My Life before the World War, 1860–1917: A Memoir

Appendix G: Report of Captain John J. Pershing, Fifteenth Cavalry, of an Exploring Expedition around Lake Lanao, 2–10 May 1903

435 Appendix G Report of Captain John J. Pershing, Fifteenth Cavalry, of an Exploring Expedition around Lake Lanao, 2–10 May 1903 POST OF CAMP VICARS Mindanao, P.I., May 15, 1903. TO ADJUTANT-GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF MINDANAO Zamboanga, P. I. Sir: I have the honor to submit the following report of an expedition of exploration made under my command around Lake Lanao between May 2 and 10, inclusive, pursuant to orders from department commander, Brig. Gen. Samuel S. Sumner, U. S. Army, dated Zamboanga, Mindanao, P. I., April 28, 1903, a copy of which is appended hereto. The command consisted of Capt. John J. Pershing, Fifteenth Cavalry , commanding; Second Lieut. Victor S. Foster, Fifteenth Cavalry, acting adjutant; Second Lieut. William C. Gardenhire, Fifteenth Cavalry, acting quartermaster and commissary; Capt. W. F. Lewis, assistant surgeon , U. S. Army; First Lieut. R. U. Patterson, assistant surgeon, U. S. Army, and 7 enlisted men of the Hospital Corps; Troop A, Fifteenth Cavalry, Second Lieut. W. P. Mangum, jr., Fifteenth Cavalry, in command , with 40 enlisted men; Troop E, Fifteenth Cavalry, Capt. F. J. Koester, Fifteenth Cavalry, in command, with First Lieut. R. B. Going and 50 enlisted men; Troop G, Fifteenth Cavalry, First. Lieut. Charles 436  Appendix G E. McCullough, Fifteenth Cavalry, in command, with Second Lieut. Francis A. Ruggles and 43 enlisted men; two Vickers-Maxim mountain guns and one 3.6-inch field mortar, all of the Seventeenth Battery Field Artillery, Capt. G. G. Gatley, Artillery Corps, in command, with Second Lieut. D. H. Currie, Second Lieut. E. H. De Armond, and 82 enlisted men; Lieut. Currie, in addition to his other duties, acting as engineer officer; Company C, Twenty-seventh Infantry, First Lieut. G. C. Shaw, Twenty-seventh Infantry, in command, and 58 enlisted men; Company D, Twenty-seventh Infantry, First Lieut. O. S. Eskridge, Twenty-seventh Infantry, in command, and 71 enlisted men; Company G, Twenty-seventh Infantry, Second Lieut. S. C. Loring, Twenty-seventh Infantry, in command , and 62 enlisted men; Company M, Twenty-seventh Infantry, First Lieut. W. B. Gracie, Twenty-seventh Infantry, in command, with Second Lieut. B. F. Miller and 63 enlisted men; Company F, Twenty-seventh Infantry, 38 enlisted men assigned to the infantry organizations; a pioneer detachment consisting of 5 enlisted men from each company of infantry. Mr. Frank Helm, late ensign, U. S. Navy, joined the expedition after the battle of Taraca River and accompanied it around the lake to Camp Vicars; Contract Dental Surg. F. P. Stone, U. S. Army, on duty at Camp Vicars, was given permission to accompany the expedition as assistant to the surgeons; Lieutenant Williams, Marine Corps, accompanied as a guest; Leon Fernandez and Tomas Torres acted as interpreters, the latter in charge of Moro transportation; five days’ rations and forage were carried on the quartermaster’s pack train, consisting of 28 mules, and a native pack train, consisting of 115 ponies; several large vintas were employed to accompany the expedition, and were furnished by Dato Pedro of Oato, Dato Gamour of Tugaya, and the Cabugatan of Oato. Every available facility was provided for boiling water, as a precaution against cholera, and each man was issued an extra canteen. As soon as it became known that this expedition was to be made, notice was sent either by letter or courier to all the leading Moros on the east shore of the lake, and their friendship and assistance solicited. They were assured that we would molest neither the persons nor the property of those who wished to be friends and would pay for all supplies furnished us, but that we would brook no interference or opposition . The expedition started at 7 o’clock a. m. May 2, and marching by the way of Pantauan arrived at Sauir at about 12:30 p. m., where camp was established. Two companies of infantry and the pioneer detachment were immediately sent out to repair the trail leading thence through the An Exploring Expedition around Lake Lanao  437 timber around the arm of the lake to Maciu, as this trail is unusually swampy in places and had been found obstructed on previous expeditions . The greater part of the work was completed during the afternoon, it being necessary to cover several muddy stretches with corduroy. One shot was fired from the Maciu side of the laguna during the night, but otherwise we were not disturbed. On the morning of the...