LUKBAN
The NYT likewise reported in the same issue on the punitive activities of American troopers in Samar , such as the destruction of 117 boats , many of these carrying essential food items , by the US gunboat Frolic under the command of Lt . Cmdr . James M . Helm ; the destruction of a rebel fort by Lt . Baines of the 9 th Infantry , inflicting heavy losses on insurgents ; and the havoc caused on the insurgent cause by troops under Lt . William B . Fltcher , commanding the gunboat Quiros , which destroyed 12 salt factories , 35 tons of hemp , 12 tons of rice and the burning of several barrios in the southern coasts of the island , suspected to be insurgent lairs . 14
Getting closer
With his mass base gone , Lukban ’ s world was getting smaller . According to American reports , Lukban had to move from one village to another to escape the closing dragnet . His faithful soldiers engaged his enemies in one last final fierce battle before their head ’ s capture . This story is told by an American historian . 15
The soldiers of E Company , who came from Luzon , learned that the insurgents in Samar were younger , shorter , more muscular , tougher yet more primitive than their Luzon counterparts . They had few firearms , and those who did could not shoot straight . But they were most adept with long blades and knives , and used long sticks to put their enemies off balance . They liked to fight in swarms and surround their enemies , jabbing here and sometimes slashing . They seldom attacked unless they had the advantage of surprise over the long Krag rifles of the Americans . Once the latter were in position to shoot , they scampered into the safety of the jungle and disappeared .
The Americans also learned of the various traps and snares laid by the insurgents in the pathways and trails , employing numerous pitfalls with sharpened stakes in the bottoms . These were frequently smeared with poisonous herbs or putrid meat to cause infections to the unlucky victim . A second device was the spear trap that employed a bow to propel one or more objects to impale the unwary soldier . A third popular device was the release of a heavy log to roll downhill to sweep away soldiers walking along a trail . Many American soldiers , especially those arriving at the scene of the conflict for the first time , became victims of these vicious devices . It was likewise difficult to surprise the insurgents because in the sparse settlements close to the jungles , alarm signals from conch shells or bamboo horns or talutang , announced the arrival of the Americans . By the time the latter arrived at the scene , the insurgents were gone .
132