Fassett, had an encounter with a group of rebels in barrio Colod (likely Gulod in Batangas town). There were 15 men armed with rifles in this group. The rest, around 75, were armed with bolos. Beaten, the rebels fled the scene, leaving 3 of their dead comrades behind.
• East of Batangas town, American scouts under the command of 1^st Lieutenant James D. Tilford of the 1^st Cavalry chanced upon a band of Filipino rebels and killed two of them. There were no casualties on the part of the Americans.

• Filipino rebels Captain Benito Nagbao, 1^st Lieutenant Cecilio Castillo, one sergeant and two privates all belonging to the Santa Cruz Battalion surrendered to the Americans in Bauan.
• In Batangas town, the Municipal police captured two Filipino rebels.
• American soldiers commanded by one 2^nd Lieutenant Horace N. Munro of the 1^st Cavalry captured 2 rebels and some important papers in a barrio Liplo (probably barrio Libjo of Batangas town)

• Soldiers from Troop K of the 1^st Cavalry under the command of Captain John D. L. Hartman, operating from Bauan, located and destroyed six cuartels (or barracks) belonging to the Filipino rebels near Point Pagalanit (likely Bagalangit in present-day Mabini).
• Some 10 miles east of Taysan, some 30 men of the 7^th Company of Macabebe Scouts commanded by 1^st Lieutenant Robert E. Brooks engaged Filipino rebels under the command of one Captain Barcelino. Six rebels were killed, including one officer. Captured were one Remington rifle along with 50 rounds of ammunition as well as 17 bolos. The Americans destroyed the rebele’s barracks, where three tons of rice were stored. There were no casualties in the American side.

¹ “Annual Reports of the War Department for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1902,” report of the Lieutenant-General Commanding the Army and Department Commanders, published 1902 in the United States, online at HathiTrust.
² It was not made clear in the report who the “Negro” was. However, there are records of deserters from the American side who fought with the Filipino rebels.
³ “Mauser,” Wikipedia.
⁴ “Remington Arms,” Wikipedia.
⁵ In the present day, barrio Sampa is part of the town of Santa Teresita instead of San Luis.