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A haversack from the hornet's nest that was Samar, P.I.


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US Victory Museum

http://philippineamericanwar.webs.com/thewarin19001901.htm

April 30, 1900: Battle of Catarman, Samar Province

Catarman is a town on the north coast of Samar island, situated
on the Catarman River, 55 miles northeast of Catbalogan.

On April 30, 1900, at about 9:30 p.m., Filipino guerillas sneaked
into town and attacked Company F, 43rd Infantry Regiment USV. The
Americans, commanded by Capt. John Cooke, were garrisoned in the
convent of the church.

The Filipinos, estimated to number between 500 and 600 with 100
rifles, drove in the outposts, wounding one US soldier. The rest
of the American sentinels retreated into the convent. The Americans
decided to wait until daylight. During the night, there was desultory
firing on both sides.

At daybreak, May 1, 1900 the Americans saw that the Filipinos had
built trenches on three sides of the convent. The fourth side,
dense with underbrush and cut by a path leading to the beach,
was left open. After the battle, the Americans discovered that
the path was full of mantraps.

Captain Cooke, leaving word to keep a rapid fire on the trenches,
took 30 men and flanked the trenches on the north side of the
convent, driving the Filipinos out and killing 52 of them. He then
flanked the trenches on the south side, driving the Filipinos out
and killing 57, while having one man wounded.

The Americans then made a general move and the Filipinos were
completely driven off.

A total of 154 Filipinos were killed, while the Americans suffered
only two men wounded.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This p1878 haversack bears the markings of Co. F 43rd Inf. Rgmt

USV ; a brief history of its combat operations that took place on

May 1st,1900 is listed above.

post-1529-0-98864600-1414872831.jpg

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An amazing piece of history thanks for sharing.

Smaller seemingly insignificant pieces of gear like his are why I enjoy collecting -- to most people it's just as haversack but it represents the burdens of often forgotten soldiers who manned the line in the phillipines and faced death in a faraway land. I find myself being more and more drawn to these conflicts which are relegated to the back pages of history aand the soldiers never received their just dues.

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A very rare piece of a largely forgotten episode in US and Philippine history. Many forget that our enduring relationship with The Philippines did not start off on a mutually agreeable basis, but that changed rapidly.

 

CB

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There is a quote from somewheres that I recently saw whilst reading: 'Stand gentlemen, for he fought on Samar'. It has to do with the insurrection and if not that incident, another.

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