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than by the Spanish in 300 years of colonization . Over 1.5 million died out of a total population of 6 million .” 4
A detailed estimate of both civilian and American military dead is offered by historian John Gates , who sums up the subject as follows :
“ Of some 125,000 Americans who fought in the Islands at one time or another , almost 4,000 died there . Of the non-Muslim Filipino population , which numbered approximately 6,700,000 , at least 34,000 lost their lives as a direct result of the war , and as many as 200,000 may have died as a result of the cholera epidemic at the war ’ s end …. “ 5
Yet another estimate states , “ Philippine military deaths are estimated at 20,000 with 16,000 actually counted , while civilian deaths numbered between 250,000 and 1,000,000 Filipinos . These numbers take into account those killed by war , malnutrition , and a cholera epidemic that raged during the war .” 6
That U . S . troops slaughtered Filipino civilians out of proportion to the conventions of so-called “ formal ” warfare was remarked upon during the Senate investigation of the war ’ s conduct . As one official from the War Department estimated ,
“ The comparative figures of killed and wounded -- nearly five killed to one wounded if we take only the official returns -- are absolutely convincing . When we examine them in detail and find the returns quoted of many killed and often no wounded , only one conclusion is possible . In no war where the usages of civilized warfare have been respected has the number of killed approached the number of wounded more nearly than these figures . The rule is generally about five wounded to one killed . What shall we say of a war where the proportions are reversed ?” 7
As for Samar , the Philippine Commission reported in 1903 that of the 40 pueblos in the island , 23 have been reduced and burned completely to ashes by the American forces . Four were partly destroyed ( Catbalogan , Capul , Catarman and Basey ). Only a total of 13 pueblos were “ respected ”: Tarangnan , Sto . Niño , Calbayog , Bobon , Laoang , Palapag , Mercedes , Guiuan , Santa Rita , Villareal , Calbiga , Jiabong and Zumarraga . There are no estimates on the number of natives killed or wounded .
But in a report by one of its field commanders , we read :
“ I find that while the insurgents destroyed many of the principal pueblos and barrios of the island to prevent the Americans finding
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